WOW!
Today marks my 1st Anniversary of retirement from Dofasco (and my Blog's first birthday). I haven't missed the old place but I sure have missed many of the people.
It has been one hell of a ride and a real blast. Probably the best year of my life. I am really glad I started this blog as it is a great reminder for me of how much I've done.
Bring on Year #2!!!
Tornado!!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Worked at Bass Pro today and was exposed to something new for me. This picture was taken by Bernie from the front window of the store!!
Two tornadoes actually past by and the one did some very serious damage to about 60 homes just behind the Mall!!
Worked at Bass Pro today and was exposed to something new for me. This picture was taken by Bernie from the front window of the store!!
Two tornadoes actually past by and the one did some very serious damage to about 60 homes just behind the Mall!!
Cooch...... A Tough Day!!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Lake Couchiching was the fourth stop in the BPS Associate Fishing Series. This would determine the top 10 teams to qualify for the BPS Classic next month. Paul & Terry weren't available for this tourney so I invited my fellow BPS associate and French River buddy, Bernie Zweerman (Professor "Z") along for his first taste of tournament action. Bernie is a Walleye specialist and was looking forward to focusing on bass for a change.
I left the house at 3:00 am with boat in tow and picked up Bernie outside of New Market. We arrived to a beautiful sunrise at the launch site in Orillia just after 6:00 am.
There were 18 boats for this tournament and excitement was running high as many were on the bubble for qualifying for the Classic.
Blast off was at 7:00 and we sat back to catch a shot of everyone taking off and to let the water settle down a little.
Those who had pre-fished the tourney had found it to be a tough bite and it proved to be an extremely tough day for us. We first tried a shoal that had been good to Paul and I in the past, but nothing was happening. We moved on to the narrows between Cooch and Simcoe and worked the weed edges to no avail. It was a fairly calm day so we made a run to Strawberry Island on Lake Simcoe where there were some good drop offs and structure, but came up empty handed again. By noon the winds were picking up and we bombed back to Cooch to work the North end of the lake. Things were starting to get scary as the big "S" word started to loom larger!!
We got about 2/3 of the way up Cooch when we spotted four people in a boat that had broken down. The rear cowling was off and one guy was paddling with futility. Bernie and I looked at each other and knew what we had to do. (It is against the law not to help a stranded mariner). We approached them and they told us that their I/O had seized. They needed a tow back to their marina which was located near Casino Rama (you could see the hotel on the horizon). It took us about an hour to tow them there. We were having a bad day anyways and maybe we could also use this as an excuse if we got skun%#* 8O)
You can see my balaclava thingy in these two pics. Its is made out of some sort of light UV resistant cloth. I may look a little gay, but believe me it is very effective in keeping the sun from reeking havoc with your skin and keeps you cool at the same time. That little rag cost me $20 in Florida but is worth every penny!
After we returned the stranded mariners back to their marina, we returned back to some more futile fishing. We eventually returned to the same shoal that we started at in the morning , arriving at 2:15 pm with 45 minutes remaining in the Tournament!! I finally picked up my first and only keeper (over 12") at 2:30pm to avoid the BIG S!!! I've never been skunked in a tournament yet and narrowly avoided it once more. All of a sudden the action picked up as I caught another smaller bass, the largest Perch I have ever caught (see below) and a Rock Bass. The feed was on, but unfortunately time was running out.
I pulled the trolling motor out to move and do one final pass over the shoal and low and behold "Where is my trolling motor prop?????" It had spun off somehow. Too late to change it, so I power back to the other side of the shoal to do one last desperate drift. Unfortunately, I miscalculated and end up heading for the shallowest part of the shoal and my boat hull starts banging on the rocks. Now I am in panic and melt down mode (it wasn't pretty) as I struggled to push us off with my paddle while Bernie tried to use the handle of the net to help as best he could. We finally pushed ourselves off and managed not to sustain any significant damage.
We made it back in time for the weigh-in, but only had the one fish (1.86 Lbs) to finish a disappointing 15th.
No matter the result, I still had a great (and eventful) day on the water with Bernie, something we'll probably talk and laugh about for years.
The good news was that you only use your best 3 tournament weights to qualify for the Classic and I ended up finishing 4th overall for the season and Paul and I will be fishing the Classic on Pigeon Lake on September 9!!!
Can't wait.
Lake Couchiching was the fourth stop in the BPS Associate Fishing Series. This would determine the top 10 teams to qualify for the BPS Classic next month. Paul & Terry weren't available for this tourney so I invited my fellow BPS associate and French River buddy, Bernie Zweerman (Professor "Z") along for his first taste of tournament action. Bernie is a Walleye specialist and was looking forward to focusing on bass for a change.
I left the house at 3:00 am with boat in tow and picked up Bernie outside of New Market. We arrived to a beautiful sunrise at the launch site in Orillia just after 6:00 am.
There were 18 boats for this tournament and excitement was running high as many were on the bubble for qualifying for the Classic.
Blast off was at 7:00 and we sat back to catch a shot of everyone taking off and to let the water settle down a little.
Those who had pre-fished the tourney had found it to be a tough bite and it proved to be an extremely tough day for us. We first tried a shoal that had been good to Paul and I in the past, but nothing was happening. We moved on to the narrows between Cooch and Simcoe and worked the weed edges to no avail. It was a fairly calm day so we made a run to Strawberry Island on Lake Simcoe where there were some good drop offs and structure, but came up empty handed again. By noon the winds were picking up and we bombed back to Cooch to work the North end of the lake. Things were starting to get scary as the big "S" word started to loom larger!!
We got about 2/3 of the way up Cooch when we spotted four people in a boat that had broken down. The rear cowling was off and one guy was paddling with futility. Bernie and I looked at each other and knew what we had to do. (It is against the law not to help a stranded mariner). We approached them and they told us that their I/O had seized. They needed a tow back to their marina which was located near Casino Rama (you could see the hotel on the horizon). It took us about an hour to tow them there. We were having a bad day anyways and maybe we could also use this as an excuse if we got skun%#* 8O)
You can see my balaclava thingy in these two pics. Its is made out of some sort of light UV resistant cloth. I may look a little gay, but believe me it is very effective in keeping the sun from reeking havoc with your skin and keeps you cool at the same time. That little rag cost me $20 in Florida but is worth every penny!
After we returned the stranded mariners back to their marina, we returned back to some more futile fishing. We eventually returned to the same shoal that we started at in the morning , arriving at 2:15 pm with 45 minutes remaining in the Tournament!! I finally picked up my first and only keeper (over 12") at 2:30pm to avoid the BIG S!!! I've never been skunked in a tournament yet and narrowly avoided it once more. All of a sudden the action picked up as I caught another smaller bass, the largest Perch I have ever caught (see below) and a Rock Bass. The feed was on, but unfortunately time was running out.
I pulled the trolling motor out to move and do one final pass over the shoal and low and behold "Where is my trolling motor prop?????" It had spun off somehow. Too late to change it, so I power back to the other side of the shoal to do one last desperate drift. Unfortunately, I miscalculated and end up heading for the shallowest part of the shoal and my boat hull starts banging on the rocks. Now I am in panic and melt down mode (it wasn't pretty) as I struggled to push us off with my paddle while Bernie tried to use the handle of the net to help as best he could. We finally pushed ourselves off and managed not to sustain any significant damage.
We made it back in time for the weigh-in, but only had the one fish (1.86 Lbs) to finish a disappointing 15th.
No matter the result, I still had a great (and eventful) day on the water with Bernie, something we'll probably talk and laugh about for years.
The good news was that you only use your best 3 tournament weights to qualify for the Classic and I ended up finishing 4th overall for the season and Paul and I will be fishing the Classic on Pigeon Lake on September 9!!!
Can't wait.
Middle of the Pack
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Balsam Lake, 3rd stop in the Bass Pro Associate Fishing Series. Paul and I were out to better our poor performance at Balsam last year (5.68 Lbs). The forecast was good although the winds were already blowing at 7:00 blast off.
Some of the boats hovering before the start.
The guy in the back of this boat is Alex "Pony" Ponikarovsky of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It proved to be a tough day. We picked up a couple of small Smallies off a shoal at the start. The wind was getting hard to hold the boat in any position so we moved up into the back of North Bay where we picked up a couple off some old bridge pilings. We then moved up near Coboconk and worked some good looking weeds and stumps and picked up a couple of more which allowed us to start culling. We had a pretty rough ride back to a few shoals in the main lake where we spent a lot of time rocking & rolling. We couldn't improve our catch although Paul had a real good one on for a few seconds.
We weighed in only 7.04 Lbs. (which was better than last year) which put us in 9th (out of 17 boats) which was still middle of the pack and our worst finish so far this year (2nd & 4th previously). We were only one "kicker" fish from being in the money. I am still sitting 3rd overall with one more event to go (Couchiching) to qualify for the Classic.
4 of our 5 fish
We were bouncing back across Balsam in the big rollers when I heard a thud sound and asked Paul "What was that"? We didn't see anything and continued on. Later when I was checking the livewell, it had collapsed on one side from the banging!!! Luckily all the pumps and drains were still attached and functioning!!
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When we got back to Paul's, I took Evan to McDonald's while Paul went to pick up his trailer as they were leaving for Gananoque Thursday morning.
Balsam Lake, 3rd stop in the Bass Pro Associate Fishing Series. Paul and I were out to better our poor performance at Balsam last year (5.68 Lbs). The forecast was good although the winds were already blowing at 7:00 blast off.
Some of the boats hovering before the start.
The guy in the back of this boat is Alex "Pony" Ponikarovsky of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It proved to be a tough day. We picked up a couple of small Smallies off a shoal at the start. The wind was getting hard to hold the boat in any position so we moved up into the back of North Bay where we picked up a couple off some old bridge pilings. We then moved up near Coboconk and worked some good looking weeds and stumps and picked up a couple of more which allowed us to start culling. We had a pretty rough ride back to a few shoals in the main lake where we spent a lot of time rocking & rolling. We couldn't improve our catch although Paul had a real good one on for a few seconds.
We weighed in only 7.04 Lbs. (which was better than last year) which put us in 9th (out of 17 boats) which was still middle of the pack and our worst finish so far this year (2nd & 4th previously). We were only one "kicker" fish from being in the money. I am still sitting 3rd overall with one more event to go (Couchiching) to qualify for the Classic.
4 of our 5 fish
We were bouncing back across Balsam in the big rollers when I heard a thud sound and asked Paul "What was that"? We didn't see anything and continued on. Later when I was checking the livewell, it had collapsed on one side from the banging!!! Luckily all the pumps and drains were still attached and functioning!!
.jpg)
When we got back to Paul's, I took Evan to McDonald's while Paul went to pick up his trailer as they were leaving for Gananoque Thursday morning.
Crazy Kids
Saturday, August 1, 2009
I had a great day with Maddy and Miranda on Saturday while we waited for their parents to get home from New York. We first stopped off to see Chris McAllister and his wife Katie and son Colin who were up from Dallas, Georgia to visit with Chris' Mom Norma. I spent a lot of years coaching Chris in hockey. He is a great kid (not really a kid anymore) and is now a Vice-Principal and Athletic Director at a High School in Georgia.
We then went to see G-Force in 3D at the show. Wow, $62 for 3 admissions and a couple of bags of popcorn and two drinks!!!!!
After the show I took the girls to see a couple of the houses where their Dad grew up. First stop was our first home on Leduc Street in Hamilton.
And then to Smithville to see our second home.
We had a great day and they hung in all night until their parents and Nana got home from New York.
I had a great day with Maddy and Miranda on Saturday while we waited for their parents to get home from New York. We first stopped off to see Chris McAllister and his wife Katie and son Colin who were up from Dallas, Georgia to visit with Chris' Mom Norma. I spent a lot of years coaching Chris in hockey. He is a great kid (not really a kid anymore) and is now a Vice-Principal and Athletic Director at a High School in Georgia.
We then went to see G-Force in 3D at the show. Wow, $62 for 3 admissions and a couple of bags of popcorn and two drinks!!!!!
After the show I took the girls to see a couple of the houses where their Dad grew up. First stop was our first home on Leduc Street in Hamilton.
And then to Smithville to see our second home.
We had a great day and they hung in all night until their parents and Nana got home from New York.
New York, New York
Thursday, July 30 to Saturday, August 1, 2009
While I was packing at the French River for my trip home, Chris was getting on a plane in Buffalo with Terry & Mandy heading to New York city! It was the kid's 13 wedding anniversary and they were celebrating it in New York and asked Mom if she would like to join them!!
It didn't take her long to say YES!! She has been talking about going to NY for some time now.
One of the much anticipated stops was Tiffany's ...........
..............along with Macy's, Rockefeller Square, JC Penny's Grand Opening, etc, etc......
There was a trip to Central Park and drinks at Tavern on the Green.
They stopped in Little Italy for a bite to eat.
I picked up the Crazy Kids from Mandy's Mom on Friday night on my way home from Bass Pro. I got a call late on Friday from Chris saying "I'm okay, but I'll let Terry tell you the story"!!
It turns out that she tripped on a curb in the rain at Times Square and went "splat" flat down on the sidewalk. Terry had a couple of Officers call for an ambulance and the attendants spent 45 minutes with her ensuring that she was okay. They wanted her to go to the Hospital (Bellvue) and she told them NO, that she was going home the next day. Terry thought that they might take an earlier flight out the next day, but Mom toughed it out and shopped all the next day before leaving to catch their scheduled flight!!!!!
They sent me this picture the next morning to reassure me that she was alright. I think she was putting on a game face for me.
They got home early Sunday morning (2:00 am) and Chris and I spent most of Sunday afternoon at Grimsby Hospital and found out that she had broken the upper part of the humerus bone. (We have since found out that she may have a broken elbow as well). The nurses were all coming in and high fiving her for toughing it out to finish her shopping!!
The kids took great care of Mom while she was away and she can't wait to get back to finish her shopping!!
While I was packing at the French River for my trip home, Chris was getting on a plane in Buffalo with Terry & Mandy heading to New York city! It was the kid's 13 wedding anniversary and they were celebrating it in New York and asked Mom if she would like to join them!!
It didn't take her long to say YES!! She has been talking about going to NY for some time now.
One of the much anticipated stops was Tiffany's ...........
..............along with Macy's, Rockefeller Square, JC Penny's Grand Opening, etc, etc......
There was a trip to Central Park and drinks at Tavern on the Green.
They stopped in Little Italy for a bite to eat.
I picked up the Crazy Kids from Mandy's Mom on Friday night on my way home from Bass Pro. I got a call late on Friday from Chris saying "I'm okay, but I'll let Terry tell you the story"!!
It turns out that she tripped on a curb in the rain at Times Square and went "splat" flat down on the sidewalk. Terry had a couple of Officers call for an ambulance and the attendants spent 45 minutes with her ensuring that she was okay. They wanted her to go to the Hospital (Bellvue) and she told them NO, that she was going home the next day. Terry thought that they might take an earlier flight out the next day, but Mom toughed it out and shopped all the next day before leaving to catch their scheduled flight!!!!!
They sent me this picture the next morning to reassure me that she was alright. I think she was putting on a game face for me.
They got home early Sunday morning (2:00 am) and Chris and I spent most of Sunday afternoon at Grimsby Hospital and found out that she had broken the upper part of the humerus bone. (We have since found out that she may have a broken elbow as well). The nurses were all coming in and high fiving her for toughing it out to finish her shopping!!
The kids took great care of Mom while she was away and she can't wait to get back to finish her shopping!!
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