SONGS OF ICE AND FIRE (OR 13 DIFFERENT WAYS TO KILL TIME UNTIL ICE OUT)

 

It's that time of year.  The holiday season is over and we've all just settled in for the "real" winter.  

The wind seems like it is always howling from the north, bringing with it that  lovely mixture of snow and miserable wind chill.  It snarls and growls at your doors and windows as it rushes by.

Then there are the other precious gifts nature has left in her wake.   Icicles hanging from your rooftop.  Your driveway and sidewalks are always drifted in, or you see your truck is buried ...again ...

To top it off,   the last time you checked you discovered your favorite body of water is frozen completely shut and all you can do now is sit in front of your fireplace and dream about ice-out and the first real days of spring.

 But we both know it's a long time between here and there.  Cue exasperated groaning and another shuffle step towards seasonal insanity. 

The long dark nights and short days drag this purgatorial period out far longer than it should actually last.  Kind of like one of those B-movie death scenes where it takes the guy 15 minutes to finally succumb to his injury.  Not pretty.

If you don't ice fish, like yours truly, this part of the year is truly the worst.  What is more worse, is that you have friends who do like to ice fish and they catch plenty in their heated shacks and portable huts.  They post their photos to social media and you are glad they are having a good time and being successful.   More power to them.  They can have it.

 So what else can you do to kill the time?

Fortunately, for you, I have a boatload of suggestions on how to keep so busy you'll swear winter just flew by. All based on decades of suffering through the dark days like these.  So my friend, toss another log on that fire, stoke those embers and sit back down because this might take a few minutes.

 

Suggestion 1: Clean out and re-arrange/organize tackle boxes

Tackleboxes get gnarly throughout the regular fishing season.  Tackle gets disorganized, jigheads and hooks mysteriously disappear into crevices, bits of gravel, sand and grass make their way onto the bottom, etc. etc.  

Now is as good as time as any to take everything out of it, clean it out and start reorganizing your tackle so its easy to find and easy to use.  Why wait to do it until last minute.  Make yourself useful.

Suggestion 2: Paint crankbaits, pour soft plastics or weights, or make crawler harnesses, hoochie rigs, tying flies etc

Ok.  Unless you have all or most of the stuff needed to accomplish any of these tasks, this might not help.  

However, if one of these things is something you want to learn about or more of, now is the time to jump at the opportunity.  You actually have the time to take a stab at some of these productive hobbies.

Hit the forums, group pages and other sources of information to gather what you need to know.

Suggestion 3: Plan out some fishing trips throughout the warm weather seasons

I try to use this downtime to my advantage any and every chance I get.  One of the things I do is start plotting out the new years fishing "campaign".  I identify several lakes or water bodies I've never been to before and incorporate trips to them within my regularly fishing schedule.  Part of planning to go to them involves trolling through archives of fishing reports to get a general idea on when is a really good time to go.  Nothing like driving 12 hours to a lake and find out no one has caught any fish the last month...

Suggestion 4: Read up on your favorites species of fish and refresh your angling awareness.

Cannot stress enough how important it is to read up on the latest information on your favorite species of fish, whether it involves new tactics to catch them, new insights on behavior, or new places to find them, any time you spend trying to improve your "game" is well spent.

Suggestion 5: Look for open water fishing opportunities

Ok, so nothing I have suggested so far trips your trigger.  You are looking to chuck and wind, soak some bait or what not.  Well, there always seem to be some open water options available if you are willing to try them.  Major river systems are often open and given the right conditions, can put out more than a few good fish, if you are really willing to brave the cold.  Don't let a little snow and ice deter you, but do practice safety, common sense and pay attention to your surroundings.  Getting soaked in winter is no joke.

Suggestion 6: Work on, clean or repair boat/kayak  and trailers (in heated garage)

I do believe that most of us who own boats and kayaks clean them up pretty well before winter hits, but there are individuals who don't.  If you are one of those individuals, and you have a heated garage, why not get the boat or kayak into the garage and get it cleaned up properly.  Start off the new year and fishing season right.

Suggestion 7:  Watch some fishing shows/videos

I think most of us do this already so this is almost habit, but if you don't, take some time to hit Youtube to find your favorite pro, or watch some TV shows.  While its not the same as being there, it does tend to get ones mind wandering into the right direction.  Plus, you never know what types of tips or tricks those guys might reveal.

Suggestion 8;  Watch some videos and learn more about your electronics.  And while you are at it, update them if needed.

Electronics. 

Don't care how good you think you are at reading them, odds are pretty high you're not as good as you think.  So why not use this down time to learn more about interpreting your sonar, how to get the most out of it,  and actually updating the software that runs it?

Dig out that user manual, really familiarize yourself with your units options and operation.  Electronics are some of the most valuable tools we have as anglers.  Learn how to use them to your advantage and to make you more successful on the water.

Suggestion 10:  Start stockpiling or making some road/trip snacks like jerky, trail mix, sticks, etc.

This might be one of my more favorite winter past times.  Getting some road grub made up ahead.  Grab and go.  Im talking trail mixes, jerkies, dehydrated fruit snacks, meat sticks etc.  

Everyone has their favorite gas station snacks.  It just seems each time you go into one to grab a quick snack it costs more than the last stop.  Drives me crazy.  How can an ounce or two of chips in about 6 ounces of air and a paper thing container cost me almost 2 freaking dollars?  Wrong answer.  Thats almost  the cost of a container of crawlers.

Save some money and make some up ahead of time...most specifically the meat sticks or jerky.  They freeze real well and damn, they are usually tasty. Deer, beef, turkey, goose or wildebeast, its all good when you are cruising down the road to your next fishing hole.  

As far as trail mixes, I have a personal recipe similar to the proverbial chex mix that makes awesome road grub.  I'll make some up a few months ahead of times, and use my vac sealer to keep it fresh.  It works great for dehydrated fruit snacks too.  

Suggestion 11: Get on the internet and start looking at expanding your horizons and scouting new lakes

Ok.  This has actually become a full time habit for me.  If I get a few spare moments, I'll hop on google and start searching state maps for lakes, rivers, reservoirs etc.  I love to check out general layouts, camping areas, area attractions, nearby amenities etc. And if I like what I see overhead, I'll make a note and then do further research at a later date and time.  

Its actually pretty important to get out and expand your fishing horizons.  Its all too easy to get locked into a single body of water and forget everything else.  It stifles growth, knowledge and who knows what kind of opportunities are missed.

The only time I would suggest actually really hammering on a single body of water is if you are completely intent on learning as much about it as you can and acknowledge it will come at the expense of other knowledge.

Suggestion 12: Get a head start on your new season by cleaning your reels and putting on fresh line

I do know a lot of people who neglect these items.  They never clean their reels, or ever put on fresh line.  They seem oblivious to the fact that dirt and dust get into your reels and sunlight silently and gradually damages your line.  The thought of replacing line isn't even on their radar.

So get a good start to your new year by hitting the water with fresh line and clean gear.  Clean gear will last you longer and provide more enjoyment than something that has sat neglected in your dusty garage for years.

Suggestion 13: Go through your tackle and sharpen or replace (when needed) all the hooks

I should have put this up there right next to the top, but this is a bit more intense.  Your tackle has hooks.  Crankbaits, jerkbaits, bladebaits, rattlebaits...they all have hooks.  Take the time to sharpen them all up, inspect them, and where needed, replace them with the correct size hook to keep them running right and to prevent losing any fish.  

Invest in a pair of good split ring pliers.  They are worth the money.

So, there you have some suggestions to kill some time.  I had some more but these ought to keep the average angler busy the rest of the winter.

Dont fret...spring is coming.  The ice will leave the lakes and streams and open water will be upon us all.  Keep the faith.

So until the next blog entry,