Way north bass guy

We had the exact same thing happen a few years ago, but with our cat. He was walking by the big window in our living room and a huge great horned owl swooped down and slammed into the glass. Didn’t break it, thank goodness. We had a bird feeder just about 10’ out from that window, and I’m pretty sure the owl was hanging out in the trees looking for a bird or squirrel and saw the cat, so he went for it! The owl rolled and flopped around on the ground for a few seconds, stood up and shook his head, then flew up into the tree. He hung around for a few days, but never tried to go for the cats again😏.

I haven’t travelled more than a day or so away from home to fish, but being here in central Ontario, I’ve been blessed to fish just about every kind of freshwater you could imagine. We have quite a range of different waterbodies, from the great lakes, countless small streams and rivers, to literally thousands and thousands of smaller lakes, some are gin clear Canadian Shield waters, and some, especially in southern Ontario are algae covered, weed choked shallow lakes very much like Florida has ( except for the size of bass of course). Being able to fish such a diverse amount of water really teaches you how to find bass just about anywhere. I think that’s why so many northern guys have done so well on the elite series the last few years, we’ve grown up fishing it all.

Gonna show this pic to any future customers that think my prices are too high😄

Gonna be just shy of 8lbs, caught on a drop shot, way out on Georgian Bay about the middle of November, right after I come back from deer camp after getting a nice 14 point buck! Honestly, I have no idea how big it’ll be, probably somewhere around 5-5.5 or so. Anything is possible though, as both big smallmouth and deer like the ones above are around me, but I’m not holding my breath on either of those guys 😄.

I have this one. Had it about 4 years now and it’s great! I wear it all the time either on the water or at work, and I’m a stonemason so it sees a ton of sweat, dust, cement etc. and has held up excellently. I hand wash it a few times a year, and just sit it on a table to dry flat, and the brim is as stiff as when brand new.

As discussed in the winter thread, we’ve had pretty much zero snow until a couple weeks ago. I’ve never seen such a lack of snow so late into the year before, we usually get a ton in December from the squalls off Georgian Bay/Lake Huron. Well old ma nature is making up for it now, we’ve gotten over 2’ in the last week and a half. The squalls are finally settling down ( for now), and I’ve been getting things cleaned up. I have two driveways, and a bunch of area around our barn, greenhouse, chicken coop etc to clear. Got all that done now, but I’m heading out in a bit to get some snow cleared off of some roofs, then I’ll fire up the blower to clear that away. In the past I’ve used a walk behind blower, but after two years on this new property, I realized it’s just too much to deal with, so this fall we got a 3038E with a 60” blower. I had a tractor with a bucket and back blade to use at my childhood farm, so I wasn’t new to tractors, but the blower on this thing is leaps and bounds better than the old Ford with the blade! Almost seems like it’s too fast to clear everything up 😏.

Here, there, and everywhere. One day I might be tossing frogs in the thick stuff for largemouths, next trip could be in the river behind my house cruising quietly in the canoe for a mixed bag of bass, next could be way out on Georgian Bay, almost out of sight of land, with nothing but big fat smallmouth underneath me and not another person in sight. It’s all good!

Like most people on here, I never gave the sun a thought when I was younger. The last ten years or so I’ve started covering up or slathering on the sunscreen. Nowadays I hardly ever wear a short sleeve shirt, especially if I’m gonna be outside much. I have a whole drawer full of long sleeve uv shirts, wear ‘em for fishing, farming, and work all spring/summer/fall ( winter up here is coats and hoodies weather). I also despise wearing a baseball cap. I’m either wearing nothing for a hat ( cause I’m inside), or I’m rocking the Tilley. Best hat I’ve ever owned.

Haha, thanks! The original owner had a couple horses, we don’t have any big animals so it’s been turned into my workshop. The bottom walls and ceiling are insulated so it stays nice and warm in the winter, and keeps cool even in the hottest days of summer. It’s a pretty nice place to hang out, even if there isn’t any actual “work” that needs done 😄.

Perfect “husky weather” 😄

The new toy is finally getting a good workout around here. Cleared about 14” this morning before work, and when I got home there’s another 10” ready to blow again. Still more squalls coming all this evening and into tomorrow, so I’m just gonna wait till it’s all over and deal with it tomorrow night. Sure is a lot nicer sitting up on the tractor, instead of pushing a walk behind blower ( that’s about a third of the width of the tractor too).

Last night, after the deck was shoveled 😏

We’re getting hammered on up here right now. Guess old ma nature is making up for the absolute total lack of winter we had up until about a week ago. Big ole snow squalls coming off Georgian Bay, like giant conveyor belts of snow that just keep dumping, and dumping and dumping… Those big green and yellow streaks on the map are supposed to keep rolling until Thursday at least. There’s close to 2’ on the ground now, at least it’s fluffy stuff so it’s easy to clear, and it’ll melt down a fair bit when it warms up again.

It’s funny how things are for different parts of the country/countries. You guys get 5” of snow and the world grinds to a halt, since about 8:00 last night, we’ve gotten about 10” or so, and we just call it another winter day. Just got back from doing a big grocery shop, and it was the same as any other day in any season, people just going about their day with no real concerns at all. The way it’s coming down now we’ll get another 10” by tomorrow, and I’ll fire up the tractor and clean it all up, then get on with my day like any other day.

Having a career in stonemasonry, that’s spanned about 25 years and counting, and that doesn’t include the 6 or so years before that when I did it in the summers, I’m not a big “gym person”. I get enough exercise pretty much every day of the week, all year long. I’m not a real big person, but lifting heavy things has never, ever been much of an issue for me😏. I’ve lost count of the number of times in my life that someone is totally amazed at what I move around on my own, often just grabbing whatever it is and getting it dealt with, without even asking for help cause I know it’ll just slow me down if I get “help”! The constant ordeal of working on roofs ( always walking/working on a slope), and climbing scaffolding/ladders etc. keeps my balance, centre of gravity etc. pretty well in line. The pay doesn’t hurt either. If you ever need to get in shape, and want to make a buck or two at the same time, grab some stones and a big hammer and chisel and you won’t have to worry about not being able to move a boat around ever again 😄.

Nov. 16th was my last time out. A chilly, yet sunny and calm end to the season. Finally getting snow here today for the first time in forever, only an inch or so but it actually looks a bit like winter again.

It sure isn’t crashing around here, not yet at least. I bought my current boat new in 2015, paid around $36,000 then. Just checked at the same marina I got it from and the equivalent boat right now they’re asking $73,000, with less features than mine has! My rig is paid off, and in pristine condition so I’m not even remotely thinking of replacing it, and honestly I don’t know how I could right now and still have the same rig.

We’re heading out to our neighbours in a few minutes, gonna be about 10 people there and I’m all but certain that every one of us will be back home and in bed by 10:00 or so. Haven’t seen midnight on new years in a very long time, and that’s just fine with me.

Look at the terror we got from the sky last night! I might have to go warm up the tractor to clear the driveway 😄. We did finally get temps below freezing last night for what seems like the first time in weeks. Still no measurable amount of snow at all in the long range forecast though.

We’re similar to you. From Christmas Eve to about the 27th last year we got over 4’, and the power was out around here off and on until after New Year’s Day. This is much nicer, although I find it funny that the year I get a new tractor with a big blower on it, I hardly need it. I’m sure It'll get used in the future though.

What a difference a year makes! First pics are today, last ones are exactly a year ago ( I’m enjoying the view more this year).

Sorry to hear about your dad. Remember the good times you had with him, by doing that he’ll always be with you.

Got a new attachment for my new toy yesterday. Nice set of forks, now I can lift skids of stone off my truck and trailer, and my back is screaming “thank you sir”! It’ll come in handy around the farm for lifting all kinds of stuff as well.

Hope you can get it sorted out, like @gimruis said, you have your health, and everything else is below that.