Stef

Yea, one like this, could be white as well, goes with any colour, 'specially in the winter when everything is crudded up. This example is the first on the list from local Kijij, if it hasn't sold already http://sudbury.kijij...QAdIdZ318015005

Pick up a used hard cap off Kijiji for a couple of hundred.... lots around, simple to install, lockable and better room.

One of the problems with winter boots that have light liners is that the bottom of the liner is compressed from the weight of the user, making it thin and essentially useless while the top and sides stay lofted. Boots with deep grips help a bit in keeping the bottom of the foot away from the snow but a good thick felt insole or two works even better. Felt pac boots are usually warmer as the felt at the bottom doesn't compress as much. Some good boots come with a separate insole included and the best pair I've owned had an extra layer of insulation molded into the foot bottom in the rubber itself. One of the reasons that keeping your feet of the snow on a board works well.....

Save your money and go light as has been suggested. Five gallon pail to sit on, carry some minnows out in and fish you catch back. Dollar store sells some large spoons with holes in 'em to clear slush and ice chips out of the hole for a buck. An auger with the curved blades (Fin bore style) cuts best as has been mentioned already. Warm clothes with a hood (if you don't have a floater suit nothing wrong with a lifejacket over your clothes early season) and boots, back to wind. Don't go to far out from the vehicle for your first couple of outings and a compass is a real good idea. You can make some ice picks from two large nails and some cord and foam/wood. A kids toboggan (fairly long) with some milk crates fastened makes a good sled to haul some stuff and a platform you can haul across a break and help you get out should you get on some thin ice. After you gain some experience you'll know what else you want/need....

Nice shots, very sharp.... enjoyed viewing them.

Good tip if you carry your auger in 2 pieces, makes it much faster to take apart and put together....

Good advice. A different lens won't help you much with the star shots you are trying to get. Besides making your exposure longer (using a tripod I hope), bring your ISO down (decrease the speed) to around 800 at maximum and set your apperture up (close the iris) to about 5.6, that way you will get pretty well the best clarity, speed and noise reduction your camera will be capable of. You could also adjust your noise filter up, see how in your manual. The stars (actually, the earth) are moving so you will start to get star trails or streaks of light rather than a pinpoint when your exposure times are long. The extra speed of the lens you mentioned isn't enough to make a great deal of difference. Six elements in five groups is the way the lens is constructed. It has 6 pieces of ground optical glass in five different spots inside the lens, meaning 2 pieces of glass are positioned together in one of those 5 spots. Elements and groups are not something I would think about as a new photographer as they won't have much meaning to you. Concentrate on lens speed, type (fixed prime or zoom) and the range you want (wide angle, standard or telephoto) for the types of shots you want to do and don't buy anything until you can't do something you want with the equipment you have. Generally, if you take a lot of pictures inside or in confined areas of things like people or perhaps wide landscapes you will probably next buy a wide angle. If you take pictures of things farther away and want to bring them closer such as birds, wildlife or such you will probably want something telephoto. Practice with what you have first..... enjoy!

Viper was the engine name for eskimo augers, engine size is same as the mid-line Mako unit so thats probably what it is, maybe a different drill head. Costco ued to sell the eskimo line....

Looks like a nice hut. Some things to consider include does it require clearance lights at 8' + wide as a trailer(wire them in now before you seal it up). Depending on where it will be sited, will you get a snow load on the roof (minimum slope on there). Wheel height means you start to plow snow with the front and come to a grinding halt when the snow is deeper than that. We have moved wheeled huts using a pair of toboggans under wheels to give it some floatation. Fresh air ventilation with whatever heat you put in (can be dangerous carbon monoxide build up, sleep longer than you ever intended). Tie down eyes for ice anchors on at least 2 corners or you may find it gone when you arrive due to wind (drill a hole, fix a piece of wood crosswise under ice with some rope running up and they will freeze in). Reflective material on outside to prevent snowmobiles from crashing into it. Pails work but cut sections of irrigation pipe or similar better for wind breaks, also see crazy carpet sleds rolled up used, hard to land the fish from a raised hole. Lots of people block them up here and then take off wheels so they don't get stolen. Get some red flagging or such to tie on the exposed hitch end so no-one bangs into it with their legs or machine. Hope this helps...... PS... grease the wheel bearings.

When I registered a boat this spring I was informed that boat registry had now switched over to Miramichi New Brunswick (gun registry site). I wonder how long it will be before we pay a yearly licence fee for boat registry?

I think the price is high as has been suggested. Perhaps you could negotiate it down substantially or if you are comfortable in that price range, want a DSLR and are willing to take the time to learn to use it, than a new one like Craig suggested with warranty is the better buy. The model Craig suggested has the newest Sony sensor so will run for a few years. Do be aware that hauling a big DSLR around is no small thing and if you are not to photographically inclined will become a pain fast. There are lots of small sensor, good quality point and shoots around that are easy to carry and give good results....

Living here, I can add a few pictures... Osprey leaving it's perch Bald Eagle (fuzzy shot but the best I've got so far) Golden eagle on perch Loon And a sunset (Don't get up early enough for sunrises, I'm retired)

I've moved around a lot in my former career as well. It gets harder as you get older with more stuff, family issues like school changes, etc.. My advice, if it will help your work, go for it. You need to get out on your own anyway and leave the nest, its time. North Bay is a great area, watch your finances and get a place to rent you can afford (I don't presume you'll be buying). You'll develop friends from work, recreational activities and clubs quickly enough. Be outgoing and friendly and you'll get that back in return. This is the point in your life where you start to make things happen for yourself, looks like you're on your way....

I'm principally a jig & plastic drift pickeral guy. I have several rods pre-rigged, one with a 1/4 oz, one with a 1/8oz and another 3/8oz, also a pre-rigged slip bobber rig and a bottom bouncer rig for times I use bait. I use a ball bearing snap and run a 3 ft piece of mono to the jig to prevent line twist. I have some different colors and sizes (marabou, swim bait, 1/2 oz, etc) pre-tied to that leader length with a loop end to make switch out easy hung on the carpet side of the boat by my seat. Several different colors of 3" grub plastics lying on the dash tray. Pliers and forceps, jaw spreader (pesky pike) are always in the same place in the boat. Marker bouy on the ledge by the engine control. Things like this are, for me, not about speed but more about organization. Fishing is a lot more than just catching....

Interesting thread.... now, just so you know, there are strange occurrences on the West Arm, near where this alien.... or thing... was found. As an example, near Hwy 535 I was able to capture THIS SHOT! Potential UFO? Just saying I have confirmed reports THAT THIS OBJECT RECEIVED SIGNALS FROM OUTER SPACE!! Snakes or cover up ...... You be the judge.

Manitoubass2 sure provided a lot of good beginner info there. Also, don't be afraid to talk to people you see fishing, especially if they look like they know what they are doing, most will help if you say your learning...

Fast boiling small pieces of any fish is great. Trick is don't over boil, as soon as it turns opaque its done (couple of minutes or so). I like seafood sauce/shrimp sauce to dip it in. Showed a friend who was trying to lose weight how to do it and its the only way he eats fish now, only calories are in how much butter or sauce you use. It does taste like lobster or shrimp if you close your eyes and try hard enough.............

The floating jig head helps to keep the bait off bottom as it floats above the sinkers, less snags. The sinkers can still snag but you're success rate in pulling them free is higher, a lot of times you will simply strip the sinker off the line. The advantage to casting is you cover more water than letting a bait just sit and it gets you practice casting and retrieving. Because a floating jig has only one hook, covered by worm, it is less prone to snag weeds than a lure with a treble hook (three hooks in a gang). Plus, its a darn effective way to catch fish. Fishing a lead jig requires you to "hop" it back and each time it hits the bottom it wants to bury itself into whatever is down there. With practice you develop a feel for what is happening, once you can feel weeds, hard bottom, soft bottom with a floater, and learn to maneuver your bait by varying your speed of retrieve or lifting the rod tip, try a lead head. Shore fishing is tough on tackle.......

Thats a great lure but it takes some skill to use properly and MichaelAngelo might loose quite a few fishing from shore..... A lot depends on how well you can cast out and retrieve, what rod and reel you have and what fish are in the water you plan to fish. I would suggest stay with the worms first, go to a tackle store and buy some floating jig heads (just ask, they'll know) and some split shot sinkers, big enough to get some weight to cast and keep the hook down. The store should be able to help you with the size. Go on the net and find instructions on how to tie a double clinch knot, practice and then tie on one of the jig heads (they are a hook with a hard styrofoam head that floats it off he bottom). Pinch on one of the split shot about a foot up the line, if its to light to cast add another split shot beside the first. Put on a small worm and cast out smoothly, let it sink and then retrieve it back along bottom. Fan cast the area in front of you to cover as much of the water as possible and then move. Look for deeper water or places where the weeds don't snag you up all the time. That rig should get you into most types of fish, large and small. Once you can cast easy you can try a spoon or a small spinner bait, etc. Good luck.......

I don't think I would spend the money for the unit you mention, which is over $1600 in Canada plus tax, but heaven knows I spend a lot on fishing. But if I had the chance to do it again I wouldn't buy the cheaper Lowrance... or Hummingbird.... DSI units at this time.

They have an Elite unit in colour for about $600-650 (sonar only, no GPS) with DSi but it certainly doesn't work like an HDS unit. Same pictures as the cheap one but you can select red or yellow instead of black, looks pretty and maybe more visible in sun. Its all about what they can sell, more people buy cheap than top of the line stuff........

I tried to keep it short , but it's not and the photo's are quick snaps without concern for reflections, etc but they serve the purpose. A user review of DownScan Imaging (DSI) as represented by a Lowrance Mark 5x DSI. This is a new unit for this year and is the cheapest Lowrance unit with DSI, black & white, 480 x 480 screen with 16 level greyscale, 500 watts RMS, about $300-350 but at time of my purchase Lowrance was offering a $50 rebate. Comparison photo's are with my dash mounted Hummingbird 717, blk & wht, 320 x 320 screen, 16 level greyscale, 300 watts RMS, about $225. It's a lengthy review so if you don't want to read further the bottom line is it's not worth buying at this time. For those that don't know, Lowrance Electronics was recently bought out by Navico, with new product starting with the HDS series and limited support for the original Lowrance/Eagle products many of us grew up with. This comparison is not about Lowrance vs. Hummingbird, the 717 is very similar to an Eagle 480 I previously had with equivalent output and comparable technology. It is about DSI (also offered by Hummingbird) which promises "picture like detail" and displays very convincing shots in its advertising. This is reportedly achieved by use of higher frequencies, 455/800 Khz vs older 83/200 Khz design and new methodology whereby the scan is done in close focused slices rather than a conical beam (like a flashlight pointed down, the conical beam spreads out further as it goes deeper, covering more of the bottom). For this review the Hummingbird is at its tightest 20 degree pattern for most detail, also display is reverse greyscale while the Lowrance is set to normal greyscale and both units are tuned for maximum capability as far as individual controls allow. I bought it because I'm primarily interested in structure fishing by drifting with a jig for walleye and looking for the "spot on a spot", so the advantage of seeing in greater detail what is directly under the boat is obvious. The higher frequencies and "slice" technology would seem to be able to provide this, as sonar is simply returned radio signal or echoes. If it were possible to focus normal units to perhaps a 10 degree pattern it would also enhance my view but its not available. The new Mark 5x allows 455 Khz ( a wider coverage) or 800 Khz (narrower coverage). Pictures are off the 455 pattern. Initial findings: - Useless manual covering many units with no info - Very limited ability to set up the unit, signal strength is done via setting contrast, no chart speed, no ping rate, etc. - Greyscale levels (16) not visible, you basically get black or white and that's it. The colour units for much more money are similar, your colour choice on a black background only, unlike present units which change colour depending on signal strength. - Harder to determine actual fish, but possible. - Viewed closely, there is more detail, especially around dramatic structure such as a cliff face where you can "see" into the shadow unlike normal units. - Many have reported being unable to view anything at speed, set up properly it works fine on my boat. - The transducer is cigar shaped rather than normal "bar of soap" but fits in existing mount, no new holes needed in hull. Pictures: These were taken one after the other in the same location and while the boat moved between shots you can usually make out the same objects ..... Photo of Mark 5x on deep flat showing both 800 and 455 KHZ view Same shot of Hummingbird 717 Shallow water with 4x zoom on Mark 5x Same with Humminbird 717 More complex structure with zoom Mark 5x Same with 717 Mark 5x with structure Same with 717 The bottom line is that I think the technology is not yet far enough advanced to make it worth purchasing. There is far more bang for the buck with a normal style unit.

I didn't tip the Cleos and used the original treble. Someone else suggested use a white tube jig.... thats apparently a hot trick lately but I've never tried it.

When I used to fish Algonquin it was usually in the early spring and I would troll out of the canoe with some success. On one small lake similar to what you describe that didn't work as, after much experimenting, it turned out the fish were much deeper, around 40-50'. We got them jigging Little Cleo's (smaller size) almost vertical while drifting slowly. Might be worth trying.............

I've ridden bikes for over 40 years, just recently traded in a 6cyl Honda Valkyrie for a............... wait for it................. Vespa 250cc scooter (always liked scooters). If you haven't ridden a lot I would suggest you start with a used bike, look for one in good condition for reasonable dollars and don't be hung up on make/model. Your size choice (500 cc) is good as there are lots of used ones about. People trade up quickly. Once you've got a bit of riding under your belt you'll have a better idea of what make and style you want (sport, standard, cruiser, etc), they all have their pros and cons. Without a huge investment you can then sell and move up. Buy some good riding gear AND WEAR IT!...... ALWAYS..... Check insurance costs before you put your money down and with a used bike maybe forget collision insurance... weigh out the difference in cost and whether you would claim if you laid it down. Check out the dealer you would use for parts, service, etc and their location, may influence your choice. Have fun, shopping is great............. PS... I even wear my riding gear in my avatar!