No quit on my fishing calendar
If our lakes didn’t freeze, I have little doubt my boat would never get an offseason.
I’m the guy who extends the season past the days when others are winterizing their boats and dragging them off to storage. As it stands now, most of our region’s boats are socked away for winter, waiting for a warm day in April when their owners will retrieve them.
The BassCat, of course, is still in my garage. Common sense says our weather is not going to be conducive to comfy fishing for the balance of 2015. Most boaters have acquiesced on this point. They are done for the season, content now to lounge about in flannel pants on Saturdays and Sundays and pass their time watching football on TV.
But you know me. I cannot surrender to a cool spell. There’s no quit in my fishing calendar, unless the snow is flying and the lakes are freezing.
And when it’s time, I put the boat away only because dealing with ice puts a bit too much danger in the equation. I can fish in cold weather – one can always add clothing – but it’s pretty hard to use the launch ramps when they are iced.
Some of you may be wondering whether I’m out on the lake today. It’s not what you’d call an autumn postcard kind of day. The parking lots at the boat ramps of Youngstown area lakes likely have only a trailer or two.
Yes, mine will be one of them.
My wife, Barb, who loves to squeeze in an extra round of golf after others are satisfied with 18 holes on fine summer days, urges me to keep playing with this line: “You can always rest in January.”
That’s pretty much how I look at fishing in October and November.
Unless snow is in the air and ice is on the water, I’d rather be fishing on Saturday morning than drinking coffee in my La-Z-Boy recliner. I’ll make exceptions for really nasty, blustery days, but if the forecast for the next several weeks looks good, I’m simply not going to put the BassCat in the barn just yet.
The rewards are just too tempting.
Certainly, I’ll catch fish. Over the years, some of the nippiest fall days have yielded some of the year’s biggest bass.
What’s more, I think just getting on the water is the biggest plus this time of the year.
The bonus fishing days in October are really all the bait I need to decide to go to the lake instead of lounging in front of the TV.
Get certified to teach fishing
If you love fishing, maybe it’s time to think about passing along your knowledge and enthusiasm. Spaces are available for those who wish to become certified Passport to Fishing instructors.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife District Three office in Akron is the site a workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 4 for those who wish to become certified to help young people connect with the outdoors. The Passport to Fishing program was developed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and adopted by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation.
The workshop will teach volunteers the basics of fishing and how to run a four-station fishing program and event. Certified instructors leave with a written curriculum and training aids. Those who wish to become certified must be at least 18 years old and will be required to participate in a background check.
The workshop is free, but pre-registration is required. Call Ken Fry, Division of Wildlife, 330-245-3030. The District Three office is at 912 Portage Lakes Drive, Akron.