Saying Goodbye.. Quinte Outdoor Sports

I just wanted to take a moment to mourn the passing (or closing) of one of my favourite tackle shops. Quinte outdoor sports just north of Belleville Ontario closed it's doors this weekend, and ended a 16 year run. I have been a loyal customer for over 10 years now, stopping in each and every time i pasted through town, whether it was making a purchase or just shooting the shit, it was a nice little store and one the best tackle shops between Toronto and Ottawa.

I was saddened and surprised to see the doors papered up and locked this past weekend, and even more so when the new of the closing was confirmed. I wish Eric and his family all the best in the future, and will miss our conversations. They were always welcoming and helpful to both my wife and I

This is yet another reminder that big box stores and on-line purchasing are slowly killing the small guy. Please support your local shops, we dont need to add any more tackle shops to this growing list of casualties

Does your city have a Tackle Swap!

Im a bass fisherman, but the seasons closed, and Im an ice fisherman but I dont have much ice. So what else is a guy to do other then surf the net looking to learn, and looking for deals on equipment.

Today I came across a post on  Bigfatbass a good Canadian bass fishing forum, and the post was letting the members know about a fishing tackle swap meet being held in Whitby, Ontario. Now like most of you I frequent the odd flea market or swap meet and I see the table with the guy selling vintage and antique lures, rods and tackle.. but how cool would it be to hit up a swap meet full of guys like you selling new gear, slightly used gear, and everything in between. The deal hunter in me, got very excited at this notion.

Maybe this is not something new, and maybe you have one of these Tackle Swaps s in your area, but for me this was a brand new thing, something I had never heard of, and something I would love to take advantage of. To set up a table and sell off all the plastics that you bought and never used, or last years reel that has been replaced by this years "new and improved". I really like the idea of anglers getting together to sell equipment to other anglers, these kind of face to face setting are great to meet the guys you are already seeing on your lake, but just didn't know it.  Not only do you get a chance to buy some equipment, but you get a chance meet guys in your area with the same passion

I know I will try to drag my ass down to Whitby to take in this event, and next year for next year I will have to round up my fishing buddies and see if we can get one of these going in Kingson. does your city have a Tackle Swap meet, if not, it should!

Downtown Anglers of Durham Region Tackle Swap

2012 New Years Resolution: Fit for Fishing!

Im not getting any younger, and standing on a boat for 8-12 hours a day can really put a toll on the body, back and knees are really starting to take a beating month in and month out.. and lets face it, Im a foody, so I love to eat (you all saw that Bacon Cheesecake recipe!).  Combine these two things and I think it is time to drop a bit of that extra weight and start getting readying for the 2012 Tournament season.

So being that we are on the brink of a new year it is time for a New Years resolution.. and my plan is to drop 40lbs prior to the start of the 2012 Bass season opener, and maintain the weigh loss through the remainder of the year.. to keep me honest I plan to track my progress here with 2 posts a month. Eating healthier and getting a bit more active is the way to go, i wont be joining a gym or trying to follow a diet plan, just want to see if i can do this as a regular Joe.. pass or fail it is worth the effort

Current Weight: 205lbs
Goal Weight: 165lbs
Loss YTD: 0

I'm thinking I can pull this off, but time will tell, I'll keep ya posted

2011 Bass Season Comes to a Close!

Today is a sad day, Dec 15ht marks the official end of the 2011 Bass Season (in Ontario) , An although Im in mourning I though what better way to celebrate the season that was by  spend some time reminiscing on some of the highlights of this season.

The focus here is mostly on new products and baits, not necessarily products new in 2011 (although some will be) but more products new to me, lucky finds that made my season better and improved my skills on the water

Lets start off with some of my favorites from the 2011 Season.

Yum Money Craw:

yes this bait has been on the market for a few seasons now, but it was something I continually overlooked. Early this year I decided to give one a test drive and I have never looked back. The money craw is a stellar flipping bait that easily slides into thick cover, and once out of the cover can be swam or hopped back to the boat. Some of the most violent strikes I received on this bait came as I was swimming it.

Colour recommendation: give the red shad color a try, this was my go to flipping bait in 2011

Live  Target Hollow Bodied & Hard Body Frogs: 

So if you have been reading this blog for any length of time you know it is mistitled as "BassJunky" and really should read "FrogJunky" and if 2011 was not the year of the frog then I just don't know what to tell you. It seemed like every major manufacture came out with new and improved Frogs. None better then the Live Target Hollow bodied and hard body (walking) frogs. These two baits not only carry with them the high quality and standards laid out by Live target in their family of baits, but they also improved upon some of current flaws as i see them on many other brands of Frog

The hollow body frog is a fairly light weight and soft shelled frog. It can still cast a mile and has one of the better hook-up ratios of any frog i use. The soft body is the best feature of this frog, far more collapsible then the Spro frog (the industry leader). With size and color options constantly growing the Live Target frog will be a force to rekon with for years to come

recommendation: Give the 55t in Green/Yellow a shot, this is the middle sized frog and mine got hammered so hard this season I had to put it into retirement.

As for the walker frog, this is a great top-water bait for beginners and pros alike. It walks with ease and is great to throw over and around timber. I wish I got to use mine more, but my tournament partner had his on so often i never really got the chance to break mine in. I don't think it ever left his rod all reason long.

Dobyns Rods:

Last but not least Dobyns rods are the biggest new addition to my arsenal, and I think that have made me a better angler over the course of the season. With so many rods to choose from it is hard for me to narrow down a couple to focus on. But as a frog fisherman, I would be crazy not to touch on two rods that really improved my game in 2011

Champion 735c, this rod is a great all around rod and excels in many techniques, one of which is buzzing frogs. Whether I had a mans hard nose, a gene larew triple leg or a Stanley Ribbet the 735c was always up to the challenge. The rod tip is perfect for placing this soft plastic baits into holes and the backbone has the strength to horse the nastiest of largies out of the cover.

The Champ Extreme 795 was my rod of choice for Hollow bodies. This feather lite rod is built like a tree trunk, no rod in my arsenal has the strength of the 795. I originally bought this rod as a flipping stick, but quickly saw the potential as frog rod.

I had a blast in the 2011 bass fishing season. I got to attend some seminars by some of Canadas best bass anglers, I got to test and try out some top quality new products, and I joined the Dobyns Pro Staff team. If I accomplish half of this in 2012 then it will be another stellar year.. until that time, bring on the ice!

My Bass Fishing Christmas List 2011

With Christmas fast approaching, there is no better way to put a bug in my wife's ear about the goodies I would like to find under the tree , then posting a blog (yeah as if my wife reads my blog)

Anyways, as a guy known to have everything there is still a few things I have on my 2011 Christmas list.. i bet a few on them are on yours as well..


Dobyns Coalition  Rods:

you'd think as a guy who currently has about ten Dobyns rods, i would be looking for something else under the tree, but nope, I can always use another Dobyns rod and with the release of the Coalitions series Im looking for a little camo under the tree this year. (for those new to Dobyns rod, I'd recommend giving the 735c a test drive)

Live Target Field Mouse:

as a frog fisherman you think it would be a little blasphemous to start throwing a "field mouse", but hey i already added a bird to my frog fishing arsenal earlier this season so why stop there. And can you really go wrong with Live target baits. There collection of frogs both hollow and hard bodies were some of the best baits I tied on my line this year. I dont think my wide has the heart to buy a mouse like fishing lure, so i dont expect to unwrap one of these beauties this Holiday.

Daiwa T3 Ballistic Reel:

This is another jump in tradition, Im a pretty hard core Shimano guy when it comes to fishing reels. But I have seen some very good reviews on Daiwa T3 Ballistic reel, and im a huge fan of the look and feel of this reel ( thing damn near looks like the bat mobile). The  t-wing design is an interesting spin on a standard baitcaster system and since Shimano continues to mess with a good thing (curado series) It's time to test the market. I have held this reel in my hand and take my word for it, this reel is light weigh and built tuff. Im also drawn to the exterior brake adjustments, the internal system is such a pain to use, this quick on the go adjustment is perfect for on the water.. and under the tree

Triton Mike Bull Shad:

A technique that I have not spent muck time learning is swim baits, and even more so.. big swim baits. The Triton Mike Bull shad is in a league of it's own, a high quality bait that makes fish angry, the Bull shad calls in big bass and they not only hit it, they want to swallow these things whole. Watching video after video of big bass smashing these baits put them at the top of my wish list this Christmas.

Sworming Hornet Alabama Rig:

whats Christmas without the odd gag gift? well to me there is no better gag gift then the sworming hornet Alabama rig, where did these things come from anyways? I think I would rather receive a singing bass (or should I say "another singing bass"). Im sorry I know there are some guys out there catching fish on these rigs, and maybe I will be eating my words down the road. But for now Im going to leave this bait on the stores shelve.

Stocking Stuffers:

whats Christmas without a stocking? here are a few things I would like to find in my stocking on Christmas morning

The Reel Glove - what better way to keep my new T3 Ballistic in mint condition, this is another quality product from the Rod Glove

VMC Spinshot Dropshot Hook - I enjoy throwing a drop shot rig, and this hook looks like it will help keep things running smooth when casting and dragging. Definitely want to give these a shot.

KVD Spinnerbait Slide Chart - there is no more talented spinner bait fisherman then KVD, and even though this thing looks oddly like my wife's Weight Watchers point guide, I still would like to give it a try. Hell it cant hurt my spinner bait technique.


Happy holidays and I hope you find what your looking for under the tree this year.

TGF.. Gone but not forgotten

Terry Ronald Sweet

Oct 14th 2011

Second only to my passion for Bass fishing is my passion for ice fishing. For just over 6 years now that passion has become an addiction and as autumn turns to winter this BassJunky quickly becomes an IceJunky.

Back in 2005 I would have considered myself a newbie to the world of ice fishing and I joined a forum called www.iceshanty.com . Within a few days of posting a quickly bonded with a fellow Canadian member named TGF for "Terry Gone Fishing". Terry although settled in BC had some family in my area of Ontario and we quickly became friends.

A few days ago now I got word of Terry's untimely passing. Shocked and saddened I took to the keyboard and spread my condolences with the rest of the IS members. Many of us had Terry stories to tell and images to share of his crazy antics on the ice. Terry had two things he enjoyed doing while on the ice, once was showing off his famous glass eye and the other was kissing/biting those ugly burbot he loved to chase. Always zany, always smiling, Terry was a true ambassador to the sport of ice fishing. Although he kept it quiet Terry spent some time on the Canadian Ice fishing team and got to do some traveling for the sport he loved. He taught me a lot in a short period of time (convinced me to buy my first marmish rod)

Without a doubt the IS forums and the world of ice fishing lost a friend this past week. Im sure going to miss that one eyed, fish kissing fool. this place wont be the same without him.

Here's hoping there is always a place to fish buddy..

Obituary

Wal-Mart donates 36 Million to Anti-Fishing Groups

My confusion level was on high yesterday as word spread from board to board in many fishing forums in both Canada and the US.. the topic was this.. Wal-Mart a major sponsor of the FLW fishing circuit donated $36 million to an anti-fishing group!

The press release that really got things moving was from the "Recreational Fishing Alliance" and can be found here. The release claims that walmarts donation will help "fund the demise of both the recreational and commercial fishing industry" in the US. Furthermore the report is calling for support from anglers to stop purchasing tackle from Wal-mart and adding the giant to the anglers boycot list.

I personally have been a long time anti- Wal-mart consumer, and this double speak now adds fire to the flame. How can a company that sponsors one of the worlds most popular fishing tournament series, turn their backs on the everyday angler? Obviously they are protecting their interest ($) and will hide behind the enviromental impact of this issue. To me this stresses the fact the big friendly walmart cant be trusted with my tackle money

I encourage all anglers to read the release and read any other info that comes your way on this topic. I believe that this info needs to be shared.

How it all began..

I started this blog a few months back, and have spent a lot of time talking products and techniques, but I have shared little information about me personally. So i though I would spend some time today to cover a few 

I have three people that I can blame for my addiction to fishing. My Father, my Step Father and my Grandfather. All of them each effected my love of fishing in a different way.

My Grandfather has been retired since I was three years old, and since he was not one to take it easy, he always had jobs he liked to do. One of those jobs was to run a boy scout camp. Each summer I would get time to go and stay with him at the camp. He was not much of a fisherman but he always made sure we had everything we needed to spend the day fishing, Wether is was bobbers and worms from the dock out back, or carting us by boat to various hot spots. He always made it easy for us by having access to water and unlimited amount of free time I was able to fish all day long, all summer long

My Step-father is also not much of a fisherman. He owns a rod and reel, but the only time I have seen it in his hands was when I was a child and he was carting me off to various fishing derby's. He made sure me and my friends could always attend these derby's that were usually held out of town. It allowed us to have a great time and grew the competitive side of my fishing. For a man who is always active and like to keep moving it must have been hard for him to stand around for hours on end to watch us cast (and catch very little). To this day I appreciate the fact that he was willing to there for us

Out of the 3, My Father was the biggest influence. He loves to fish. My parents separated when I was only 4 years old (so 27 years ago) He never had much money, and when it was his weekend to look after my sister and I, the one thing he could afford was a couple dozen worms. 

The weekend always started with a trip to the coffee shop where he would grab the morning coffee (a donut for us) and then it was off to the bait shop. We were worm fisherman, a bobber, a hook and a worm was all we needed to keep us occupied for a large part of the day.

My Dad found this cool little fishing hole, just off the main road. It was an old railway bridge with a back bay that comes off the Ottanabee river. It was a pan fishermans dream, with deep pockets and small clumps of weeds everywhere.  We caught everything from perch & gills, to bass, carp and mudcats. We even managed the occasional frog and turtle. 

My first ever fishing tale grew from this very spot. My father and I watched as a couple fisherman using bobbers and frogs fought a monster bass that eventually snapped their line above the bobber. We watched as the bobber floated away, only to turn around and head back up stream, the fisherman threw everything at it, finally snagging the bobber and pulling in the 5lb largemouth that had snapped them off only minutes earlier. I have been telling that story so long now, I don't even remember how much of it is true anymore.. but it is part of my fishing heritage and part of what makes me me


I have hundreds of great memories of this area, and to this day spend time each season fishing this exact spot . Things have changed and this once run down rail way bridge is now a running and bike path that is constantly in use by sport enthusiasts and family's alike. My private childhood fishing hole is no more.. but it still draws my back and I can take a look around and know.. this is where it all began

OPENING WEEKEND!

it is finally here, the weekend that is more important then Christmas,  New Years and all those other celebrated Holidays.. this weekend is Bass opener!

Many of us have waiting long months for this day to come, cleaning and organizing our gear, practicing our casting in the hallways and backyards. Spending money on new equipment knowing that one day we will get to use it.. this is that weekend.

I dont know about you, but I will be spending 2 glorious 10+ hour days on the water this weekend and hoping to take home some great opening weekend memories as well as some cash for my efforts.  Rain or shine I will be chasing the green and bronze all weekend long, testing out some of the new equipment i stock piled over the winter and spring.

so if this blog is quiet for a few days you will know why.. but then again why are in inside anyways.. it is opening weekend!

I wear my passion on my sleeve

Over the past 11 months I have been making the drive to Toronto every other month to get some work done on a Bass half sleeve tattoo. On saturday I sat for the last two hours of a 22 hour process, now it is all done, and I could not be happier with the results.Just over a year ago I had the idea for a Bass tattoo that took a tradition Koi fish and lotus flower design and changed it to Bass and lilly pads. I approached a Tattoo Artist that I admired and explained to him my idea. He was super exicted about the idea and booked me in. Here is the break down of the whole process from start to finishFirst things first, the artist that did my work is David Glantz the ower and main artist at Archive Tattoo in Toronto, Ontario. He started by sketching out my idea and adding a little color to give me an idea of what the fish would look like.
This pic is of David and the sketch he did of my arm. The photo is from a Toronto Star story on David and the tattooers for Japan event

Once the Drawing was done I had my first sitting, it was a 4 hour sitting in which David completed the lining of the entire tatoo. He also completed some shading and did some minor color work.

Once the linging hd some time to hear, I was back in to start on the color. The color span out over many months. David took his time to ensure all the deatils were perfect. He completed the first bass and lilly pad during a 4 hour sitting and did the second lilly pad, the Smallmouth and some water during another 4 (almost 5) hour sitting.

Ok, now we start to get to the painfull stuff. I have a few tattoo's so im not exactly new to the process. But i will tell you one thing, an hour or more on the inside of the wrist and I was calling "uncle" same goes for the inside of the armpit (also know as the ditch. My second to last appointment was spent almost entirly in these areas.. I apologize to David now for being a bit squirmyhere are some wrist and other detailed pics

Alright so now we are all caught up to my appointment this past weekend. It was my final 2 hours (that became 3) He was able to put on the finishing touched by bolding up some of the lines, we added the cat tails and did some touches ups in areas that I did not heal well (Im a notoriously bad healer).So when all is said and done here is the final tattoo. It is a thing of beauty and the photos really dont do it justice. Im extremely happy with the final product and was happy to spent 20+ hours with David talking movies,music, fishing and all the other important things in life

Check out David's site for more of his work http://archivetattoo.com/

Why I buy Shimano!

the amount of new rod and reel companies entering the fishing industry every season is a testament to popularity and growth of the sport. But no matter how many rods or reels I test each season, I keep going back to the old standby... Shimano


One of the big reasons I have supported shimano all this time comes down to the fact that they support the industry and stand behind their products. I swung by the Shimano Canada Headquarters this morning to drop off a Curado reel to be repaired . Unlike other manufactures shimano has an open door repairs policy and any customer can pull up the the Head Quarters building, (Peterborough, Ontario) look for the blue door and walk in to drop off a reel or rod. You then have the option to pick-up the product when the repair is complete or then will ship it to you

Today I took a curado Reel that seemed to have a little bit of back play , I wanted to get it looked at and repaired in necessary. When I walked in the guys working the repairs desk looked over the reel and explained to me that the small amount of play I was experiencing was to be expected and even if I paid to have then adjust it, it would not make a huge difference. He even pulled out the same Curado reel to show me that it had the same "play" as mine.

walked out satisfied that my reel was working and happy to know that they could have taken my reel, did some work and then charged me for a minor repair that was not needed.

I buy Shimano because I trust them as a company, I know I'm getting top quality products and If and when I have a problem with a product, I know that Shimano will stand behind it. If you have had issues getting products repaired, calls not being returned or are sick of paying shipping charges (both ways) for a repair.. give Shimano a call.. I know I would

There's an App for that!...Or is there?

The smart phone has taken over the world, and that includes the fishing industry. The popular catch phrase every-time you come across a problem you cant solve without the use of your trusty Iphone.. "there's an App for that!", does not ring as true in the fishing industry as it does everywhere else. Dont' get me wrong there are some great App's to help fisherman out, the WFN Fishing Log is one and of course the Navionics also produced a top quality app, but where is the rest of the Industry? No other big name in the industry has produced an app.. not including games.. So here is my list of Dream Apps that I would love to see made available....


The Lure Selector App
Wouldn't it be cool it companies like Rapala or Live Target made an app, that helped you select a lure when on the water. You enter the depth of water and species targeted, it then spits out the lure best suited for both.

The Perfect Rod App
How about an App that helps an angler buy there perfect rod for them. You enter your hieght, the species you want to target with the rod, as well as a few techniques you like to use. The App would narrow down the rod best suited for you! This could be done by a single manufacture or some combined, this would help the average angler choose the right gear

Knot Options App
If there is one App that has flooded the market, it is the "how to" knot tying apps. But how about an App that tells you what kind of knot works best for each presentation, and then shows you how to do it. When to use a palomar, or a rapala knot, some guys know this stuff, and other dont.

Color -C-lector App
I know, I know, this is loved by some and hated by many. But as an App I think it would be pretty cool. Add in the wetaher condition, the water clarity, and so on, then the App tells you the best color choices for the day.

Lake Locator App
There are a ton of Apps geared to finding you the closest fast food restaurant or bank machine. But how about an app that you tells you where the closest lakes are. It uses your location to find lakes, as well as key needs, local bait shops, gas stations, marina's, public launches and so on.


Apps like these would be valuable to the everyday angler and the professional angler alike. Lets see some of the big guns in the fishing industry step up to the plate and start making some usefull on the water apps...so one day soon we really can say "there's an app for that"

Fishing for Quality, Quantity or just some Peace and Quiet?

Crappie season is in full swing and with the nice weather finally here, I packed up my gear yesterday morning and after work I headed straight for my favourite crappie hole. This was my first open water trip of the season and I couldnt wait to hit the water.

It is only a 20 minuite drive from my work to this fishing hole. I was almost salivating as I rounded the last corner, but my excitment quickly tunred to dissapointment when i saw 10 trucks parked along the side of the road. I slowed down to look at the small patch of land that I usually have all to myselft and I saw more then 10 anglers standing shoulder to shoulder taking up all 20 feet of fishable shoreline. The overhead hydro wire was filled with even more tangled line, bobbers and worms as this group of men competed cast for cast to find the Crappies that were on the move.

Some guys would have stopped, got out and joined this mob, but i didnt stop my car, I simply drove on by. I knew another small hole just minutes down the road and I was praying this one was a little quieter.

When I got to hole #2 I had it all to myself. Not a sole was in siight. This hole is not the hot spot that the previous location was known to be, but if you work at it, there are fish to be had. I put in just over an hour of fishing, It was nice and peacefull, there was no bucket load of crappie to take home and no monster to mount on my wall, because today I opted for peace and quiet over quality and quanity

The Evolution of Fishing on TV

As a kid growing up in Canada, saturday morning did not represent "saturday morning cartoons" but instead it meant "saturday morning fishing shows". I had to be the first one to the remote each saturday to ensure I could gain control of the TV set and make it through at least 2 of the shows that were on saturday mornings, shows like Real Fishing with Bob Izumi, Canadian Sport fishing (with Italo and Henry pre scandal) andFish'n Canada, with the Viola Brothers and Pete bowman. These shows offered the perfect mix of fish catching and entertainment, something that both my dad and I could enjoy and my sister could hate

As I got older and became more and more interested in the sport of fishing, i was no longer as interested in shows that were based solely on entertainment (even though they did provide some knowledge early fishing shows were as much about the host as the fishing), I wanted some more meat to a fishing show. So when WFN entered my life I was super excited. I was now able to expand my TV watching and knowledge past my childhood idols and start to listen to professional anglers talk about current tactics on bodies of water in conditions I too would some day be faced with. Shows like Classic Patterns (my personal favorite), Linders Fishing edge, Gettin School'd, Lost Lakeand so on.

This new caliber of fishing show will help expand the sport for anglers who are looking for more in depth knowledge and expertise. Shows like Classic Patterns have really helped me to gain confidence in baits that have been locked away in my tackle bag for years. On this new fishing show the anglers knowledge is more important then his sense of humor or his celebrity guest. These shows are what WFN is all about, growing fishing as a sport, and growing the anglers that are watching.

I want to finish this up by stating that I have no problems with shows like Real Fishing, Fish'n Canada, Fish TV, Facts of Fishing the Show, Kent Herbeck outdoors and so on, these are all important shows in the WFN line-up and are all shows I watch on a weekly basis, they provide me and thousands of others with the saturday morning fishing fix, and give me a chuckle while doing so. Both entertainment and knowledge is key in a fishing program, and I have very happy with the way Fishing programs have gown over the years, and want to thank WFN for making sure I can see them all.