Some people!

[Big Cliff]

Well, I went to get my tackle box and there it was GONE!

Living in the country like we do, we seldom lock our cars much less our house but I guess that is going to have to change. Last spring Sue left her IPod in her car, next morning it was gone. We couldn't believe that someone had actually gone into her car in our driveway during the night and stolen it but after searching everywhere (we are getting old and sometimes forgetful) we decided that yup, someone had decided they needed it more than we did.

When our boathouse was destroyed by the storm a few weeks back I had to move all my fishing gear out of the wreckage and I put my big Plano tackle box up in the garage. Yesterday one of the young fellows staying with us for the winter asked me if I would mind taking him out fishing one evening so he could learn the lake and how to catch some walleye, naturally I said sure, I'd love to! (Any excuse to take a kid fishing is good enough for me)

Well, yesterday I went up to the garage to get my tackle box and it is nowhere to be found. All my jigs, crank baits, spinners, plastics, well, actually all but a handful of my fishing tackle was in that box, I'm sure there had to be close to $1000.00 worth of tackle in there. The worst part of it is that a lot of the tackle I had in there was gifts from friends, special stuff that I just can't go to the store and replace, several items were handmade or just special because they were a gift from a friend.

Now to be honest, it is my fault! I often leave the garage doors open when I am working around the property, (the garage is up at the road and if I am down in the back yard anyone could be in and out with just about anything and I wouldn't know it) in the 12 years we have been living here apart from last spring we have never had a problem and the IPod incident I kind of chalked up to probably being some local kids. (actually I think I know who but can't prove it)

Sadly it looks like all of that is now going to have to change and every door is going to have to be kept locked all the time. I am also thinking that now I should be putting in some cameras so if anyone knows anything about setting up a surveillance system I'd sure appreciate some help with that!

[lew]

That stinks Cliff, not many things I hate more than a thief.

[wormdunker]

That sux! Sorry to hear of your bad luck.

[Old Ironmaker]

Big Cliff,

 

That absolutely is horrid. We were just talking about this while fishing for Salmon Monday on Lake Ontario in Hamilton where I grew up. And pretty well worked my entire life.This is the first year I put a lock on my garage and sheds. We are in a cottage community where break ins during the winter were common, mostly kids looking for some booze and somewhere to party. This year there have been some serious thefts. Now that they have changed zoning to full residential many of us downsizing retirees are out here full time and this petty stuff stopped but there is more to score for the pros. Especially as most head south for the winter.

 

There was one arrest and it was a organized crew from Toronto that is a 3 hour drive. These weren't crack heads looking to score a hit, these were serious thieves with a tractor trailer, stolen of course. They are trying to link them to some serious thefts of ATV's, sleds, boat motors, a few pieces of heavy equipment and others. A small write up in a weekly paper and that's it. We got this info from a local OPP off the record.

 

It's about time I took a photo of all my tackle which I'm told is covered under my home insurance. But that's nothing looking at the big picture.

 

Let them take it, they will if they want lock or no lock. Not worth taking a 12 gauge over a few thousand bucks. A few years back there was a home invasion close by and the elderly homeowner took a 12 gauge to the shoulder, an inch to the right and he's dead. Times are a changing that's for sure. As I said Monday I'll take the 7 to 10 for 2nd degree murder and unlawful storage etc. etc. they can take everything I own but if they threaten to hurt one hair on anyone in my families head, in the process I am certainly able to pull a trigger as well to keep my family safe. But that's difficult when the weapon is locked away and the ammunition is locked away elsewhere.

 

What are we to do to protect our families?

 

As for the surveillance system that's a great idea. When I had the business in Niagara people would dump all their trash behind the warehouse. I had a huge sign professionally made simply saying area is under 24 hour surveillance and mounted a few of those dummy cameras. It worked no more dumping from day 1.

 

As for the technical aspect of a system they are basically do it yourself today. Budget like anything else will determine how effective it is. You can now check your place by iPhone when someone is at your property anywhere you put a motion detector in. There is some pretty amazing stuff out there today for pennies it was 10 years ago. You have me thinking time for more than a good lock. If I can spend a few thousand every few years upgrading electronics and rigging by boat, how in heavens sakes can I not invest in protecting my property and most importantly my family?

 

Man I'm getting upset over this.

Edited September 12, 2013 by Old Ironmaker

[porkpie]

I live in a small town and theft is seldom an issue, but I still lock up my important stuff. It prevents temptation, and casual theft. Planned and premeditated theft is difficult to prevent if your not around.

[Ralph Field]

We are all too trusting, but now at least you know that to deter thieves doors must be locked. I grew up in a smaller town and we never locked up anything however my friends, that still live there, now lock up everything.

Edited September 12, 2013 by staffman

[The Urban Fisherman]

That sucks Cliff!!!! Sorry to hear man - I to have a habit of leaving the garage door wide open... and more often then I'd like to admit I forget it open overnight!!! That was at our last house farther out in the country... now that we're in town I guess I should learn to keep it shut!

[crappieperchhunter]

Thieves unfortunately are everywhere. We had a problem in our neighborhood for a while. I never locked the car and had change stolen out of it a few times...so you know its just kids. Food was stolen from the freezer in our neighbors garage...etc, etc. There was one punk kid in our neighborhood and many including myself, thought it was him. Funny how after they moved things stopped disappearing.

 

I lock up now and consider myself lucky that I only had change stolen out of my car. Sorry to hear that some low life made off with your tackle Cliff. Hopefully that d-o-u-c-h-e with move out of your area soon too.

Edited September 12, 2013 by crappieperchhunter

[Nigel62]

Lost an expensive rod this year from our boathouse. Sad what the world's turned into.

[mattybculp]

Cliff I have been there before, with regards to stuff being stolen. I grew up and lived in smith township in a quiet rural community just outside Peterborough. I remember one night I forgot my wallet in the car unlocked ( I never leave my wallet anywhere) and when I woke the next morning getting ready to head to work, I couldn't find it, then I had a sickening feeling that I left it in the car, and sure enough it was gone. The one time I leave it in there. So over the years I had little incidences change gone outta the car, mini ipod, Etc etc . I had an idea of whom it might be in the neighbourhood, but like you said I couldn't prove it. So I got a little creative and a little sleuthy ( if that's a word) and borrowed my friends hunting camera, that records upon movement, I put it in a spot that was concealed pretty good and set the bait, an old laptop ( which didn't even run windows anymore and I was willing to part with). I placed it right in the back seat of the car with the doors unlocked, and waited. On the third morning I came out and the laptop was gone, I felt a little excited and violated at the same time, but if its one thing I cant stand its a thief. I Had issues with the father of this suspected 17 year old, just thought his son could do no wrong and that there families @%#& didn't stink. His famous saying was " Kids will be Kids". Well I didn't bust him after the laptop, I kept setting up different things and keeping an inventory ( engraving my name in locations on items that wouldn't be read without taking something apart) After 3 months I had a list of five high end Items ( well not so high end haha) 1. Useless Laptop, 2. Thick silver chain (fake) 3.Cell phone ( outdated and no service) 4. Sunglasses ( Fake Oakley's, they had rubber on the arms that could be peeled off and slid back on so I engraved my name and wrote "Gotcha" and slid the rubber back on.) and the 5th one I cant remember what it was now. So I go knock on the door and dad answers I said "you know I've had some personal stuff go missing and I have good reason to believe it was your son", well before I could even finish he blows a Major gasket and loses it ! which I have no problem with confrontation so I kept my cool knowing the more he flipped out the better this was gunna be. He calms down and I hand him an envelope with a letter and dvd in it with all the pictures and letter documenting items and dates etc etc. I said to him "you have a look at the envelope but if I don't hear from you in 3 hours, Im calling the police." Needless to say 1 hour later knock knock knock at the door, and boy it was a different tune that was being sung now. Mother, Father, Son, And all items were standing at my door. Kid was in tears parents embarrassed I didn't need to put more salt on the wound my point had been proven. He hands me back the items with a heart felt apology and the parents willing to work out some hard punishment for him instead of calling the police. I said to him "hold on to the items I will be right back", I returned with my garbage can and threw the items in it, and they looked at me like I was crazy until I explained everything was fake or broken. That kid lifted a crap load of shingles on a July afternoon onto my roof ( and stripped the old ones), but I was glad to hear that he is now in University and doing well. At the end of the day its just like fishing, pictures don't lie ! There are a lot of very affordable closed circuit cameras you can put up very inexpensively its sad that this is the world we live in, but friends and family of mine have done the same and they have caught people they couldn't believe would do that. They Deny deny deny, until they see the video and then things change. Im sorry to hear about the special sentimental things you lost those hurt the most. All the best !

[quickme]

Now I know the reason for the call Big Cliff! That freaking SUCKS!!! Hope I'm able to help you out with this. I have cameras in and out of my house. I keep my boat inbetween the house right below my camera. I had some guy walk to the side of my house check out my boat and leave shortly after. I put a sign up on the seat of my boat saying "smile I got you on camera and your plates" No one has come to "check out" my boat since.

 

 

Nick

[DanD]

Yea our neighborhood had an issue a few months back after a new family moved into one of the rental houses on the street.

We all felt it was them but couldn't prove anything; but their kids (3 teenagers) were always seen checking out cars or peering into garages, as they walked by.

What I did was make up a flyer and printed 30 or so copies off; making sure the new neighbors got a few.

It read.

Caution; thieves in area take extra care locking things up.

Notice to the thieves

We and the police know who you are and we will catch you sooner or later.

 

It all stopped and I haven't heard any of the neighbors complaining about stuff missing since the flyers went out.

 

Dan.

 

 

[Richie Razor]

The rural towns are getting worse with theives. Luckliy our cottage has not been compromised (knock on wood) but there has been B & E's in the area for petty theft....We have also been witness to large scale grow-ops (confirmed by police) in the area as the criminals are moving into the bush areas to set-up shop.

 

In these towns people are starving for cash and are willing to break the law to get by. Sad.

[Big Cliff]

Stealing an IPod or a tackle box isn't going to generate much cash for anyone, I'm pretty sure this is kids out to get some jollies by stealing stuff.

 

The IPod was reported to the police because we were able to supply them with the serial number but what is there to report about a tackle box full of tackle when the tackle box itself is a common one and the only thing special about the tackle is that a lot of it were special items that friends had shared with me; favorite style jig heads, plastics in some "never fail" colors or styles, I even had a couple of "very special" lures that TJ's son made a few years back. Those are things that can't be replaced but don't really have a lot of cash value.

[EC1]

Sorry to hear man.

Yup, losing a tackle box is basically as bad as losing a cell phone nowadays.

[captpierre]

That sucks. Likely the same thief that got your phone and tackle.

 

He'll likely be back for more. Since he has struck gold.

 

You could use a yappy dog in the house.

[irishfield]

Cliff... we never locked our door at home either.. back in 1975! Although it should be something you can do... in todays "society" I can't believe you don't lock your cars. I live a mile+ from town... on a gravel road.... with a dark 1400 foot laneway from same and still had two people (I won't say rotten kids as most do, as the more I read I'm finding it's mid thirty to mid forty year olds that are doing this stuff) that rode all the way up into the yard on bikes and pilfered every vehicle in the yard. They didn't take my Stevie Nicks CD or my spare Lund key set from the glove box so I considered myself lucky.

 

That said... it certainly sucks that they got your loot!

Edited September 12, 2013 by irishfield

[fishnsled]

Sucks that they got your tackle Cliff. Being a city guy I'm forever locking everything and if it can't be locked and has the slightest value, I bring it inside. Hell I even lock the truck when I'm pumping gas and standing right beside it. Paranoid, perhaps, over cautious, sure - why not. You never know who is eying you and your gear up. Hope you find the PR's and get your gear back.

Edited September 12, 2013 by fishnsled

[lew]

I was in a small Kawartha trailer park for many years and with only 20 trailers, we were all friends and never had a problem with stealing. There were some cabins too and we never had a problem with them either, until one year when 4 young guys rented a cabin for the entire summer. None of these guys worked but they always had money for smokes and booze and spent their days running around in a bass boat with a 200 HP motor.

 

Not long after they moved in, guys started losing gas from their boats while tied at the docks, but the ones with no jobs always had plenty.

 

My son decided to set a trap and put an old gas tank in his boat with only a gallon of gas, then topped it off with three 750 ML bottles of COKE then set the can in the boat in plane view. Jim checked the can the next day and most of it was gone.

 

Couple days later I happened to be sitting down at the beach and saw these guys take off in the boat, but after only going about 1/4 mile the motor started to cough and sputter, then quit. Someone eventually towed them back in and they started working on the motor. They couldn't restart it so they cranked it up onto a trailer and hauled it outta the park.

 

We never saw them again and they never returned to the park, so we all just assumed they learned a lesson and realised they had stolen from the wrong people.

 

Wonder what it cost to repair that big ole 200 Merc

[Big Cliff]

I was in a small Kawartha trailer park for many years and with only 20 trailers, we were all friends and never had a problem with stealing. There were some cabins too and we never had a problem with them either, until one year when 4 young guys rented a cabin for the entire summer. None of these guys worked but they always had money for smokes and booze and spent their days running around in a bass boat with a 200 HP motor.

 

Not long after they moved in, guys started losing gas from their boats while tied at the docks, but the ones with no jobs always had plenty.

 

My son decided to set a trap and put an old gas tank in his boat with only a gallon of gas, then topped it off with three 750 ML bottles of COKE then set the can in the boat in plane view. Jim checked the can the next day and most of it was gone.

 

Couple days later I happened to be sitting down at the beach and saw these guys take off in the boat, but after only going about 1/4 mile the motor started to cough and sputter, then quit. Someone eventually towed them back in and they started working on the motor. They couldn't restart it so they cranked it up onto a trailer and hauled it outta the park.

 

We never saw them again and they never returned to the park, so we all just assumed they learned a lesson and realised they had stolen from the wrong people.

 

Wonder what it cost to repair that big ole 200 Merc

[Nigel62]

I was in a small Kawartha trailer park for many years and with only 20 trailers, we were all friends and never had a problem with stealing. There were some cabins too and we never had a problem with them either, until one year when 4 young guys rented a cabin for the entire summer. None of these guys worked but they always had money for smokes and booze and spent their days running around in a bass boat with a 200 HP motor.

 

Not long after they moved in, guys started losing gas from their boats while tied at the docks, but the ones with no jobs always had plenty.

 

My son decided to set a trap and put an old gas tank in his boat with only a gallon of gas, then topped it off with three 750 ML bottles of COKE then set the can in the boat in plane view. Jim checked the can the next day and most of it was gone.

 

Couple days later I happened to be sitting down at the beach and saw these guys take off in the boat, but after only going about 1/4 mile the motor started to cough and sputter, then quit. Someone eventually towed them back in and they started working on the motor. They couldn't restart it so they cranked it up onto a trailer and hauled it outta the park.

 

We never saw them again and they never returned to the park, so we all just assumed they learned a lesson and realised they had stolen from the wrong people.

 

Wonder what it cost to repair that big ole 200 Merc

 

 

[glen]

The payback stories are awesome.

 

Cliff take notes.

[Big Cliff]

Notes are being taken, believe me!

[bigugli]

No matter where you are these days, theft is a fact of life. The concept of respecting your neighbor, or respecting their property, are long gone. The law isn't much of a deterrent either any more. You have no other choice, Cliff, than to take steps to protect yourself and your possessions.

20 years back, I caught a couple of teens in the act of trying to break into my workshop. Chased them 1/2 way into town, axe in hand. Never had any further problems. But at Halloween, few kids ever came to our door. Rumour had it there was an axe wielding psycho living in the house.

[ecmilley]

Little pr's cliff, had our fair share of thieving around my place as well, need to get out i can drop some tackle off to you, whatta want 1/4 oz jigs and white grubs some harnesses txt me most likely last chance to be on OFC this week