Spiel

Totally not cool, next time I'll be a little less kind.

Okay, I've read this through and decided to share this. A few years back I called my insurance company to see if I would have coverage driving out on the ice of Lake Simcoe. At the time I had a front wheel drive compact 4 cylinder vehicle (I won't take the conversion van out there). My agent says I'll look into it. Calls me back and says, "yes I'm covered", no rider and no extra premiums. Not sure who it was (Loyalist?) I've changed companies a few times since then. So to say you can't get coverage is incorrect and today perhaps you'd have to pay for coverage but non the less I'm sure if you shop around you'll find it.

http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=29010

Would it not be easier to just buy a bag full of smelt at the local grocery store on your way home from some local fishing trip.

Sorry I don't plan to be up that way till late summer. I'm hoping someone here can help you out.

A bit of line gives you the measure of your fish February 21, 2009 TERRY CURTIS / northumberlandtoday.com Picture this. You've just landed the fish of a lifetime and want to weigh it, then reached into your tackle bag or box to find your weigh scales, only to discover you've left them home. Or maybe you forgot to put a new battery in your digital scales and can't get a reading on them. I'll admit to doing that myself, and it's pretty frustrating! Then you think, "Well, I can at least measure my fish." You reach into your gear and start cussing because you also forgot to bring a tape measure. Some days go like that, don't they? I was reminded of this last weekend when I was talking to one of the guys who run Advanced Taxidermy, a business that makes beautiful fish mounts without having an actual fish body to work with. All their mounts are artificial, but you'd never know it to look at them. There is no need to kill a fish now to get a mount; all they need is the length and girth of the fish and a couple of good quality pictures of it and your masterpiece is created! So, where is all this preamble leading us? Let's go back to the beginning. You catch that big fish and want to know what it weighs, but you have no scales or even a tape measure with you. What are you going to do? Simple! Lay a length of your fish line from the tip of the fish's jaw to the tip of its tail and cut it off. Then wrap another piece of your line around the widest girth of the fish and cut it off. Put the two pieces of line in your pocket to take home and if you remembered your camera, snap a couple of photos before releasing the fish, if that's what you choose to do with it. Once you're home, you've got it made. Finding the weight of your fish will be no problem because I'm going to give you a chart that is very accurate for estimating five species of fish. All you need to find it is the length of the two pieces of line you cut off and that missing tape measure. Here are the formulas for these species: * Walleye: weight (in pounds) = length (in inches) X length X length divided by 2,700. * Bass: weight = length X length X girth divided by 1,200. * Pike: weight = length X length X length divided by 3,500. * Trout: weight = length X girth X girth divided by 800. * Sunfish: weight = length X length X length divided by 1200. I spent a few minutes last night testing these formulas out by measuring a couple of mounted fish I have, working out the formulas, then comparing the results to the actual weights of the mounts (which are already recorded on them because I had weighed them when I caught them) and the results are very close. In fact, on my 23-pound-four-ounce pike the formula was off by only two ounces! How's that for accuracy? Cut this chart out of the paper and put it somewhere you can easily find it; it's very handy for catch and release fishing or if you want a mount made. Best bet for ice fishing this week? I know some guys who were on Lake Simcoe Wednesday and the white fish were very active. I'm also hearing jumbo perch are being taken in about 26 feet of water off the shores of Georgina Island. Crappie and some bonus walleye are still being caught in Lake Scugog, but the action for the crappie has slowed down quite a bit. Bay of Quinte? Very sporadic, to say the least. Save your gas! Anyone for rainbow trout? They're starting to show up in the streams flowing into Lake Ontario and the numbers will only increase as we move closer to the month of March. There you have it. You can ice fish or fish open water, whichever tickles your fancy -- and there's nothing like getting your fancy tickled, is there?

Walleye won't take the bait There may be a lot of fish in the lake, but anglers are wondering why catching them is so difficult this winter February 21, 2009 GORD YOUNG / THE NUGGET Where are the walleye? That's the question many anglers and tourist operators have been asking themselves in the midst of a slow ice fishing season on Lake Nipissing. That's why they call it fishing and not catching," said Fern Montreuil, noting the fish -- unfortunately -- aren't always biting. Manager at Discount Bait Tackle and Variety on Trout Lake Road, Montreuil said even those anglers who were catching their limits early in the season are now having difficulty landing the unusually elusive walleye. A lot of guys are having to work harder for them," he said, noting customers have been coming into the bait shop all winter asking where on the lake they can find the fish. Jeff Chalkley, owner of Sandy Bay Cottages in Callander, agreed it hasn't been the best winter season. Walleye has been down and we've moved the huts a few times," he said, adding plenty of perch are being caught. Chalkley, who said he's seen the fishing success on Lake Nipissing improve year after year, suggested the sluggish season may be due to an abundance of baitfish that has left the walleye well fed. But Chris Anderson, owner of Chez Michaud in Sturgeon Falls, said he blames the poor season on depleted stocks due to native gill netting -- an ongoing issue of contention among some non-native anglers and businesses around the lake. There are too many nets," Anderson said, describing this winter's fishing as horrible. He said some frustrated anglers have given up on trying to catch walleye. And Anderson said others are also blaming the Nipissing First Nation commercial fishery for a poor season. But Perry McLeod-Shabogesic, a Nipissing First Nation councillor, said criticism of native gill netting is getting to be tired and old. That's a pretty weak argument," he said, suggesting a poor fishing season could be the result of any number of reasons. McLeod-Shabogesic said the native fishery hasn't exceeded its quota, which is based on science and is set in order to maintain a healthy lake. He said everyone who harvests fish from the lake has an impact on the fish population. McLeod-Shabogesic said it's unfair to point the figure at a single user. Billy Bob Richards, owner of Billy Bob's Bait and Tackle, said this winter has been one of the worst ice fishing seasons in memory. But he doesn't believe the poor fishing is an indication the lake or its walleye population is in trouble. There's lots of fish in the lake," he said, noting walleye fishing has been poor this winter throughout the province. It's been better, that's for sure." But Richards said the slow season hasn't had much negative effect on business, with anglers determined to keep trying. Scott Kaufman, large lakes biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources in North Bay, said he's hearing the same sorts of reports from anglers about poor fishing this winter. But he said it would be difficult to substantiate the reports without data from a winter krill survey that's still underway. Kaufman, however, said the latest assessment data has shown weaker year classes in 2006 and 2007, compared to 2005. The 2005 fish are now entering the protected slot size, while the 2006s and 2007s are ready to be caught. But Kaufman said larger spawning fish help gauge the health of the fishery. And he said assessment data has shown the number of those fish is on the rise. He said the walleye fishery, however, has yet to make a full recovery and is still considered stressed. That's why sustainable harvest numbers have been conservatively set lower than they would under better conditions. Kaufman said the total sustainable harvest level for the lake has been set at 60,000 kilograms annually. He said a 40,000 kg limit has been set for the Nipissing First Nation commercial fishery, with 20,000 kg going to nonnative fishing, based on average annual harvest for those users since 2004. We work very closely with the Nipissing First Nation fisheries department," said Kaufman. He said the ministry no longer tracks the number of ice shacks on the lake as a means of measuring angling pressure. But he said there appears to be fewer ice huts, based on observation and anecdotal evidence. Some people have stopped putting huts out because of the inconvenience due to weather conditions," he said, referring to the hassle associated with jacking-up ice huts following mild weather. Kaufman said the ministry does track the number of commercial ice hut operations on the lake and their impact on the fishery. He said the ministry issued 250 more licences this year after studies indicated the lake could handle additional operations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There may be few anglers catching walleye on Lake Nipissing this winter, but Redbridge resident Ken Peters landed himself a mighty pike Friday not far off the shores on North Bay's waterfront. Peters, who owns Silver Doctor Taxidermy Studio, pulled the fish in after 20 minutes on six-pound test line, using a rattling perch-pattern lure hooked with a small piece of Arctic char. Peters plans to eat and mount the 40-inch monster fish, which weighed 18 to 20 pounds.

Are conservation and our rights at stake? February 19th, 2009 Alf Beck / Pembroke Daily Observer How do federal and provincial economic stimulus packages seriously threaten aquatic life forms and our inherent Canadian birthright? Read on. The federal government has now introduced its proposed amendments to the Navigable Waters Protection Act (NWPA), camouflaged in a 551-page omnibus bill, Bill C-10, the “2009 Budget Implementation Act”. The gist of these amendments is: a) The current protection of the inherent Canadian birthright to free and unimpeded navigation on navigable waters would be literally abrogated and it would be up to the minister of transport exclusive prerogative to determine whether any proposed construction project at, in, under or over a water body “significantly interferes” with navigation. The definition of a “significant interference” is not identified. Would any construction on Canada’s hundreds of smaller rivers, used chiefly by hunters, anglers and whitewater enthusiasts, be deemed a “significant interference”? Unlikely. John Baird, Minister of Transport, is quoted already in a prominent newspaper, saying that the requirement for a “federal” environmental assessment prior to a proposed project would be lifted, following a “provincial” environmental assessment and “do away with too much red tape”. This would give just about every proponent wanting to dredge, fill-in, or install in-stream electrical generators in “navigable” waters the green light at Ontario’s already identified 500 sites, to alter and destroy fish spawning habitat and habitat of many other aquatic life forms. Why would that be, given that there are still “provincial’ environmental assessments? Read on. The Ontario government is almost ready to introduce its “Green Energy Act”. As George Smitherman already explained on CBC radio recently, he intends to introduce legislation which would preclude any delays caused by environmentalists and conservationists interventions or possible municipal authority denying required zoning changes in the approval process of “green energy’ proposals, which could include everything from wind turbines to “in-stream’ electrical generators. It appears obvious how the “federal” 2009 Budget Implementation Act with its camouflaged NWPA amendments and Mr. Smitherman’s proposed legislation would dovetail well enough to facilitate a streamlined approval process for proposals which place aquatic life forms in peril and, at the same time, abrogate our Canadian inherent birthright to free and unimpeded navigation on what still are “navigable waters”. It is feared, that Mr. Smitherman’s proposed legislation may stifle, if not override municipal authority to grant rezoning and issue building permits for “green energy” proposals. And all this could be included in Ontario’s “Green Energy Act” to satisfy Ontario’s obsession with “green energy”. The worst part of all this is that it can occur with little or no public consultation; more or less in secrecy until bulldozers arrive at a site. Do you really want to let things go that far without a chance for input? Let’s not be misunderstood. Most of us favour alternate “green” energy sources and most of us would agree to improve impractical laws, making them more user friendly. But not at any cost! Whatever the outcome, the public must be given the opportunity for input prior to approving environment-altering projects and abrogation of our inherent birthrights. In case you are satisfied with being unable to water access your favourite hunting and fishing area because of industrial obstructions to your water access, and if you don’t care about impacts on fish and other water creatures habitat through transforming them into cement-ditches, then things are fine for you. However, if you are not complacent and want your inherent navigation rights protected and fish spawning areas conserved … do something! Express your concerns to our MP Cheryl Gallant and MPP John Yakabuski. Their phone numbers and addresses are in your telephone directory. It’s “five minutes before midnight” my friends.

Capital offence February 19th, 2009 Ed Hand / Outdoor Canada Hot spot: despite great fishing, the Ottawa River faces problems. Photo courtesy Mark Krupa If we can’t protect the Ottawa, what does that mean for our other rivers? A dark secret has been swirling in the Ottawa River, implicating all levels of government and leaving more than just the stench of bad politics hanging over the city. Through a series of gaffes from federal, provincial and municipal politicians, one of the most diverse fisheries in Canada has been left suffering from neglect when it really should be basking in the sunshine of a Canadian Heritage Rivers System designation. In a story that would make Homer Simpson look like a Mensa giant, it all started back in August 2006, when 1.2 billion litres of raw sewage was dumped into the Ottawa. The flow ran for a week because of a jammed valve in the city’s storm water system, with one of the pipes draining right behind the Prime Minister’s residence, no less. What was the reaction from the three levels of government? Nothing. Certainly not right away, at least. Sure, the city employee who didn’t report the spill has since been fired, but he’s appealing the case. Two other managers were also let go after the city’s auditor general blamed “incompetence” and neglect of the system for the spill-this after the incident finally became public just last spring. That happened when city councillor Bob Monette was on a tour of the waste treatment facility and overheard an offhanded remark about a spill in 2006. Alarm bells immediately went off. Monette’s ward happens to contain Petrie Island Beach, a wonderful place to spend the day with the family-as long as you weren’t in the water back in 2006. The city had just spent $2 million upgrading the beach, only to have it open for 11 days that summer. Even more money then went into a study to find out why the pollution levels were so high. Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, meanwhile, is supposed to obtain a report on any such spill, but it didn’t receive a thing until May 2007. And what did it do then? Nothing. Environment Minister John Gerretsen said he thought an investigation had been launched, but later remarked, “I stand to be corrected on that.” In the end, politicians stumbled over each other to initiate four separate investigations into the sewer discharge and its effect on the river. The City of Ottawa ended up facing two charges from the Ministry of the Environment and was ultimately fined more than $550,000, one of the largest penalties levied against a municipality for environmental wrongdoing. In an effort to save face, the city and the federal government have each pledged $20 million to clean up the river. The Ontario government is balking at chipping in, however, despite the waterway being an area of joint responsibility between the feds and the province. And there hasn’t been a peep from the Quebec government-even though the City of Gatineau reports it dumped raw sewage into the river 1,500 times in 2007 and another 500 last year. The Ottawa River is a majestic waterway, flowing from northern Quebec into the St. Lawrence River. It serves as the border between Ontario and Quebec, and it’s a source of drinking water for more than one million people. And it boasts a bevy of sportfish, from bass, walleye, pike and muskie to drum, sauger, gar, sturgeon and panfish. You’ll also find kayakers and rowers paddling in the shadow of Parliament Hill. The river’s contribution to the local quality of life simply can’t be measured. This incident serves as a wake-up call, not just for Ottawa, but for all communities across Canada that enjoy the benefits of a waterfront location. For residents, it’s up to you to use the resource responsibly-and to keep your elected officials accountable. And for politicians who claim the environment is their top concern, it’s time to walk the walk. Only then will the stench of neglect give way to the sweet scent of environmental stewardship. RIVER RESCUERS Set up in 1984 by the federal, provincial and territorial governments, the Canadian Heritage Rivers System is a national program designed to celebrate, manage and protect the country’s leading waterways. Starting with Ontario’s French River in 1986, the conservation program now includes 40 rivers across the country. Currently under consideration for joining the list? The Ottawa River, which was nominated last May. For more information, go to www.chrs.ca.

Actually in this case RR Solo has just copied and pasted my buddies ad from floatfishing.net. I also concur that stripping rods is a very time consuming tedious job, extremely labour intensive!

I spoke with my buddy this morning and he tells me he has a 15' Loomis GLX blank for sale, $700.00.

:D :D

Properly balanced and guideless it'd make an awesome spear.

Sage spey blank 10150-4 TCX 15'0" 4pc. 6 1/2 oz $463.00/American

I think John Collina in Caledonia is the guy you should get in touch with.

Well I'm partial to Loomis. As for hands on, well that depends, where are you located?

I think a $1000 will get you anything you want.

Sounds like all is right over there.

There are many options. First how much are you willing to spend and of course what will you be using it for?

Lower left corner, choose any skin you like.

One of the owners of Bay City Marine did a seminar at our club meeting about this Lew and he maintains you should add stabilizer to your outboard fuel at all times. I will heed his words starting this year, as Cliff says "consider it cheep insurance". Not sure if you saw this Lew? http://www.ofncommunity.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=28215

You're welcome. The "Driftwood" skin is now the default skin which is to say that is what anyone not logged in will see. Once logged in members have a choice of "skins" available by utilizing the drop down menu in the lower left corner. I believe that there are still members unaware of this option. Perhaps I should have chosen the "Lavender" as the default....

That is one sweeeeet fish.

Effective and non effective. My tackle box is full of the latter.

HaHaHaHaHaHaHaHa......*chokes on coffee*