Going on during the offseason

North winds, snow clouds and other nasty weather discourage anglers from breaking out their fishing gear this time of year, a good thing considering the obligations we all have with family and friends during the holiday season.

Can’t go fishing? No problem. We can always find something to do around Christmas.

But soon we’ll be in January, facing a long three months or so before the lakes are again hospitable. With Christmas behind us, just exactly how will we deal with the fishing hiatus?

I’ve got many, many winters of experience in enduring the offseason. I don’t like it, but I have no choice other than to figure out something — anything — to keep me preoccupied.

So here’s my advice.

First, don’t look at the calendar. It’s too intimidating for me, personally, to actually see those 12 weeks stacked up, with no hope whatsoever of getting the boat out. Resist the temptation to count the days until spring.

Instead, figure out how to go “fishing” in ways more compatible with winter. You have several options.

The most obvious is ice fishing. The cold wind that is driving whitecaps against the rocks at Berlin, Mosquito and other local waters will soon freeze up the reservoirs for ice fishermen. Many folks love ice fishing as an opportunity to jig up a few walleyes or crappies or other panfish.

If you are an experienced ice angler, you already know how to maximize the opportunity to enjoy your time on the frozen water.

If you haven’t given the ice a try, find a veteran and invite yourself to join the next trip. You’ll learn about ice safety, the necessity of a sturdy, sharp auger, and the best tackle for the species you’ll be targeting.

Another winter option is steelhead fishing. The best streams in Ohio, those with the strongest runs of Lake Erie steelhead, are near Geneva, Ashtabula and Conneaut.

Look for trout in deeper pools between riffles. They’ll take a tiny jig or nymph drifted under a float set to keep the lure just off the bottom.

To better your chances of hooking — and landing — a 10-pound trout, you’ll need some special equipment. A 9- to 11-foot spinning rod with a soft tip, coupled with a reel spooled with 6- or 8-pound fluorocarbon line enable anglers to manage and subdue the wild fighters.

The third option is for those who have no desire to brave the elements. You can “fish” from the comfort of your cozy house and let the wind whip up whatever it will.

A big part of fishing is making sure everything is ready for the time when you are back out on the water. Invest your winter downtime in cleaning and oiling reels, swabbing the gunk from your rods’ line guides, scrubbing the grime from cork rod handles, spooling up fresh line, clearing the junk from your lure boxes, studying maps, deciding which lures to discard and what new stuff to buy.

I do this myself. Actually, I probably spend more of the offseason in fishing prep than in ice fishing or steelheading.

It’s good therapy. Especially if I’ve sneaked a peek at the calendar and noticed the weeks until the boat comes out of storage are still far too many.

jwwollitz@aol.com