SirCranksalot

Be wary of using any detergents. I have a fairly expensive sleeping bag. It's not down but the manuf.(via e-mail from website) recommended a ertain type of "technical wash" (I think they called it) made by Nikiwax. They also recc a front end loaded washer.

Ditto---that's what I'd do.

I must confess that I started this thread partly as a joke in reference to the "Fluoro is junk" thread that's gone so many pages. But, having said that, it looks like you folks have provided some good solid advice and I thank you for it. Based on the other 'endless' thread saying that fluoro rots out quickly I hadn't planned on buying any until spring. But now I've read elsewhere that fluoro is good as a main line in winter(more resistant to icing up?). So I'll probably give that a try.

I was thinking of buying some fluorocarbon and was wondering if any of you guys had opinions you'd like to share?

Yep. Been there, done that. Used to catch lots of small brookies on it when I was a kid. But a bobber was like training wheels---once you learned to detect a bite they were just a hindrance that produced slack in the line. I guess that's why I had an aversion to using floats for 'bows, buts it's hard to resist when you see so many 'bows being caught floatfishing..

If you hit any fitting that description and lose them, PM me with the GPS co-ords!

The last big 1 I hooked felt more like hippopotamadromous!!

What about talking about all winter long? Doesn't that count as a hobby? I know I've seen some pretty big fish pulled out of beer glasses!

That's the kind I need. I have never been gentle on any gear, fishing included.

Thx folks for all that info. Looks like I have a number of options. So it seems that "Whiskers" is aka "Tournament". Probably part of the reason why I couldn't find them on Google.

Thx Fishgreg. I'll pass on that one then. Anyone know where I an buy a 1300 or 700? Basspro or Cabela's don't seem to have them.

Great show! Well done. My bro is in his sixties and still hasn't lost the enthusiasm---every fish is like his first one!

What, and pass up on those cute lookin' pike!? Nice catch!!

Interesting read. But I think he meant open cell foam rather than closed cell: closed cell won't soak up anything.

http://www.sail.ca/e...fishing/?page=3 I'm in the market for a good spin reel as well. Any opinion on the Abu Garcia Soron SX 20 or 40 now on sale at Sail's website? thx

in Sounds interesting. Have you used that 'trick' lately? How do you apply the wax?

Which steelhead blank would you recommend for local Ont rivers?

So has the army been put on alert just in case???

Well color me green!!! SP, From earlier posts I understand that you have also fished Esnagami. A small group of us is looking at going to Es. in 2012, but from your post it looks like lower twin might be as good or better. How would you compare the 2? Thx

I definitely wouldn't go skinny dipping there!!!

That's why I switched to Gmail When i phone Bell to tell them i was cancelling they asked me why. I said "Service and price---I think that just about overs it!!"

Snidley, I'm not sure what you mean by 'blade only' spinners. Would you mind explaining it a wee bit? I googled backbouncing and I get the impression it's big on the West coast with deep waters and very big fish but the deepest river water I fished is about 15 ft, so it's probably too shallow for that technique.

Solo(Mike), I,m really glad to see your post. I'm just getting into 'bows and the only success I've had has been with lures, but I've seen so many(the vast majority) using roe that I became convinced that was the way to catch them with any kind of consistency. So, as I mentioned elsewhere, I have been so far frustrated with roe. I think now lures will be my first choice and maybe use roe if that's not working. My limited luck has been on Little Cleos an 5 of diamonds. I wonder why you use such a strong leader(12#). The roe folks seem to all use light (4-6#) leaders and still manage to land big fish. Allso, wouldn't a lighter braid be easier to cast i.e cast further?

I've also heard that a strong N-W wind on the Notta bay will bring fish into the river. I guess that's because the lake level at the mouth rises esp after the wind has been blowing for some time.

Bill, Are you saying that in slow moving water you use no sinker at all? The last few kms of the Notty is quite slow, but from the big sandbanks up to near Klondike Rd. is, for the most part, quite a bit faster. I see people using quite a bit of shot in there. Even now there seem to be lots of weeds, so bottom bouncing is a bit tricky. NP56--I've tried both nightcrawlers and 3" pink worms w/o any luck either. ChrisK, I'm surprised that you say they are at various depths. Most everything I've read says that they hang about near the bottom. I've talked with quite a few guys over the last 2 days and things seem to be quite slow, so maybe we do need rain. As a novice it seems to me that if we have several fine days in a row the fishing peters out. I guessing that by now most of the fish that came up river when the water was fairly high have gone quite far upstream by now.