Keeping Your Mind Off Fishing

[Deerstalker]

As the lakes are slowly starting to freeze over, I've winterized my boat and I'm calling the season quits. I'm not an ice fisherman, so therein lies my problem. What's the best way to bide my time until next season? Any suggestions?

I'm thinking I'll start by sharpening ever last hook in my tackle box. That, or take a cue from the bears and hibernate till spring.

[JohnMickish]

Take the time to learn from went wrong last year. Do some reflecting and think about what you would do differently. I'n not just talking about losing a fish, I mean everything from net misshaps to losing stuff in your boat.

Organize. Still using a tackle box? Maybe think about upgrading to Plano style boxes. If you use Planos, organize and lable stuff better to eliminate the search time. Time spent looking for that one lure is unproductive time.

Clean. Now is a great time to go through your reels and clean and lube them up. Replace the line if needed. Clean off the rods while you are at it.

Update your insurance. Have you ever talked to someone who had their stuff ripped off and was properly insured? It dosen't happen very often. Do an inventory of your stuff and take pictures. Put together a replacement dollar value. A person has WAY more stuff than you think you do. You don't have to tell your wife what the replacement value is, but I'd at least get an inventory.

Tie your own spinners and snells. That is a great way to pass the ice season. Buy some unpainted jigs and paint them to your liking.

That should keep you busy till March, then it's river time!

[JBMasterAngler]

Take up ice fishing

[Deerstalker]

Great suggestions mnfishingguy!

[grizrunner]

Check out one of those dating websites

[traveler]

Try a destination fishing trip to a warmer location!

[bemidjibasser]

Build your own rods...

[itchmesir]

Take up trout fishing and head to Iowa..

[snoozebutton]

Get a second job and save up money for more fishing trips, new rods and reels, more crank baits.......

[Mid-Lake Rock]

The best thing I ever did was get into ice fishing. In years past, putting the boat away for the winter was depressing. My open water friends encouraged me to go ice fishing, but I thought ice angling was drinking beer and waiting for tip-ups. I now have a totally different outlook on ice fishing and enjoy it like open water. Gear, electronics, maps, tackle, tactics - all the fun stuff from open water can be transferred to ice and it makes winter go by too fast.

[Kyhl]

Last year I tried ice fishing more than previous years, with minimal gear. I just can't justify the expense to gear up for a colder season.

So as pointed out. Organize gear for next year. Repair reals. Take inventory and restock what is missing. Start researching upgrades and repairs.

Then there is , read more, work on your poker game, learn to cook better, catch up on movies, excersize. I put on weight sitting in a boat. Time to work it off.

Last year I focused on figuring out my charcoal weber without investing in better equipment. Now I can run it six hours at 225-230 without opening the lid. Makes for some tasty brisket and ribs.

[bemidjibasser]

Find a warm water discharge and keep fishing...

[CANOPY SAM]

Drink and sleep.

[Stick in Mud]

I love ice fishing, but I know exactly what you're talking about...come April, I get certified unstable waiting for open water.

How do I deal with it? Lots of organization and re-organization of fishing lures. Lots of changing out trebles. Painting crankbaits. Tying a redundant amount of spinner rigs and Lindy rigs. Looking at old journal entries about years past. Cleaning up waypoints on the depthfinder. Reading old posts on online discussion forums trying to find new ideas for the upcoming season. Cleaning fishing reels. Meandering through stores figuring out what to buy when it goes on sale/in the bargain bin. Watching fishing shows online. Cleaning out tackle boxes. Labeling tackle boxes for depth curves of lures. Relabeling tackle boxes after I reorganize the lures in a tackle box.

It doesn't go fast, but it keeps me relatively sane.

[delmuts]

With the nice weather i would still fishing, BUT!! With me being sick all week( my wife threatened to take me to emergency once!) so far all i can do is look outside!

Like the others; once it gets to cold for open water( i don't ice fish either) then it's clean reels,rods, the blades on spinnerbaits, and do inventory of plastics.

[BoxMN]

The best thing I ever did was get into ice fishing. In years past, putting the boat away for the winter was depressing. My open water friends encouraged me to go ice fishing, but I thought ice angling was drinking beer and waiting for tip-ups. I now have a totally different outlook on ice fishing and enjoy it like open water. Gear, electronics, maps, tackle, tactics - all the fun stuff from open water can be transferred to ice and it makes winter go by too fast.

Ditto. I just started ice fishing about 10 or so years ago, my Dad never did, so I didn't. My bro-in-law got me into it. Best thing ever for curing the winter blahs. I fished 15 or 16 weekends last winter, and look forward to every weekend all season long! Only problem, is that I enjoy it so much that I don't have time to clean up my summer tackle anymore, haha!

[Stick in Mud]

I hear you, Box. But that's what those awkward weeks in April (when there's some ice but not enough) are for!!!

[anchor man]

I'd take the time to make a pile of homemade lindy's, spinner rigs, pre tie some 3-way rigs. maybe get into making your own jigs, paint some of your old jigs.

[CANOPY SAM]

I love to play with all my fishing stuff too, but I struggle to see how playing with fishing stuff "keeps your mind off fishing"?

It's a little like saying if you can't stop thinking about duck hunting, go over to Cabela's and spend two hours looking at all their waterfowl hunting gear!

I thought this was about NOT thinking about fishing? This, ironically, on a fishing HSOforum!

Ha ha ha....I'm just ribbin' you guys a bit.

I'll tell you something I really enjoy, that takes my mind off fishing..watching In-Fishermen television shows!

[itchmesir]

Get into building your own lures.. The time off in the winter will save you money in the future if you start building your own gear... Just don't get carried away with materials for your lure building or you may end up spending more than you would in the store.. But catching fish on lures you made is sure more fulfilling than with some $15 rapala.. Oh and you'll be a little less peeved when you lose that lure that cost you $2 to make instead of that lure that cost you $8-10 in the store

[Nhamm]

Buy a Build your own fly kit and start making your custom jigs. Put some different color hair, tinsel, sparkly dump, whatever you seem fit. Nothing more satisfying than landing a nice eye or crappie on something you created. Trick for ya I grab the wifes nailpolish to go over colored jighead with the clear but sparkle gloss finish.