Categories
FISHING Uncategorized

The Right Angle RA-8 Toronto island

Finally the Island is open!

If this was last year.  I would have been over to Toronto island a few times by now.  Unfortunately this year the Spring melt was met with heavy rains.  The islands were completely flooded. It’s taken a lot of money, and a lot of work to make the Islands safe for visitors. Well enough work has been done to finally allow people to visit the Islands.  So my wife and I packed up our gear, and caught the first Ferry over to Wards island.

I was excited for a number of reasons.  First of all if you follow my blog, you will already know that it’s one of my favourite places to fish in Toronto.  Secondly with the Islands having been closed to visitors.  There’s been little to no fishing pressure at some of our favourite spots.  I had a feeling that today was going to be a great day.  I was also very interested in seeing the condition of the Islands after all the flooding.  The evidence of the flooding was everywhere.  Some of the Holes on the Disc Golf course are still underwater.  There are sand bags lining the roadways.  Large areas are still closed off to visitors.  Unfortunately some of my favourite spots were inaccessible.   That really wasn’t a problem though because new locations have been created by the flooding.  I actually saw a small Bass in a shallow pool right beside the roadway.  Our first stop was at a spot we have fished many times before.

St. Andrew’s by the Lake Church on Centre island has a small dock behind it.  There’s enough room for a few people to fish.  My wife and I have always had it all to ourselves whenever we go.  I’ve only seen one other person fish there.  It’s easy to cast Spinners or Spoons along the shoreline from the dock.  You can also have some success jigging off the end of the dock.  I began my day with a #4 Mepps Black Fury from their Pike kit.

We spent about 90 minutes working the shoreline.  I tried a number of different presentations.  Unfortunately though we came up empty.  We continued west along the path to the next spot.

Before you reach the Bridge by the large fountain there’s a mooring point.  You can work the shoreline to the east, cast across the channel, or jig along the mooring side.  I switched to a Shallow Rattler to see if that would get them biting.

After casting for a little under an hour I got my first strike, and it was a monster hit!  I had worked the Rattler under some overhanging trees along the shoreline when the strike happened.  It folded my rod over instantly.  As soon as the moment came it was gone just as fast.  Whatever it was it shook loose after about 10 seconds of fighting.  I didn’t even get to catch a glimpse.  It was enough to raise our spirits, and keep us motivated though.  Took about another 30 minutes before I got my next strike.  This one wasn’t getting away.

This was not the Bass I was looking for.  Still I’ll take something over nothing any day.  Considering that my wife and I had three strikes over the last 30 minutes.  We knew that it was feeding time.  If we we’re hoping to land a trophy fish for the day.  It was going to happen now, or not at all.

I switched back to a Spoon, and passed the Rattler off to my wife.  We took turns working different portions of the channel.  The seconds turned into minutes, and before we knew it.  Another hour had passed, and the sun was high in the sky.  The early morning mosquito layers came off.  Might as well kill two birds with one stone, and tan as well right.  The reality that out Fishing window was closing quickly set in.  Both of us were getting ready to call it a day when finally the beast we we’re hoping to find appeared.  My wife made about a 30 foot cast along the shoreline.  While reeling in she  got caught up in some underwater vegetation.  She was able to jerk the lure free.  She continued reeling it in to clear the hooks, and make another cast.  Just before the lure broke the surface the Largemouth appeared.  Easily an eight pounder, he followed that lure within an arms length from the dock.  That’s as close as we’d get to catching him though.  His nose brushed up against the trailing vegetation, and he turned away, and disappeared.  We continued to cast for a while longer, but to no avail.

Our first trip over to the Toronto islands wasn’t a success, but it wasn’t a complete failure either.  Most importantly we got a glimpse of what’s waiting for us the next time we go.  Every fish you catch makes for a great memory, but it’s the next fish you catch that gets your heart racing.  I can’t wait to go back, and hopefully next time is my time.

Categories
FANTASY Uncategorized

Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-14

Three Wide Receivers that could make or break your Draft.

What makes one Fantasy team more successful than another?  I can tell you that it isn’t decided by the Players you picked in the first three Rounds.   Excluding injury, Players picked in the first three Rounds will definitely perform.  The real difference between a good, or bad team is determined by your mid Round picks.  In a 12 Team league the Players picked between the fifth and tenth Rounds will ultimately determine how strong your Team will be.   In this Post I will discuss three Wide Receivers that should be drafted in the middle Rounds that could be the difference for your Team.

Donte Moncrief

In my opinion all it would take for Moncrief to have a breakout Season is for things to go right in Indianapolis for once.  Moncrief has yet to start a full Season with Luck at the helm.  When they have shared the field together it’s been Fantasy gold.  All appears to be right in Indianapolis at this time.  Andrew Luck appears to be in good shape,. Donte Moncrief also appears to be in great shape as well.  Considering the Indianapolis Colts pass heavy attack.  The fact that T. Y. Hilton will draw the Defence towards his side of the field. Donte Moncrief might finally find himself in that sweet spot he was drafted for.  It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if he finishes the Season with double digit touchdowns.  In fact I expect it.  This is the year for the Luck-Moncrief-Colts perfect storm to happen.

Martavis Bryant

Every time I see Martavis Bryant’s name I get a little upset.  The reason I get upset is because I’ve had Antonio Brown as one of my Keepers in my most competitive league.  2014 was the worst.  You wouldn’t even notice he was on the field during most Pittsburgh drives.  Then they would get within striking distance of the end zone.  A seven play drive would  include three passes to Antonio Brown for a total of 39 yards.  That’s 6.9 points in my league.  Martavis Bryant’s stat line during that same drive.  One catch for 18 yards, and a touchdown.  That’s 8.8 points in my league.  I wanted to strangle the guy.  It seemed like he was using a jar of stickum as well.  He just never seemed to drop a ball.  Especially in the end zone.  That’s why with Ben Roethlisberger back at the helm, and entering this Season healthy.  I believe that passing on Martavis Bryant is a mistake.  People will argue that Pittsburgh has too many mouths to feed.  I wouldn’t worry about that.  Bryant doesn’t worry about getting lots of looks in a game.  The only time Roethlisberger looks his way is in the Red zone.  That’s good enough for him, so it’s good enough for me as well.

Jamison Crowder

Jamison Crowder enters the all important third year with the Washington Redskins as their most veteran Receiver.  That’s right, Pierre Garcon, and DeSean Jackson left to sign with new Teams in the off season.  He will be competing for targets with Wide Receivers Josh Doctson, and Terrelle Pryor.  Doctson has only played two games in the NFL due to injury, and Pryor showed big play capability in Cleveland last year.  Kirk Cousins two most familiar targets to start the Season will be Jamison Crowder, and Jordan Reed.  Due to their comfort level, and familiarity with the offence. I would expect Crowder to get the Lion’s share of the short to intermediate route passes the first few games.  If he can build off the success he had last year in those first few games.  I would expect Cousins to treat him as his go-to option for the majority of the Season.  Over 2000 yards, and 7 touchdowns has left the stadium in Washington.  Somebody has to pick up the slack.  Obviously it won’t all go to Terrelle Pryor.  Sounds like the perfect situation for Jamison Crowder to break 1000 yards receiving with double digit touchdowns.

If you think I’m wrong, or living on cloud nine.  Let me know in the comments.  If you are interested in winning your league this year?

Take my Advice

Categories
GAMING Uncategorized

The Gamer in me GL-7 MTG Deck design

Aggro, Control, or Combo?

Ask anyone that’s played Magic the Gathering for a significant length of time.  They will tell you that there are three primary deck archetypes.  Aggro decks that take advantage of incredible speed, or strength.  Control decks that can take over a specific aspect of the game, or lock out your opponent.  Combo decks that group specific cards together to achieve game breaking effects.  Quite often this results in a Rock, Paper, Scissors situation.  Where Aggro beats Control, Control beats Combo, and Combo beats Aggro.   Deck choice is usually a matter of personal preference.  Lately though playing whichever deck is winning major events most often is the popular choice.  The alternative is to design, and play the Scissors to the currently popular Paper.  Most Players have a particular preference towards a certain style of deck.  In the beginning I preferred building, and playing Aggro decks.  They were quite easy to build, play, and could earn you a quick victory if your opponent got off to a slow start.  As my skills at the game improved.  I learned to enjoy playing all three archetypes.  I now enjoy all three equally.

When designing a new deck.  The archetype used to determine the deck’s primary path to winning.  The Aggro deck just needed to be faster than the opponent’s deck.  The Control deck just needed to be able to stop the opponent’s deck from doing what it was designed to do.  The Combo deck had to reach it’s combination of game breaking cards before the opponent defeated you.

In today’s game your real goal should be to achieve some insurmountable advantage.  In Magic the Gathering there are two primary forms of advantage that can be had.  The first is Card advantage, and the second is Board advantage.  Each of the three archetypes can be utilized to achieve either of the two major advantages.  I’m not saying that a fast deck can’t win just because it’s fast.  Of course it can.  What I’m saying is that a fast deck, that also gains you Board, or Card advantage will win far more often.  One of the best early examples of this is the Swamp-Dark Ritual-Hypnotic Spectre first turn play.  A first turn 2/2 flying is fast.  Add in the Card advantage that’s created when the Hypnotic Spectre forces your opponent to discard a card, and you have a game winning situation.  A similar comparison can be made for Control, or Combo decks.  Be mindful when designing your next deck that it does have the capability of creating a significant advantage.  If it doesn’t, then all you are essentially doing is gambling.  Obviously if you only copy netdecks, then this doesn’t apply to you.  Still understanding why certain decks succeed is important to know if you hope to actually defeat them.  There have been some very successful Magic the Gathering decks.  Most of them will sound familiar to even newer players.  Necropotence, Prosper-bloom, High Tide, Affinity, Copycat, and the list goes on.  What made these decks great was there ability to create massive advantages in the game.  If you can’t create a deck that can do the same?  Then save yourself so cash and just play Rock, Paper, Scissors for free.

Categories
GOLF Uncategorized

Rangefinders Starting from Scratch SS-11

Nikon Coolshot 20 versus Garmin Approach G10

Laser or GPS Rangefinder?  It’s a question that has been asked by many a Golfer.  I have recently been able to test both.  For Beginners I’d have to say that there is a clear winner.  I was surprised with which technology won.

Budget is always a concern when I’m in the market for new Golf equipment.  I tend to look for whatever gives me the most value for my dollar.  The two contenders were purchased from my local Golf retailer.  I was limited to their selection of Rangefinders.  I chose the Nikon Coolshot 20 to represent Laser Rangefinders, and the Garmin Approach G10 to represent GPS Rangefinders.  The Coolshot 20 was priced at $279.99, and the Approach G10 was priced at $179.99.  Obviously the Garmin Approach G10 wins the price category.  At $100.00 less that’s a fair amount of money left in the bank for additional Golf accessories.  Of course the significantly lower price sacrifices functionality right?

One place it does sacrifice a lot of functionality is at the Driving Range.  The Garmin Approach G10 is basically useless when you are at the Range.  Three particular Ranges I frequent are The Docks, Launch, and Centennial Golf.  All three of these Ranges have target areas.  The distances to each target area is unmarked.  Using the Nikon Coolshot 20 provides you with an accurate distance to any of those targets.  It doesn’t matter which hitting bay you are in, you will have an accurate distance.  In some cases the difference to target can be as much as 12 yards from the center hitting bay to the outermost hitting bay.  Being able to use the Nikon Coolshot 20 at the Range meant having accurate distance calculations everywhere I play.

Whether I was on a course, at the Range, or in a Simulator, I knew my distances.  Of course that means I knew the distances I was hitting with each club as well.  Which brings me to my next comparison.

Measuring the distance of that perfect Tee shot

Ever catch one just perfect off the Tee?  You can’t help but wonder how far it actually went right?  I know I do.  Both the Garmin Approach G10, and the Nikon Coolshot 20 can calculate how far you hit that perfect drive.  How each device does it is dramatically different.  The Nikon requires you to sight in your ball from the Tee, or find your ball and then aim the Nikon back at the Tee box to calculate the Range.  Easy enough right.  Odds are you will have the Nikon Coolshot 20 Rangefinder out when you reach your ball to figure out the distance to your next target.  So just turn around and aim it at the Tee box.  What if you cut the corner of a dogleg, and now your sight line is obstructed?  Sorry about your luck Chuck.  So there will be times that figuring out the distance of that mammoth Tee shot is impossible with the Nikon Coolshot 20.  In order to calculate the distance with the Garmin Approach G10.  The first thing you need to do after hitting that shot is to switch the unit into Measurement mode.  Then you just head over to where your Ball landed.  The Garmin Approach G10 then calculates the distance.  Line of sight isn’t an issue so basically any shot can be measured.  The real issue is with having to switch modes right after making the swing.  There have been many times that my Tee shot ended far further than I had anticipated.  A lucky kick off a hill, or it rolled down a slope I didn’t know about.  By the time I have located the Ball, and realized that I really cranked one.  It’s already too late to measure the distance.  I found that more often than not it was much easier to measure the distance of monster Tee shots with the Nikon Coolshot 20.  You could argue that switching the Garmin Approach G10 into Measurement mode after each Tee shot would be the most reliable method.  That would be true.  For me though I have enough to think about during a Round of Golf. Measuring each Tee shot isn’t high on my list of priorities.  The advantage in shot measurement goes to the Nikon Coolshot 20.

Hazard avoidance

How do each of these devices help you deal with Hazards?  The Nikon Coolshot 20 doesn’t vary much with how it’s utilized.  In this case you just aim it at the Hazard, and calculate the distance.  I can’t stress enough the simplicity of it’s operation.  One click, and you know how far you can hit your next shot without bringing that Hazard into play.  What if you are interested in clearing it though?  This is where the Garmin Approach G10 really shines.  Once the unit has been switched into Hazard mode.  It will provide you with the distance to each Hazard both front and back.  It will also alert you to Hazards that you can’t actually see from your position on the course.  This is a huge advantage over the Nikon Coolshot 20. It doesn’t help to cut the corner on a dog leg.  Just to end up landing in a deep Fairway bunker.  I take a quick look through the Hazards before I Tee off at each Hole.  This allows me to plan out exactly how to navigate the Hole with minimum risk.  The Nikon Coolshot 20 does help you avoid Hazards.  It just doesn’t do it nearly as well as the Garmin Approach G10.  The advantage in Hazard avoidance goes to the Garmin Approach G10.

Approaching the Green

When calculating your approach shot into the Green.  Having a Rangefinder makes it so much easier.  When it comes to attacking the Pin.  You will love having the Nikon Coolshot 20 in your hands.  Knowing the exact distance to the Pin inspires so much confidence.  You will feel like Mickelson with a Wedge in your hand.  I didn’t even imagine trying 30 yard flop shots over bunkers until I knew the correct distances.  My default shot is more of a Bump and Run.  There’s far less room for error when you are basically Chipping the Ball to the edge of the Green, and letting it run out towards the hole.  Especially when you are unsure of the distance.  When you know the exact distance.  Your shot selection practically triples.  The Garmin Approach G10 inspires a lot of confidence on Approach shots as well.  Though not as precise as the Nikon Coolshot 20.  The Garmin Approach G10 provides you with the distance to the front, back, and center of the Green.  It does have the ability to position the flag in a number of preselected locations.  I found this feature to be a bit clunky.  Unless you are able to see the Green, or the course provides a Pin location book.  Figuring out the actual Pin locations can be quite difficult.  For a Beginner though, knowing the distances to the front, and back can be more beneficial than the actual Pin locations.  It doesn’t help me nearly as much to know that the Pin is 164 yards away.  If it happens to be set near the back of the Green, and only has 2 more yards of Green behind it. If the center of the Green is 158 yards away.  The Front is 150 yards away.  The back is 166 yards away.  Then I know that if I hit my Approach shot 160 yards.  I leave myself with 6 yards of available space to roll out before I am off the Green.  In this case, and many others.  Aiming for the front or center of the Green is far safer than taking aim at the Flag for a Beginner.  Touch shots around the Green we’re almost identical with both units.  Approximate distance is more than good enough.  I thought the Nikon Coolshot 20 would be the clear winner in this category.  I was totally wrong.  The additional information the Garmin Approach G10 provides.  The distances to the front, back, center, and shape of the Green proved to be far more valuable than exact distance to the Pin.   The advantage when approaching the Green goes to the Garmin Approach G10.

Conclusion

After testing both technologies the clear winner from a Beginners perspective is the Garmin Approach G10 GPS Rangefinder.  At $100 less it is better suited to deal with Hazards, obstructed view shots, and approach shots into the Green.  It’s much smaller than the Nikon Coolshot 20, and easily clips to your Belt or Bag.  As an added bonus it includes score keeping software.  That way you can analyze your Rounds shot by shot.  Something to consider though.  If you spend most of your time at the Range.  Then the Nikon Coolshot 20 is the only choice for you.  It’s definitely a device I would recommend.  At $279.99 it’s much less expensive than the majority of quality laser Rangefinders on the market.  It’s relatively small, acquires targets quite quickly, and extremely easy to use.  Moving forward on my quest to becoming a Scratch Golfer though.  I will be using the Garmin Approach G10.

Categories
FANTASY Uncategorized

Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-13 QB Draft

Drafting a Quarterback

Choosing when to draft a Quarterback is one of the most important decisions you will make.  The top Running Backs will be off the board within the first two rounds.  After they’re all gone second, and third tier Running Backs are plentiful.  Other than a handful of marquee Wide Receivers.  There are plenty of useful options at Wide Receiver that can be had all the way through your draft.  The Tight End position even simpler.  Outside of taking Gronkowski early.  The difference in quality between the majority of Tight Ends is insignificant.

Things are far different when comparing Quarterbacks.  The difference in fantasy production from tier to tier is far greater.  A top tier Quarterback can earn you an extra five to ten fantasy points over your opponent if they have a third tier Quarterback.  In a twelve team league at least a third of the teams will have a third tier Quarterback.  This is a disadvantage that you shouldn’t take lightly.

When preparing for your draft it’s important to pay attention to which teams are in your division.  Many leagues including mine automatically get you into the playoffs if you win your division.  My leagues are twelve teams with three divisions.  You play each team in your division twice.  Obviously how my team performs against my division rivals is extremely important.  So how do I make sure my team keeps pace?  I pay close attention to who my division rivals are picking during the draft.  This is especially true when deciding when to draft my Quarterback.  Lets say my plan going into the draft is to pick a Quarterback with big play potential like Eli Manning, or Carson Palmer.  Third tier Quarterbacks with an eighth Round value in my opinion.  This allows me to top load my team with Running Backs and Wide Receivers.  What happens if somebody in my division drafts Aaron Rodgers with their first pick?  Suddenly any Quarterback I pick is at a serious disadvantage against this division rival.  Of course I had previously decided not to waste an early Round pick on the best Quarterback in Fantasy.  I knew somebody was going to take him.  Unfortunately he landed in my division.  Still  I’m not too worried because I got A.J. Green with the 10th pick, and he will be better than any Wide Receiver that Manager drafts.  Fast forward to the third Round, and another Manager in my division picks Tom Brady.  It’s at this point that my original plan suddenly appears sorely insufficient.

Considering that I will have to play each Manager in my division twice.  I’m now faced with a twelve game regular season that includes a third of the season against two of the best Quarterbacks in Fantasy.  Selecting either one of my targeted Quarterbacks would leave me at a major positional disadvantage.  At this point I was forced to adjust my draft Strategy, and target a second tier Quarterback.  I quickly checked the board to see who was available.  I placed all of the second tier Quarterbacks in my queue.  Then I continued to follow my draft Strategy until only two was left.  When my next pick came around there was only one left so I snatched him up.

On a draft Application like nfl.com it’s always a good idea to fill your queue with potential picks.  This is especially true if you aren’t emotionally attached to any specific Player.  For me that means Quarterbacks, and Tight Ends tend to clog up my queue.  I won’t reach for a top tier Quarterback, or Gronkowski.  So who I get at either position just needs to be a competitive Fantasy Player.

To help you decide which Quarterbacks to target going into your draft.  I’ll quickly go over three categories of Quarterbacks I’ve identified.

Top tier Quarterbacks

Aaron Rodgers: honestly Aaron Rodgers could be in a category all by himself.  The most dominant Quarterback in Fantasy Football.  His situation in Green Bay is a Fantasy Manager’s wet dream.  He’s so important to the offence, and so successful.  Green Bay seems disinterested in finding a quality Running Back for him to hand off to.  He’s really the only Quarterback that could be drafted in the first Round.  If you want him on your team you had better be ready to pay up.

Drew Brees: a threat to break 5000 yards passing every single Season.  That about says it right there.  You are practically guaranteed at least 30 touchdowns.  It’s also a benefit to whoever drafts him that the New Orleans Saints Defence couldn’t stop the Toronto Argos from scoring.  Brees finds himself playing from behind all too often.  Getting the ball down field fast, and in to the end zone is a necessity.

Tom Brady: as long as he is healthy,  Tom Brady will continue to put up huge numbers.  As an added bonus the Patriots like to run up the score against weak opponents.  With teams like the Bills, and the Jets in their division.  You are practically guaranteed to get some huge Fantasy weeks out of Brady.

Andrew Luck: Andrew Luck can be considered a borderline top tier/second tier Quarterback.  There’s the concern surrounding his recent shoulder surgery.  There’s also the concern surrounding his offensive line.  If he comes back healthy?   There’s no guarantee that he will remain healthy for long.  If the Offensive line can prevent Luck from looking like he just went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson every game?  Then Andrew Luck could become the Top Quarterback in Fantasy Football.  He’s that good.

Second tier Quarterbacks

Marcus Mariota: he has had a lot of success in Fantasy Football already.  Considering that he hasn’t had top level receiving targets.  His Fantasy numbers are really based on his talent alone.  The Titans rewarded him with three new offensive targets in the Draft.  If even one of them pan out.  Expect Mariota to have a great Season.

Kirk Cousins: another great Season, and what does he get?  One more year under the franchise tag.  He could have accepted a contract that would have made him the second highest paid Quarterback.  Instead he chose to gamble on himself.  If he puts together another great Season.  He stands to become the highest paid Player in the league.  He could also end up at the helm of a true contender.  All of this is music to a Fantasy Manager’s ears.  He lost Pierre Garcon, and DeSean Jackson in the off season.  Honestly though with what is at stake for Cousins.  I’m not worried.

Jameis Winston: not only does he keep improving every year.  The Bucs did him a huge favour by signing DeSean Jackson in the off season.  Read my full Jameis Winston analysis on the Starting from Scratch post SF-7.

Derek Carr: a young talented Quarterback, on one of the most star packed teams.  Sounds like a great situation for success right.  What many people overlook is how a great Defence adds value to their Quarterback.  The more three and outs they get.  The more opportunities their Quarterback will have to earn you points.  Derek Carr will have a great Season.

The last category consists of a group of Quarterbacks that could surprise many people in Fantasy Football.  Matt Ryan’s ridiculous Season last year was an example.

Top 5 potential breakout Quarterbacks

Cam Newton: new offensive Weapons, only one Season removed from an MVP.

Eli Manning: addition of Brandon Marshall makes the Giants Wide Receiver tandem brutally difficult to defend.

Tyrod Taylor: always a threat on his feet, a healthy Sammy Watkins greatly increases his ceiling, needs to prove to the Bills that he’s their future.

Ben Roethlisberger: deep threat Martavis Bryant is back, will have Le’Veon Bell for a full Season.

Andy Dalton: the addition of Joe Mixon and John Ross, a healthy Tyler Eifert, needs to rebound from a statistically poor Season.

Hopefully this will help you put a plan in place to draft the best possible Quarterback.  Even if the unexpected happens in your draft.

Categories
FISHING Uncategorized

The Right Angle RA-7 Casting

It’s all about the cast

Like the majority of you I began fishing with with a short Rod and $2 Reel.  Somehow my line never got Tangled in that tin cup, and plastic buttoned piece of crap.  There’s something to be said about simplicity there.  I’d cast that thing about 10 feet max.  That’s fine when you are Fishing small ponds, or off a dock.  My only bait those days were the worms I found flipping over rocks in the backyard.  That was the deal I had with my Dad.  Find at least 20 worms, and he would take my brother, and I Fishing.

Most of our little Fishing trips were successful.  It was a truly rare occasion that we didn’t catch anything.  Which only increased our desire to go Fishing more often.  It wasn’t long before I was asking for better equipment for Christmas.  A new Rod, and Reel that would allow me to cast way out to where I was sure the Fish must be.  I would soon learn that my predictions weren’t necessarily correct about that.  I decided on a Spinning Rod & Reel because that’s what I saw the majority of serious Fishermen using locally.  Took me a little practice to get used to it.  Once I had it figured out you couldn’t keep me from Fishing every decent day.

I was still using worms for bait, and having a lot of success with them.  Whenever I fished a popular spot though.  I’d see other people Fishing with lures.  Watching them expertly work a lure across a lilypad, or through some thick reeds to entice a fish to strike.  The urge to try this form of Fishing was just too strong to resist.  So the first chance I got.  I tagged along with my Dad to Canadian Tire, and bought a miniature tackle box plus lures kit.  It included some small Spinners, a couple Spoons, a few Jerkbaits, and of course a selection of rubber worms.

I grew up a short walk from the Credit River so I had the most luck with the Spinners, and Spoons catching Trout.  It was mostly dumb luck.  I’d cast my line to the opposite side of the River, and simply Reel it back in.  My ability to cast to a specific point had become quite impressive.  Most of my friends that fished, and even the local kids that were much older were impressed with my casting ability.  Even though I had this considerable weapon at the ready.  The number of fish I would catch was slowly decreasing.  So what was I to do?  Switch back to worms, and start landing more fish of course.

Fast forward to today, and I couldn’t tell you the last time I actually used live bait.  It’s lures only for me.  Every kind of lure you could think of.  My days of simply casting as far as I could, and reeling it straight back are long gone.  I can create all kinds of action with each lure.  My passion is Shore Fishing, but any Freshwater Fishing is fine by me.  I’ve been to so many places, and cast many a line.  I’ve had some very memorable days where it felt like every other cast got a monster strike.   That moment during a day of Fishing when you figure out which lure is irresistible to your target species.  If you haven’t experienced it yet, it’s crazy.   It feels like the Fish are practically racing each other to strike your lure.

One of the most successful days of fishing I’ve ever had was on Lake Simcoe.  Three of us went really early to a spot we new of.  We had fished there many times before, and always landed a few fish.  I knew it was going to be a great day when I hooked a twelve inch Perch with my third cast.  We were there for almost three hours.  In that time we caught 38 Perch including a couple really large ones.  I personally caught 25 of the 38.  Think about that for a moment.  I was landing an average of 8 fish per hour.  After I caught the first fish I knew I wasn’t going to change my set up for the rest of the day.  I bet you are wondering what the miracle combination was?  It was a 7ft two piece rod, with a Spincast Reel, a hook, and a worm.

So why won’t I fish with worms anymore?  Honestly it feels like cheating.  There’s very little effort involved.  If you cast out a worm, and a fish is close by.  There’s a very good chance that you’ll get a bite.  I treat Fishing like exercise.  If my arms aren’t difficult to lift after a day of Fishing then I didn’t try hard enough.  Enticing a trophy Bass to strike by deftly working a Hula Popper is far more satisfying then waiting for a Fish to swallow a worm.

Everyone enjoys Fishing their own way, for their own reasons.  For me it’s Casting every kind of lure until my arms fall off.  For others it’s Casting out a worm, and sitting on the riverbank while reading a book.  Whichever way you like to do it one thing remains the same for everyone.  It’s always exciting to land that first fish.  I caught 25 that day, but the first one was the most satisfying.

Categories
GOLF Uncategorized

Golf Ball selection – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Ball selection for the Beginner

Where should your priorities lie?

Be honest with yourself.  As a Golf Beginner you are going to lose a lot of balls on the course.  So price should definitely be one of the first things you consider when selecting a ball.  Fortunately for you, there are many quality balls on the market that should suit your game without breaking the bank.

As a Beginner you will be prone to making contact all over the face of your clubs.  Maintaining a square face at impact is also incredibly difficult for most Beginners as well.  For these reasons a Low Spin Low Compression ball would benefit most Beginners.  This type of ball will help reduce the severity of slices, and hooks.  The ball won’t completely eliminate a slice, or hook, but possibly lesson it to a manageable point.  I’ve tested both High Spin, and Low Spin balls on simulators.  Having a Low Spin ball saves me about 5 strokes per round.

Another thing to consider when deciding which ball to purchase is in my opinion the deciding factor.  How it feels, and rolls when putting.   Seriously it’s the single most important aspect of what makes a ball right for you.  A ball could give me 10 more yards of distance off the Tee.  It could stop 2 yards quicker on approach shots into the Green.  It could spin like a top off my Wedges.  If it doesn’t feel right, or roll true off my Putter though.  Then it isn’t for me.  As a true Beginner the first swing you should be able to consistently repeat is your Putter stroke.  You are going to hit Drives all over the place, so 10 yards further into the Woods doesn’t help.  You will Duff, or Blade your approach shots, so stopping quicker won’t help.  The difficulty you will have using your first Wedge is massive, so extra spin won’t make any difference.  When you reach the Green though.  If that ball rolls straight, and true.  You will turn brutally frustrating holes, into a thing of beauty.

The last thing to consider when selecting a ball is how it flies off your Driver.  If you have found a few balls that meet the other criteria?  Choosing between them can come down to Driver advantage.  Some balls have dimple patterns that are specifically designed to help get the ball up in the air.  Depending on your natural launch angle, that could be beneficial.  More often than not.  A Hole that starts well, ends well.  Hitting a ball off the Tee that inspires confidence can be all you need to get off to a good start.

Knowing which ball is right for you takes a lot more than just reading reviews.  Buy a few sleeves of balls that appeal to you, and test them in a Simulator.  Then test all of them on a Putting Mat.  Make sure to use your own clubs, and Putter when testing balls.  Once you’ve decided which ball is right for you.  Make sure you buy a bunch of them.  Play those balls exclusively!  Whenever you go to a store to try a new club you are considering purchasing.  Bring along a sleeve of your balls with you.  That way you’ll get a feel for how your ball flys off that club.  You will also be used to the way the characteristics of that ball affect your shot shape.  If you use whatever balls the store has in the simulator.  The performance of the club you are testing will be impossible to accurately compare with your current equipment.

Lets say that you are in the middle of a round of Golf.  While looking for the ball that you just sliced into some fescue.  You come across a great looking money ball.  A Pro V1, or Taylormade TP5 will be so tempting to continue your Round with.  Don’t do it!  These balls aren’t made with the Beginner in mind.  It happened to me before I knew better.  I found a pristine Pro V1X during a Round of Golf where I was scoring quite well.  The next Hole was a long Par 3.  I had played this course many times, and usually hit my ball to the Green.  The angle at which I would reach the Green was so shallow my ball would always roll out the back.  I figured that the extra spin I should get with the Pro V1X would help me hold the Green.  I wiped it totally clean, and Tee’d it up.  I was right.  The Pro V1X didn’t roll out the back of the Green.  In fact I didn’t even reach the Green.  I’m sure I made contact with a very slightly Open face.  Usually with that kind of contact I’d end up back left of the Green.  With the Pro V1X it went way left, and ended up in the Pond on the left of the hole.  It was the first time I had ever hit one into that Pond.  I actually aim quite far right to avoid it because my normal miss is to the left.  I just hadn’t realized how far left the additional spin from the Pro V1X would send it.

So trust me when I say that finding the right ball for you will make a huge difference in your game.  Test as many balls as you can.  When you find one that really feels right.  Stick with it!

Beginner’s guide to Golf

Categories
GAMING Uncategorized

The Gamer in me GL-6 Until Dawn

Until Dawn

If you are a Playstation Plus member, and haven’t played Until Dawn before you need to download it now.  This is one of the few games that I had no reservations about preordering.  I absolutely love choice and consequence style games.  Heavy Rain is still one of my favourite PS3 games.  Until Dawn takes the Heavy Rain system, and improves on it in every way.

Until Dawn puts you in charge of deciding the fate of a number of interesting characters.  In classic 80s slasher movie style.  The characters find themselves in an old house in the woods being pursued by some unknown evil.  It’s your job to get them through a night filled with incredible danger.  Each character is well represented, and their personalities are quickly identifiable.  How each character is connected to one another plays an important role in the development of the story as well.  While playing the game, you will begin to develop favourite characters quickly.  This is one of the more interesting aspects of the game.  As potentially sacrificing one character to insure the safety of another can become an option.  Do you sacrifice a physically strong character you have grown to hate?  Just to save another character you like, but freezes up at the first sign of trouble?  These are questions you will ask yourself during the course of a game.

The graphics for Until Dawn are excellent.  It makes watching the game just as much fun as playing it.  Actually one of my favourite ways to play this game is with three other friends.  Each of us pick two of the eight characters to play.  We have a mini draft and pick characters one by one.  Whichever character is in control of the situation.  That determines which Player gets the remote at that time.  You’ll learn a lot about your friends over the course of a game of Until Dawn if you play it that way.  If there’s ever a Zombie apocalypse.  I know which friends of mine I wouldn’t want to be trapped with.  You might be surprised how many of your friends wouldn’t take the smallest risk to save both of you.  They’d rather sacrifice you to guarantee their own safety.

Once I completed my first play through.  Everyone and their dog was asking me the same question.  Is it scary?  This game is based on classic horror films after all.  Until Dawn does have it’s moments.  It depends on the individual of course, but I’m sure it will catch everyone off guard a few times.  Play it at night with the lights off, and the volume up to get the most out of it.  I’ve seen people watch me play Until Dawn while clutching a blanket.  Just in case they needed to cover their eyes at a particularly suspenseful moment.

Another appealing aspect of the game that I wasn’t expecting, is the mystery surrounding what occurs.  If you are like me you will find yourself trying to figure things out all the way through the game.  I expected a straight up Jason Voorhees slasher style game, but it was so much more than that.  Real attention was given to the development of the story, and motivation of it’s antagonist.

Obviously I absolutely love this game, but like the majority of choice and consequence games it suffers from the same pitfalls.  The most obvious of which is replay value.  Once you’ve completed Until Dawn once.  The appeal of the game is significantly diminished.  The unexpected moments, and sudden scares are gone.  The mystery behind the story, and it’s antagonist is already known.  The only motivation you will have is to finish the game without allowing any character to die.  Alternatively you could also play it to see how quickly you can get them all killed as well.  😈

That being said, replay value isn’t as much of an issue when you can download the game for Free! I paid full pop, and I wasn’t disappointed.  I promise you, if you set aside a day to play Until Dawn with a few friends.  You won’t be disappointed.

Categories
FISHING Uncategorized

The Right Angle RA-6 Harbourfront

Fishing Toronto’s Harbourfront

Last Tuesday the weather forecast was calling for clear skies.  My wife and I figured that it was a great opportunity to try our luck down on the Harbourfront.  We packed up our gear Monday night, and got up early Tuesday morning ready to go.  Got on the Blue Night TTC bus heading South, and made our way downtown.

There are a few decent spots to fish along the Harbourfront.  I personally have a couple of favourites though.  We began our day fishing the first of those.  Just West of the Jack Layton ferry terminal is a short little boardwalk that’s normally a docking point for private Water taxis.

It sits just above the water line.  Well it usually does.  With the Lake level so high from Spring rains.  Lake Ontario was making itself felt by spilling over the edge.

This has always been a great spot for jigging just over the edge of the boardwalk.  I’ve caught a nice sized Pike here in the past.  After about an hour of jigging with s few different lures, it was obvious that there weren’t any fish to be had here today.  That’s something you should know about this particular spot.  If you don’t get a bite, or see any fish early.  Pack up your gear and move on.  Predatory fish patrol the Harbourfront, but rarely keep to one area.  So don’t stay anywhere too long if there isn’t any activity.

My next spot is the welcome exception.  Just West of Stadium road near Stadium road Park is a small harbour with a few boat slips.

Sweet spot

The combination of the boats, boat slips, a dock, and underwater vegetation make for a perfect fish habitat.  It’s kind of an out of the way spot as well, so you won’t have to deal with too many distractions.  I absolutely love this spot!  I’ve caught Pike, Bass, and Drum here.   A quick note before I continue.  If you enjoy Carp Fishing, then anywhere along the Harbourfront is fine.  Just find a spot with calm water, and put out a line.  There are Carp all over the place.  I’m not interested in Fishing for Carp.  Still I see so many I’m tempted to begin.  Honestly I could just bring a long net along, and catch one with that.

I wasn’t out that morning looking to land a Carp though.  It didn’t take long before my favourite spot teased me.  A good sized Bass broke the surface by the boat Slips across from the Dock.  I switched to a heavier Spinner to make casting beyond that point easier.  I went with a number 4 Mepps Gold Spinner.

After about thirty minutes of casting I got a strike.  It was a hard strike, and I set the Hook well.  Really well in fact.  I know this because immediately after the Hook set the fish got Tangled around a Slip support post.  What should have been a minute at most to bring it in turned into twenty.  I was tempted to just cut the line a couple of times.  This was the first fish of the day though so I was determined to land it.  Fortunately my perseverance paid off and I was able to bring it in.  Looks like our luck had changed, or had it?

What I had assumed was a good sized Bass turned out to be a small Catfish.  Shit!  You think I’d be happy with at least catching something only a couple hours into our day.  Well I wasn’t, and neither was my wife.  What you don’t know about our previous Fishing trips is that my wife and I have a Catfish jinx.  Sounds like bullshit right?  Well it isn’t.  Whenever one of us catches a Catfish as our first catch of the day.  You can pretty much guarantee that it will be our last catch of the day as well.

Might as well just pack up our gear, and call it a day.  My wife did just that.  Packed up her rod, found a Park bench to relax on, and wait for the morning sun.  We had been out for such a short length of time that I wasn’t ready to give up just yet.  In the end I probably should have.  Not another bite for the rest of the morning.  There is a silver lining to this catfish cloud though.

Fishing downtown definitely has it’s advantages.  You are never too far from bathroom facilities.  Getting there, and back is really easy.  If you are craving a snack, or something to drink you don’t have to walk far.  Today’s advantage though, if you get Catfish jinxed you can just pack up, and find a decent place for breakfast.  We chose the restaurant at St. Lawrence Market, and got a spot on the patio.

All in all it wasn’t the best morning Fishing, but still managed to be a pretty good day.

Categories
FANTASY

Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-12 Le’Veon Bell

The Top 100 highlights

My final selection for the Top 100 highlight series from the 10-1 group is

Le’Veon Bell

Could he be the number 1 pick in your Fantasy draft?  A good case could be made for him to be exactly that.  Should he be the number 1 pick in your Fantasy draft though?  Well that’s something we will need to discuss.

Unless you are a emotionally attached to a particular Player.  The consensus top two picks in Fantasy are David Johnson, and Le’Veon Bell.  Most Fantasy analysts pick David Johnson as their number 1 pick.  And why shouldn’t they.  In his first full Season as the Cardinals Bell cow Back.  David Johnson ran for 1239 yards, caught another 879 yards, and reached the end zone 20 times.  Just ridiculous right!  Well actually it isn’t as ridiculous as it seems.  Consider what Le’Veon Bell achieved in a suspension shortened Season.  1268 yards rushing, with another 616 yards receiving, and 9 touchdowns.  Not too shabby is it?  Project his averages over a full 16 games, and compare again.  Le’Veon Bell’s numbers would have been 1691 yards rushing, with another 821 yards receiving, and 12 touchdowns.    Now the comparison doesn’t look so lopsided in Johnson’s favour does it.  What about the 8 additional touchdowns though right.  Obviously that still makes David Johnson the number 1 pick.  Well lets look at this mathematically.  8 more touchdowns is an additional 48 points in standard scoring formats.  Le’Veon Bell would have finished with an additional 392 yards of offence which is another 39.2 points in standard scoring formats.  If your league provides a bonus for breaking 100 yards rushing or receiving like many do, mine included.  Le’Veon Bell would have had at least 5 more 100 yard bonuses than Johnson.  My league awarded a 3 point bonus last Season.  That’s an additional 15 points.  Add it all up and Le’Veon Bell is your number 1 pick statistically.

Well there you have it.  Le’Veon Bell is your number 1 pick.  Lets hope you get one of the first three picks.  If you don’t get numero uno, then lets hope the other two Managers haven’t read my blog.  Ok hold on a second.  If Fantasy Football was just about the statistical advantage, then why bother playing?

It’s all the intangibles that make Fantasy Football so much fun.  It’s the qualitative advantages that eventually decide who wins, or loses.  For instance is DeAndre Hopkins a better Wide Receiver than Julian Edelman?  Damn right he is.  If you think he isn’t then you’re either a big Patriots fan, or the worst talent scout ever.  Ever!  Statistically though Edelman beat out Hopkins last Season.  Of course that’s what happens when Tom Brady is throwing you the ball instead of Brock Osweiler.  Brady is the qualitative advantage.  So when we look at Le’Veon Bell’s situation versus David Johnson’s.  Johnson has one major advantage over Bell.  It’s not the Quarterback because they both have true veterans feeding them the ball.  They are both on very competitive teams, so they should both get plenty of opportunities in the Red zone.  The difference is in their importance to each teams offensive success.  Remove David Johnson from the roster, and the Arizona Cardinals suddenly look like a losing franchise.  In the four games without Le’Veon Bell last Season, the Steelers went 3-1.  The reason for this is the plethora of offensive Weapons the Steelers are blessed with.  They don’t need to rely on Le’Veon Bell.  Without David Johnson the Arizona Cardinals only proven commodity is Larry Fitzgerald.  This is why you can pretty much guarantee that Johnson will put up a decent amount of Fantasy points every game.  You can’t say the same about Le’Veon Bell.  If Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Eli Rogers, or any one else gets hot then Bell will be hardly used.  When the Steelers get out to a huge lead.  Which they tend to do a few times a Season.  They generally rest Bell, and give his back up a few touches.  That’s a very rare occurrence with David Johnson.  The Cardinals are a Defence first kind of team.  They prefer clock management to total blow outs.  Johnson is the man who winds the clock.  He doesn’t leave the game until the final whistle blows.

So Draft Johnson ahead of Bell then.

Honestly, they are both safe bets.  I’d be totally satisfied with either one.  If I had to pick one I’d go with Bell.  I have a feeling that the Steelers are going to be unstoppable on Offence this year.  As long as Big Ben stays healthy, and I believe he will.  The Steelers are going to score early, and often.  I believe Bell will get even more opportunities to score during the second, and third quarters.  I expect his touchdown numbers to improve.  I predict the opposite for Johnson.  Defences will begin to stack the box against him.  Forcing the aging Carson Palmer to beat them through the air.  Palmer’s interceptions have increased over the years.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who has noticed.  Taking David Johnson out of the equation is how you beat the Cardinals.  Johnson will be hard pressed to equal his touchdown numbers from last year.