Bernie

Yummmm...Nice pickereye! Couple more weeks to go till open season.

Marc from Anglers Haven called me today to report that he has a trail packed down to his shack location and the ice is coming along well. 7 to 10 inches of ice reported.

Not a good idea. It would clog the catalytic converter and coat the oxygen sensors over time because it would not burn completely in the combustion chamber. I bet it would void warranty too. Why would you want to add it anyway? Engines made today last the lifetime of the vehicle if maintained normally. Waste of money. Lots of additives are a waste (not all). The power of advertising.....

Sorry, should have added in the value of the trailer. Slowpoke has it right.

How much gas is in it?

Just seen this thread Joe. If it's in the South Bay it would be OK with me.

Can I zoom in on the hot stuff across the street?

Haven't seen too many missing studs in tires around here. They are not even made of metal. Yes, they are legal here in Parry Sound-Nipissing. And Merc, gotta disagree, they work great when braking. Studded winter tires are like driving on rails. Awesome.

I have used it for a while. I have always had an interest in astronomy and it's a good way to find out what it is I am looking at.

Check this site out Roy. you need to put in your location and it will show you present things in the sky. http://www.neave.com/planetarium/

Here is an article I wrote last winter on tires. WINTER TIRES As a mechanic and a shop owner I get to try out various types of vehicles during test drives. So we get to try out different types of tires too. We learn what works well and what doesn't. Don't kid yourself, all season tires don't come close to a quality winter tire on ice and snow. And when you add studs to a winter tire it makes them incredibly good. I hope they allow studded tires where you drive. All season tires work well when they can contact the road surface directly, but when isolated from the road by ice and snow they just don't work. The compound of the tire is generally harder to resist summer heat that wears tires out and with the colder temperatures they just get stiffer. The winter tire compound is a little softer which allows a better contact patch with whatever is under it and the larger tread gaps pinch the snow to gain traction. Another big misconception with tires is putting them on the drive wheels only. OK, why not you ask? Well lets start with one of the most common vehicles on the road today, a family sedan, front wheel drive. On these cars your engine and transmission is front mounted, so a good part of the weight is front biased. So that puts lots of weight on your front wheels. Weight =traction, right? So you put your winter tires on the front and your already used all seasons on the back. Imagine now cruising down the freeway in 4 inches of fresh snow, "man these winter tires are awesome !" But you need to brake in a hurry for a deer coming out. Well those fresh winters do their job OK but the lightweight back end of your car hasn't the traction to handle the maneuver, the back end is sliding around sideways...hang on to it!!! Well you get the picture now. You need all 4. DONT SPIN YOUR TIRES How many times do you see it each slippery day? You know, the drivers wheels howling for mercy as they attempt to accelerate. Many vehicles today are equipped with traction control, there is a good reason for this accessory to your vehicle. If you can accelerate without spinning you will get moving faster than someone who is, and under more control too. A spinning tire will often create a hot spot under itself, melt the ice or snow and make it even more slippery. You even run the risk of getting yourself stuck in the rut you create. A spinning tire also will go sideways easier, as it loses traction it also loses some direction.

This guy may be worth a call. He knows his stuff and has a lot of parts. Sam's Rod and Reel Repair 314 Foster Ave, North Bay, Phone: (705) 472-4710

Got close to a foot of snow here today and still coming down. Nipissing just froze over so this will likely make it a slushy mess.

I hope they get the cheating sorted out Chris.

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Same thing as last year. Did you get it yet?

Callander Bay was still wide open on Tuesday when I drove past it. The main lake must have frozen over as of last night.

Thank you for the pics Nipfisher. Was talking to a friend that lives on Fish Bay. He said it was open in the center yesterday and the wind was keeping it open. Calmer winds and cold temperatures will certainly take care of that. Glad to see there is little snow on the lake. That will help things get thick in a hurry.

Art knows what he is talking about. Hydro converted to heat energy is the same no matter what you use. A heater with a fan is actually less efficient as it uses power to run the fan. A plain baseboard heater is as efficient as you can get. One thing I will argue with Art on is closing off attic ventilation. Condensation will accumulate inside the attic and freeze. When it melts it runs into the insulation.

I should take a picture of the 1956 Lawn Boy blower that's kicking around here somewhere.

To be honest I am not pleased with the Navionics for Nipissing. There are Islands completely missing and shoals not marked. I will be looking for something else to use for next summer. More than pleased with the sonar, but the gps sucks. I'm thinking of looking at a Garmin setup. The map I have on my handheld Rhino is right on. It uses the actual lake chart.

That happens at my place every weekend in the summer Brian.

12 inches is lots of ice to drive on. However....it may be good at one area you check but areas where current persists there may only be an inch or two. This is where vehicles go through. Know the lake, talk to locals guys that know these areas first. Travel on known routes, don't go if you don't know.

With ya on that one Dan. I refuse to support a team that is there for only one reason....to make money....to heck with the fans.

About 4 winters ago I moved a boathouse across the lake to my island cottage. This was done on 16" of blue ice. The boat house is 18'x25'