Way north bass guy

FISHNTECH is a great company, I’ve ordered lots of stuff for my boat from them, as well as some lures and fishing products. I live in central Ontario, and everything took 2-3 days tops to get to my door.

It’s the worst when it’s kids involved, breaks your heart cause you feel like you can’t do anything to help them. Hope all turns out well.

Yup, 50psi Sound about right. You want the tires inflated properly so they can hold up to the rigors or hauling a boat all over the place.

My father in law has lived with multiple sclerosis for many years, the last year and a half he’s been in a hospital, pretty much unable to move at all. This last week he finally turned for the worse, with bad pneumonia. My wife and her brother and mom have been taking shifts at bedside for a whole week, and were completely exhausted. I’ve been keeping the home at bay, working and staying with our 8 year old, and worrying for everyone’s total loss of sleep, I don’t know how they’re still moving. This afternoon I took my son out for a couple hours to try for some pike, and mostly just to get us out and our minds off of everything. Fished a few spots and didn’t see a thing, figured we’d try one last bay and on my second cast I feel a big thump on the jerkbait. After a good fight, my 8 year old did a perfect net job and some high fives, we slid her in the livewell for a few pics later. As soon as I closed the lid, I got a text from my wife that said dad’s gone. He was always out on the bay as a young man ( Georgian Bay), fishing, boating, even worked on the coastguard for several years out there. I couldn’t help but think, after being in a wheelchair for years and not able to get outdoors like he used to, maybe he was finally free again, and maybe, just maybe he sent a little gift our way to make the day a bit more special for my son and I. After a few pics, we sent the 38”er back into the bay and I said a silent thanks to him for everything he ever did for me. Thanks Dad.

Last couple of years the strike king kvd jerkbait in both sizes has been fantastic for me.

No negatives for me, it’s the best line I’ve used for the setups I use it on. I’ll probably buy some in smaller lb test as well, I like it in 12 and 15 for cranking and some other casting applications and both the 8 and 6lb has been good on my spinning outfits too. I do use braid and mono for some setups but I’ve switched to fluoro for most stuff now.

Got bit by the line monkey today ( cousin to the bait monkey). Just showed up in the mail, got a pretty good deal on a 2000yd spool of 20lb. Should be good for a little while now for a lot of my pike rods and flippin and pitchin sticks.

Well, when you’re talking “smallmouth gear”, are you meaning spinning outfits and some lighter casting rods or do you mean 7’6” flipping rods? Cause I can toss a 2” grub/jighead quite a ways with a 7’ spinning rod and 2500 size reel with 6lb flouro or light braid and a leader. Either you adapt to what the fish want to eat at the time, or you keep throwing big baits until they decide to eat larger prey, it’s up to you.

I see this all the time on Georgian Bay while pike fishing in the spring. You’ll go into a bay and they’ll be 100s of bass, sometimes in schools as big as 30-50 fish just cruising around the shoreline. Looks like they’re jockeying for position to have the prime bed areas to themselves. Then the next weekend they’ll be on the beds.

No reason why you can’t throw the smaller baits on the larger rods, it’s not like it’s against the law to use small baits on larger rigs (at least not where I live). If they’re feeding in small bait right now, give em what they want.

A nice calm day on the bay with the boy, can’t ask for much more than that.

Bass doesn’t open here for a while yet, but pike opened up on the 1st so I took the kid out for a few hours this morning. Water is still quite cold, and with the cloud cover today the big girls weren’t interested in anything, even though we could see them laying around. Need another week or so to get them more active. Did find a few little guys though, enough to get some slime on the boat for the first time this year. Sure was nice to get out and set a hook a few times!

Glad you didn’t have any serious problems. Not sure about in the states but here in Canada there’s a note on pretty much any bill from any mechanic to retighten your lugnuts after 100km. It’s especially bad with aluminum wheels, every year when I put my summer tires back on my truck, even after torquing it properly, the nuts always loosen off. This year, I only went about 20km down the road and I could hear the telltale vibrations (kinda sounds like the tires are out of round), and had to stop to re torque them. They should be checked and retightened EVERY TIME you ever change a tire.

And it begins! ??

After over 5 months, we finally got floating again! Was a bit chilly with the wind and 37deg. water temps but I don’t care?. We only trolled for a half hour or so for lakers, this was mostly just a trip to clear out the cobwebs and setup the new Helix mega, and wow, I’m impressed with it! The detail is amazing even compared to my gen1 helix, I could make out very small wind marks on a deep water beach area, and clam beds in 20+feet. It’s gonna be awsome when pike season starts next weekend. Still a bit of ice in a few bays, should be all gone in a couple days with the heat wave that’s coming (finally).

Nope, just someone’s old dock. Up here the ice will move and tear docks all to hell and sometimes either push them way up on shore or relocate them to someone else’s shoreline. Usually after a couple weeks all the docks, timbers, sticks, untied canoes, lawn chairs etc. get pushed up on the rocks enough that they don't float around the lake any more.

Went to check out the ramp today for ice, all good to launch tomorrow ( finally). There is the usual “winter fatalities” that we’ll have to watch out for but that’s no different than any other spring once the ice finally leaves. Just gotta take it easy for a while, especially when there’s a chop on the water to hide stuff until it’s too late.

Finally some life from the ground!

Well, I tore out the ridiculous tubes, and found a TON of room! And it was wide open with marine vinyl all the way across too. I did a few mods though, lined the bottom and sides with padded carped from Home Depot, even matches colour wise. And I installed a piece of tie down strap across at about the halfway height so I can support more of my longer rods a bit better. Overall I’m pleased with the modification and will be able to cram way more than the four long and four short rods I had in there before. Here’s a before with the insert still in ( I already pulled the tubes from the small area up front in this pic) And here’s the much better box, all ready for loading up.

I’ve had different length and powered motors on my boats over the years, right now I have a 60” Terrova on my deep v. The longer shaft is definitely an adavantage in open water especially if your on big water where the waves can get larger, it’s a pain when the trolling motor pops out at the crest of every wave. When I’m in super shallow water, I often have the motor raised up quite a bit, but it doesn’t seem to be a big deal for me, I just try to watch where my rod is swinging ?. Personally I’d rather have too much length in a trolling motor than not enough, but you’ll have to decide for yourself if that’s going to be an issue down the road. If your only fishing smaller, calmer waters, you’d likely be fine with the shorter shaft.

Nice, your a little bit ahead of me. That’s where we’d be if we didn’t get this last ice storm, but it’s supposed to be pretty warm here all this week so hopefully Mother Nature starts to go into overdrive to make up ?

Signs of spring, a new bike and helmet for the kid, and dad finally gets to bring the boat down from the shop into the garage to start rigging for next weekend.

My rig has a decent length rod box that’s pretty wide too, but it only has eight rod tubes which doesn’t hold much. I’m thinking about removing the tubes and maybe lining the box with carpet or maybe vinyl of some sort then using rod socks so I can cram more rods in there. Wondering if anyone else had done this and if they have any pics showing their mods.

After 17 years I’d say it doesn’t owe you anything. Time for a fresh charger me thinks ?

Took a look at the ramp in town today, almost ready, maybe by next week it’ll all be opened up.