Dontcryformejanhrdina

I don't mind spending paying for courses and licences as long as the money is being put back into wildlife management. Having a 6 hour course specifically for turkeys is a bit much though. How much turkey specific knowledge do you need? Charge extra for a turkey licence, fine, but another course just for that?

Yeah the only one you can study on your own and then go write the test is the turkey course. Yes, you have to take a special course just to hunt turkey.....

$300 each but we shared the books so it was $585 total. Some people charge $500 around here per person for both courses combined so it's a pretty good deal. As for being out there early in the morning, I've done it for fishing and I'm always up early so that shouldn't be a problem. I just love being outdoors. There's more to a hunt than the actual hunt itself.

My wife and I both got our PALs and hunter safety courses this year. $300 all in, no tax. Friday night and all day Saturday for two weeks was it. Had a great teacher too. Can't wait to get started with grouse and maybe rabbit in September then try for deer in November.

I'm looking forward to grouse season the most but goose intrigues me....Never had goose before.

We called them whitefish too but it's actually a fall fish. Did it make gulping noises? They actually fight pretty hard for their size.

Yeah the smaller ones almost always seem to revive quicker, if they even need reviving at all.

Show off lol. I still haven't even caught a single walleye this year.

High temps have kept me from musky fishing for well over a month now. Well at least I'm getting lots of firewood cut...

The gloves are probably what gave you enough grip to even grab it by the tail too. Thankfully you got your fish, it just adds to the experience. There's no worse feeling fishing than losing a PB boat side.

Way to go Mike!!! Plus a great story to go with it! I'd call that a fish of a lifetime but something tells me you're going to beat even that...

I've effectively trolled sledges, they work well whether rod in hand adding jerks or just sitting in the rod holder. Just hold on tight if you troll rod in hand.

I stopped using steel leaders for musky to protect them when they roll, I now use 150lb fluorocarbon all the time, I've never been bit off. Pike most certainly will hit boat side and on a figure 8, usually on the first "L" turn beside the boat. I've had pike come in so hard boat side they ran into the side of the boat HARD after grabbing the bait. My PB pike came on a figure 8, as did a 30" pike I caught this year. Pike will grab almost everything, musky lures being no exception. I imagine people tend to go smaller so they get more of a fight from the pike. They're hardier than musky and much easier to revive even after a long fight so not as much danger of killing them.

It's my savings account that hurts the most when I fish.

Don't do it. Save yourself a ton of money and time lol. Get the proper gear before you go. Maybe some members here will offer to take you out, show you the ropes. A list of must haves: -proper musky rod -proper musky reel -musky net -long handled pliers of some sort -hook cutters, knipex are about $50 and worth every penny -80lb+ braid -100lb+ flouro leaders -polarized sunglasses, see those follows -spare hooks for the ones you cut -hook sharpener As for baits, black is a staple, combined with orange is classic and should work anywhere. Get yourself a buck tail, a large bass style spinnerbait, a jerkbait (suick or sledge), crankbait, big soft plastic and a top water and that should cover pretty much all bases. Don't go crazy buying baits, most will rarely see the water anyway. You'll end up with 4-5 you use 90% of the time while the rest just sit there.

That's a nice fish any way you slice it! To catch it on light gear has to be a thrill of a lifetime, nice catch! She is awfully fat for a summer time kawartha musky too.

I wouldn't be opposed to that lol.

Thanks everybody. It was quite the adrenaline rush. She took some hard runs too, my wife wasn't sure which side to take the net since it was back and forth. I had another BIG one turn on a figure 8 today but just wouldn't open it's mouth. 3 follows and no takers, first time I've been skunked in 6 trips but I don't even care right now lol.

That's hilarious! I love the pause where you both just look at each other and start laughing. Must be living the dream with the fishing out that way, huh?

She's been awful good to me Dan. Though she's not as pretty as she once was.

Well I started out musky fishing in 2011. I didn't know what I was doing but this board helped me out a lot. Special shout of to Mike Rousseau, the day we got out fishing was a real learning experience. I was still stuck on that 44.5" musky as my personal best, though. I was catching fish, just nothing big. That changed yesterday. My first 50" fish!

Great fish! So clean too!

Our dog has been getting a lot of ticks on him here (Tamworth area). Wear long clothing and a hat out in the bush, everybody.

I'm 30, I've seen it both ways. Young (and not so young) employees expecting promotions to just be handed to them. My first "job" was when I was pretty young, walking a dog for an elderly neighbour. For $1 a day. Then I worked for another neighbour doing yard work, cutting wood, clearing brush, masonry work, general labourer stuff for $5 an hour when I started. It was hard work too but I was glad to have it. Taught me a lot of things too. It was hard when I moved out and went to college, I haven't taken a dime from anyone so I made my own way. I had some set backs and changes of plane but I worked hard and things turned out well in the long run. Now I'm married, my wife and I just bought our first home last fall. We both work hard, I work and extra shift every single week. I make decent money for where we live but nothing crazy. We have a nice home on almost 16 acres. A boat I payed cash for, her car is paid off, my truck will be in the near future too. We're not rich by any means but life is pretty damn good and we manage just fine living within our means. It might not be what it was 30-40 years ago but it's still not impossible to make a living if you work hard.

Mmmmm, partridge! I'm just getting into hunting after taking my courses this spring and would love to do this. My uncle went hunting for pheasants this way and said he had a blast, the dog was worth every penny.