Casey took me out to his ice fishing hut last week and now I’ve got the fishing itch again. So I guess it’s time to start looking at what I can add to my fishing tackle boxes this year.

I never have enough money so love buying stuff on eBay. I can usually find pretty good deal on fishing supplies any time of year. Below is what I have found that is going in my tackle box so I can get those big bass, pickerel and of course anything else that will bite in our New Brunswick waters.

Bass And Pickerel Lures

Last year was a strange year and had the highest water levels I’ve ever seen. I found I lost a few too many of my lures and some weren’t even my own. So I have to replenish my fishing lures and with limited funds I like eBay for that.

Casey just ordered a boat load of red Senko style red worms we have come to love so much. By the way it was me that introduced them to Casey and Jamie. I remember doing so well with them before either owned any that Casey put a ban on red worms. Well until I shared some and then he was hooked.

Red 5 1/2” Worms

There used to be a supplier for the red worms we like so much but don’t find him any more, however after searching for a while I found two other worm types that are pretty much the same.

Owning a boat comes with the added responsibility of maintenance and upkeep. Practicing some preventive maintenance now can save you from having to shell out a lot of money later when your neglect catches up to you.

Casey Looking Over His Boat To See That’s All’s Well

Casey takes great care of his boat, motor and trailer, hey it’s part of the family. There is always a double check before launching and again before leaving.

These are the top 5 tips to caring for your boat

1. Complete Basic Cleaning After Every Trip

Your boat will look and work its best if you do a few things every time you take it out. If you are a saltwater fisherman, you need to rinse your boat’s motor with fresh water every time you bring it home from a fishing trip. Hose down the outside of the boat with fresh water. This will keep the salt from building up and getting caught in your motor or ruining your paint job. Wipe up any spills inside and put away your supplies, so your boat is tidy and ready for your next trip.

2. Clean The Fuel Tank

Although it is not the prettiest job, cleaning your boat’s fuel tank periodically is important to prevent fuel clogs. Take out the fuel hose and put a clear hose of the same diameter into the hole. After removing the gas cap, position an air compressor in the opening and use it to drive all of the gas and gunk through your clear hose into a bucket. Pour three gallons of gas into the tank and repeat the process to make sure you flush everything out before putting your fuel hose back in and refilling the tank.

3. Perform Regular Visual Inspections

If you know how your boat is supposed to look when everything is working right, you will be able to notice any small problems just by performing quick visual inspections on a regular basis. Look through every part of your boat, keeping an eye out for chipped materials, fraying ropes, loose fittings, and anything else out of the ordinary that needs fixing.

4. Check Your Battery

If you rely on a battery to start your boat, check it regularly to ensure it is in good working condition. Charge the battery whenever you notice it is getting low, so you won’t get stuck out in the water if it dies. Check the fluid levels as well, and keep the battery clean and dry for top performance.

5. Clean Your Boat Thoroughly Before Winter

Although it seems counterproductive because you won’t actually be using your boat for several months, it is important to clean your boat before you store it for the winter. This keeps the dirt and grime from settling onto the boat during the winter and allows you to just do a quick clean before taking it out for the first time next spring. In addition, fill your gas tank completely before storing it for the winter. After readying your boat, take it out of the water and store it in a climate-controlled environment for the winter.

By being proactive, your boat will last longer and be more likely to run smoothly when you take it out. In addition, if you are new to boat ownership and unsure about the mechanics, take your boat to a professional at least once a year for an inspection and to get recommendations on maintenance.

Maire hails from the Windy City, enjoys going fishing with her father in the summertime, and has two dogs – a Scottish terrier named Pete and a dachshund hound named Edgar.

I was sitting at home Sunday morning looking out into my backyard. Everything had a layer of ice on it from the rain we had the night before. Looked gorgeous with the sun glistening off everything. Almost blinding.

This is about the time of year I start feeling a bit of cabin fever so when Casey called to see if I was up for a drive to Shediac Bay to check out his ice fishing hut. I got pretty excited as I would likely have sat around watching TV and playing my guitar all day.

A Shot From Where We Parked The Vehicle.

Casey said he’d be at my house in less than an hour and all I needed to bring was some food and something to drink. As I was leaving the house my son Steve asked me if I wanted to take his flask with some Scotch to share with Casey. What a great son I have.

It’s had been at least 30 yeas since I last did any ice fishing. That was when I was still living in Ontario, near Lake Simcoe. We would take our snowmobiles and head out about 2-5 miles to a huge ice fishing village.

As we were getting close I was thinking we would be going out on the ice with our vehicle which kind of concerned me, but I trust Casey to keep me safe so I didn’t say anything at the time.

As you can see from the image above the fish huts weren’t far from shore at all. We just parked and walked out to the hut. That was easy.

Casey lives about 40 minutes from Moncton at Hopewell Cape, such a beautiful spot with a great view from his backyard.

Jenny and I love driving this section and visiting all the scenic spots. Check out the day trip we took along this section of New Brunswick and where you’ll find the Rocks on the Fundy Bay.

Casey and a friend hauled his fish hut out onto Shediac Bay, in about 6 sections, and assembled it right on the spot. It seems pretty efficient with four side panels that bolt to the floor and to two roof panels. Plenty of elbow room inside as well.

The floor boards opened opposite the door and there was a big hole to fish through. I looked into the hole expecting to see bottom but instead I saw tow huge chunks of ice at the bottom. Turns out they were huge homemade pillow cases filled with chains.

Sheets Sown Together With Chains

They are used to make the bottom a lighter colour so that it is easier to see any activity. Pretty cool idea.  I told him I was telling his wife he was stealing bed sheet. Then he told me she was the one who sowed it all together. What a great wife.

Getting There From Here

Once Casey picked me up we headed out of Moncton towards Dieppe and took the old highway 15 which is now Veterans Highway to Shediac.

Once at Shediac took highway 133 until we reached the Queens Warf turn off where the fishing hut is located. We may have taken highway 11 to get to highway 133, not sure as I was busy taking pictures of the scenery.

Queens Warf road was a short drive to the water, err I mean ice. As you can see from the picture at the top the huts weren’t far off shore.

Casey and I checked the structure and tightened a few bolts and then chopped the ice that had formed in the hole since he was last there.

The tide was heading out when we arrived and we didn’t see any fish but it was still a lot of fun and I can’t wait to get back out there again.

I have ice fished, more than 30 years ago but Casey has a couple of spears which I have never tried as the water we fished in Lake Simcoe Ontario was about 40 feet deep. So I’ll be getting some video the next time we’re out there.

We had a clear, relatively calm and sunny day plus the temperature wasn’t bad at all, however that’s not always the case so it’s best to know how to dress for ice fishing on days that aren’t so pleasant.

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• Ohio Outdoors-Ice Fishing Panfish-Fishing and Fun With JFick (datingrulez.com)
• Anyone up for a spot of ice fishing?? (rothieblog.net)
• Dressing Tips For Real Winter Fishing (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

I have a fishing buddy I like to refer to as Eagle Eye Paul. He could see things from such a distance away that at first we didn’t believe the things he said he saw, that we of course couldn’t see.

It didn’t take long before he had proved this over and over. He could even see fish in the water in place I couldn’t and I can usually spot fish. I wonder how many I have missed over the years.

Well for those of us who don’t have Paul’s eagle eye vision, like myself, other skills are required or perhaps skill along with technology.

There are a lot of clues in and around the water’s edge a fisher can use to determine how they will fish this particular spot. I have been fishing for 50 years and for many of those years it was pretty simple fishing gear so I had to use skill to do well.

When I am in water that is deeper than I can see or if I have Eagle Eye with me, I usually rely on a fish finder. It’s so much better than sticking your head in the water to see what’s down there. Casey has two Humminbird Fishfinder in his boat which is great because I get to see the structure as well even though we are on opposite ends of his boat.

The fact we don’t see any fish on the fish finder doesn’t mean they aren’t there. It usually means they just aren’t right there under the same path the boat is taking. That’s why I like to look for structure and fish the structure.

If the fishing is good and the fish finder doesn’t have a way to mark your spot then I like to line three spots on the shore so I can find my way back. I spent a lot of time on lakes with my canoe and portable Humminbird Fish Finder and loved locating new structure.

I’ve even looked at smaller fish finders for my float tube but I don’t go far from shore in the tube so I can’t really justify getting one. When the wind picks up I like being close to shore when float tubing.

But back to spotting fish in the water. Even though I can’t see into the water I can see what’s happening at the surface so I look for any activity that would indicate possible fish.

1. Jumping fish, hey that’s a great indicator, although when Atlantic salmon fishing it doesn’t mean they are going to take anything you throw at them. I love chasing jumping fish.
2. Jumping baitfish, are usually trying to escape being dinner. Give them something other than that bait fish to look at.
3. Birds that eat fish are worth watching and not just because they are awesome to watch. They can lead you directly to a great day of fishing.
4. Shoreline structure that extends into the water such as trees and points.
5. Shorelines can indicate sudden drop-offs or points that extend into deeper water.

There are plenty of indicators that will help you find fish whether you’re fishing shorelines or off-shore. It just takes observing your surroundings but I have to admit I would rather take pictures of the scenery and use a Humminbird Fishfinder to locate the fish.

Related articles

• Checking Out Garmin Fish Finders (flyfishinginnewbrunswick.com)
• The Garmin Water Proof Fish Finder Is On My Wish List (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• The Minn Kota Endura C2 30, A Trolling Motor To Meet Your Expectations (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• Best Day of Fishing All Year. I Don’t Want To Go Home (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

Look we got all dressed up to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and that 2011 has been a great year.

Christmas at the Mann residence was about the most fun we had at Christmas since before Steve was a teenager. It was a load of fun and I actually got some of the things I asked for.

Didn’t see any tickets to Florida under the tree though. Honey probably ate them.

Fishing in 2011

I had a fun year of fishing and of course what made it so much fun was being able to get out fishing with Casey and Jamie.

The water was higher for so much longer in 2011 and that really messed up the fishing although come fall the water dropped and things picked. I can’t remember the last time there was a wetter summer but then again what did I have for breakfast today.

Jenny and I had great summer and my garden did pretty good for how wet it was. I also have to add that summer 2011 was the greenest summer I can remember. Everything stayed fresh looking and didn’t get a chance to collect dust and dirt all summer.

I just thought I would write this little post kissing 2001 goodbye and looking forward to the day after my hangover, which I need to get started on now, so I have to go.

!! Happy New Year Friends !!

From Jenny, Jim, Steve And Honey…

When it comes to fishing around the world trout fishing seems to be the most popular for most anglers. I would have to agree with that most of the time although bass fishing puts up a good fight for first place among sports fishers like myself here in North America.

I have been fishing for these rather abundant yet crafty fish using my spinning gear and fly fishing gear for about half a century. Trout fishing just never gets old whether I’m fishing a lake, pond, river or brook.

I live in North America, Canada actually and we have trout all the way from the east coast, where I currently live to the west coast where I’d love to take a fishing trip some day. The trout in it’s many forms such as brookies or speckled, rainbow, brown and even lake trout are all over most parts of North America but they are not limited to N.A.

The Trout Habitat I Love To Fish

I really don’t find fishing lakes for trout as exciting as I do fly fishing a stream for brookies probably because a brook is so much more visual. But I won’t turn down a trip to a lake for some trout fishing.

One of my best fishing trips was a fly in trip into Quebec for lake trout and pike. A fishing trip I will not soon forget as I got to sight fish for spawning lake trout, my first chance to fly fish for lake trout.

We have rivers here in New Brunswick with Brown trout in them. I didn’t even realize we had brown trout here so you can imagine how excited I was when I landed my first brown trout ever in a brook I was fishing for brook trout in.

Luck can be a big part of fishing and I enjoy making a cast that hooks into a fish I didn’t expect.

My fishing buddies tend to think I’m lucky or have horse shoes up my behind when I catch a big one.  Of course when it’s them that makes the big catch it’s all skill.

The truth is there are always a few things you can learn to do while fishing that will make you a better trout angler.

1. When trout fishing a stream don’t get in the water until you have evaluated the lay of the water and structure. What’s happening in and around the water that will tell you want might be happening under the water.
2. Knowing what the trout are feeding on will give you a big advantage so follow step one first and then step two is to turn over a few rocks that are under the water to see what kind of life is living there, then use a bait that matches what you find.
3. Having taken the time to read the water and surrounding for indicators of what the trout are feeding on and you have turned a few rock you now need to get your bait or fly where the fish live, but not on top of their head as you will spook them and never catch much other than dumb fish which are usually quite young and small.
4. Situate yourself so that you are not in a feeding lane and then cast ahead of the fish so that the bait or fly will drift into the fishes feeding zone. You are much more likely to get that big one when you’re stealthy.
5. Patience is a virtue, especially when it comes to trout fishing as they are extremely easy to spook. Practice patience and you will do much better. When you accidently slap your bait or fly on the water and spook a fish, stop, take a break to give the fish a few minutes to calm down. That’s when you get the big one and the other guy gets skunked.

Bonus Trout Fishing Tip

A real key to successful trout fishing is to go with a fishing setup that will give you the most excitement and sometimes that means going with a light setup for those smaller trout. I have so much more fun when I am fishing light tackle or fly fishing setup that matches the size of the trout I am fishing.

These 5 useful trout fishing tips will help you catch more trout and even bigger trout in the same water you couldn’t catch them before. Happy fishing and remember to take a kid fishing, it could change their life like it did mine.

Related articles

• 3 Fly Fishing Tips To Help Catch More Brook Trout (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• Atlantic Salmon Fishing New Brunswick (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

Trolling motors give you the opportunity to find those best fresh water fishing hot spots. Let others fish those not so productive areas.

I love trolling motors. I even had one for my canoe and caught lots of big bass on Lake George, Harvey Lake. Even pickerel and trout from Cassidy Lake near Norton New Brunswick.

So today I’d like to share a bit about a specific fresh water trolling motors, the Minn Kota Endura C2 30 12V 30lb 30 Inch. Let’s look at some benefits along with a few features but it wouldn’t be complete without a look at any reported shortcomings of the Minn Kota Endura C2 30.

I don’t mind spending money on fishing related products but I also love getting a real good deal because it means I can usually buy more fishing related stuff. Those of us who are really serious about our fishing and who have a boat loving buying new things for it.

Christmas is getting so close and it’s the time I try to get my friends and family to think fishing when they think about what to buy me.

If you’ve had your mind set on a trolling motor you need to start giving the hints to your family. Wouldn’t it be nice to get the Minn Kota Endura C2 30?

Minn Kota Endura C2 30 Characteristics

Start sharing all the characteristics with your family so they know you’re excited about the Minn Kota Endura C2.

• 30 lbs of Thrust
• 30 Inch Shaft
• 5 Forward Speeds
• 3 Reverse Speeds
• Six Inch Telescoping Handle
• Lever Lock Bracket. A Mounting bracket that’s the strongest
• Runs Quietly so as not to disturb fish.
• Special composite materials resist flexing warping and UV damage.
• Indestructible composite shaft stronger than steel.
• Uses 12 volt Battery – not included.

Yeah the Minn Kota Endura C2 is a legendary performer built to explore, built to last and backed up with our two year warranty. It’s also designed specifically for boats that are small to medium in size.

This trolling motor has been designed for freshwater and is easily mounted using the lever lock bracket. To reduce friction as well as noise the Minn Kota Endura C2 has a ball bearing system that’s extremely smooth so it doesn’t scare off the fish.

Before I finally boat a trolling motor I used to curse the wind, a lot. Especially on Cassidy lake near Norton New Brunswick. The best fishing spot of course is the furthest spot from my vehicle. And of course once you get down in there the wind picks up and makes it tough for one person to paddle out of there. I usually ended up beaching the canoe and walking it along the shore line until I would get out of there. But it’s such a good fishing spot.

Image via Wikipedia

The first time I used my new trolling motor on Cassidy Lake I cruised right out there. Actually caught a couple more pickerel on the way out. When the wind is blowing in there you can’t stop paddling or you lose ground. With the my trolling motor I wasn’t cursing the wind or the the slightest bit exhausted from paddling.

The places we fish for bass, pickerel and trout require a trolling motor as most boat motors would never get to where we like to fish. Take a few minutes to check out the Minn Kota Endura C2 30 and I am sure you will have more productive days on the water.

Related articles

• Fished The Oromocto River Again October 22nd (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
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