Kawartha Kev

Toronto Star story here https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/01/20/one-missing-another-in-hospital-after-falling-through-ice-on-sturgeon-lake.html Kawartha Kev

Watched it today at the CNE huge crowd and they gave out free viewing glasses and a star finder for viewing the eclipse and identifying the stars. Did notice a slight darkening at the max but not much great thing to see though weather was great hopefully next time the weather will co-operate again. Tried taking photos with my Ipod but could not get the exposure right very tough to do. Kawartha Kev

I think the one I use is actually called the Blue Fox musky buck in the black and silver pattern. You can check them out here http://www.basspro.com/Blue-Fox-Vibrax-Musky-Buck-Lure/product/7571/ I really like the silver black model but have tried some of the other colours but not with anywhere near the same rate of success Kawartha Kev

I might have made a mistake about the lure identification they may be the Vibrax #6 but still in the same colour pattern very similar to the old single hook Mepps musky killer with just 1 treble hook I'm not a fan of the newer ones with the double hooks. Kawartha Kev

I run a very similar set up the Shimano 201e bantam matched up to a 6'6 St.Croix 2pc med. heavy rod and I have caught countless muskies on it love the set up. Most of my muskies are on the smaller side as the lake I fish Lower Buckhorn in the Kawartha's doesn't have really huge muskies in it although I have heard of a few in the 50" + range being caught and I am pretty sure I have had 48" long fish on but have lost them or even bigger from some I never saw just felt big and broke me off. Personal best is around 42" if I recall I cast and troll a lot favorite lure is a blue fox #5 bucktail black with a bit of red and big silver blade can cast that or troll it all day with my setup. I use some other lures but some like the small bulldawgs are a bit much for the rod to handle. Good luck!! Kawartha Kev

The super recycler is kind of like a mulching mower on steroids!! It cuts the clippings very fine and have had to do very little maintenance on it just top up the oil and clean the air filter a couple times that's it. Kawartha Kev

I have an older model Toro Super recycler model about 7 or 8 years old never a problem starts first or 2nd pull every time but is not self propelled. I have flat land so need for self propelled models just something else to go wrong imho but love the Toro have heard bad things about JD's. Kawartha Kev

Ya they haven't updated things in a while but they do continue to have the webcams up and running its a busy marina in the summer. Kawartha Kev

Here is a link to a webcam I post every year from my lake Lower Buckhorn in the Kawartha's from reach Harbour located about half way down the lake. Unfortunately the other webcam I usually post from Sunrise Resort at the base of the locks in Buckhorn seems to be no longer active it hasn't been working since about last fall not sure what happened to it. Here's the link for Reach Harbour lots of open water out in the main channel http://www.reachharbour.com/just click on webcam at the top. They will probably have a second camera up soon from the back part of the property. Kawartha Kev

I was there yesterday also Seanik glad you enjoyed yourself but the show is a shadow of its former self when it was great down at the exhibition grounds but still a nice break from the cold and snow to dream of what is to come this summer. Kawartha Kev

Not sure how the tolls work if you don't have a transponder to monitor your travel on the 407. Kawartha Kev

It might be the best just be aware it is a toll highway not sure how much it will cost you I assume you don't have a pass coming from PA. Kawartha Kev

Lower Buckhorn also has some open water as can be seen from the webcam from Reach Harbour half way down the lake here is a link to the site if you are interested http://www.reachharbour.com/just click on the webcam button at the top of the page. Unfortunately the webcam from Sunrise resort at the base of the dam no longer apears to be operational. Kawartha Kev

Heard about a deadly fire up Peterborough way hope no board members were involved http://www.torontosun.com/2016/12/25/toronto-family-killed-in-peterborough-area-cottage-fire always bad especially this time of year. Kawartha Kev

I think that is what it is from what some of my other friends told me also shame if it died because of the drought they are rare and not very hardy in that area but by the size of it you can tell it has lived for a while. Kawartha Kev

A friend of mine saw this bizarre tree in the Niagara on the Lake area and I am trying to find a name for it so are there any tree I.D. members out there I have never seen anything like it and I am a gardener here's a pic https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13584633_10153605853825825_7686998320459736485_o.jpg Thanks Kawartha Kev

Fishing out of the kayak in Deer Bay will be a challenge its really open and can get rough probably best to try along the shoreline and it will be quite a paddle to the three sisters islands and you will be along the main channel with a lot of boat traffic. Not sure where exactly in Deer Bay you are starting from but since you are in a kayak you can take a short cut through the islands towards Black Duck Bay and will avoid all the boat traffic once you get across the main channel lots of spots for bass in and around all the islands and very shallow but no problem for a kayak. Good luck. Kawartha Kev

Since you are in the area of Deer Bay I would also suggest a trip back into Black Duck bay which is extremely weedy but has lots of pockets along the shorelines that have produced well for bass and musky for me. Be careful in there though lots of shallow unmarked rocks and reefs best to access it from the north west side again be careful if accessing along the shores lots of shallow rocky areas. If you can manage your way to the back of Black Duck Bay there are some open overflow dams with good areas around them where I have caught lots of muskie. My go to bait is a large Blue Fox vibrax spinner silver blade with black hair gets both bass and musky or the Mepps musky killer similar colour pattern. Good luck!! Kawartha Kev

As I have said before Lower Buckhorn is my home lake and is a good lake for musky although maybe not the giants of Georgian bay or the St.Lawrence but great numbers and now you can see the proof for yourself. I have seen muskies spawning at the foot of my dock in some years and its only about 3ft. deep as well as other shallow bays and some in that 48" range. Thanks for posting!! Kawartha Kev

Some flood watch info here http://kawarthaconservation.com/component/k2/item/106-flood-watch-april-8th-update Kawartha Kev

Levels are definitely up on Lower Buckhorn from what I can see from the webcam from Reach Harbour Resort http://www.reachharbour.com/ Kawartha Kev

If you do come east and pass through Lower Buckhorn be sure to stay to the main channel and you will be fine it is well marked but stray from it and there are lots of marked and unmarked rocks and shallow areas to beware of especially on the north side of the lake. The lake is very scenic and boasts some good fishing for bass and musky as well as walleye and panfish and does have lots of sheltered bays where I often see houseboats tied up for the evenings but again getting into those areas is risky so be careful and have fun. Kawartha Kev

Beer? On St.Paddys day go figure!!! LOL!!

So I decided to take a trip to the Toronto Sportsmens show this year since it was at a new location with some new things to see and do. It is being held at the International Center so you get free parking at least. The show costs $20 for adult admission not sure about kids or families for any discounts I went alone so I just had the adult cost. Pretty similar to shows that were held before at the Exhibition and the ones at the Convention center. There did seem to be a lot more things for the kids to see and do in terms of some animal displays and things like that. They did have a big area for people to eat the usual stuff pizza, subs, burgers etc. but expensive I got a pizza slice combo with drink and a bag of chips cost $9. They also had alcohol beer etc again expensive but I did not get any. No real deals I could find although I was not really looking for much in the way of tackle etc. Saw some of the lumberjacks carving work was incredibly well done but was not around for the lumberjack show it was on later so I did not stay around to see it. Lots of other interesting things to see including boats, a helicopter, gliders armed forces stuff etc. Overall an ok way to spend a day to see and do some outdoors stuff but don't get your hopes up for any deals took me about 2 1/2 hours to casually go through the show it was not that busy but it just opened today so might get a bit busier by the weekend. Kawartha Kev

Lower Buckhorn is showing a lot of open water already check out the webcams from Reach Harbour Resort here if you are interested just click on the webcam tab at the top of the page there are 3 cams http://www.reachharbour.com/ Enjoy!! Kawartha Kev