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Celebrate Valentine’s with the right gift
Sunday is an important date for all couples, including the relationships in which one likes to fish and the other would rather do just about anything else.
Expectations about the quality of our expressions of love and affection are elevated on Feb. 14 each year. So whether you consider Valentine’s Day real or manufactured, you’d better be ready with a gift and a card.
For fishers, the course of events Sunday can go a long way toward paving the way for smooth sailing on upcoming fishing trips. This is not to say you’ll get a thumbs up next time you ask about going to Costa Rica for a tarpon weekend, but doing the right thing Sunday may get you an “OK, Honey” for a Lake Erie walleye charter.
The big question is: What’s the right thing?
I struggled with this question many years ago. The gifting holidays terrified me. Two weeks out, it seemed like no problem. Ten days out, still cool. A week from the big day, I figured I’d better start giving this some thought. The day before, cold sweats. The drive home from work on The Big Day included a panic stop at a store – any store.
Therein was the problem: bad planning. Try as they might, a convenience store card and a Hershey bar just don’t say “I love you” with satisfactory sincerity. Hey, at least I bought a card. One year, I skipped the card. That was not the right decision.
Even a blockhead like me gets the message after a while. A couple of chilly Valentine’s Days taught me the value of paying attention to the clues.
My friends know I’m a pretty lucky fellow. Barb is my perfect partner. Over the years, we’ve learned how to push each other’s buttons, yes, but it only adds to the bond.
So I learned that on certain days, certain things go a long way. I also learned what Barb considered inadequate in terms of commemorating whatever required commemoration.
For instance, the Christmas gift of a new fishing rod and reel was OK, but only once. When I tried to extend the fishing thing on Valentine’s Day, she made it clear that a Plano tackle box didn’t even come close. What was I thinking?
But I paid attention and eventually learned. A nice box of Gorant’s French mints and a carefully selected card made Barb happy. If the card featured a monkey doing something cute, all the better.
What could be easier than that? So if you haven’t bought your Valentine gift yet, go get it now.
Will it work? It does for me. After all, who goes fishing more than me?
Ice-fishing safety tips
Most of our lakes still lack safe ice, but a few north of Youngstown are firming up. If you decide to go, make sure you file a float plan, says Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
A float plan includes telling others where you are going, where you expect to park and when you plan to return. ODNR also advises ice anglers to fish with partners and to check at local bait shops about the ice condition.
Always carry a cellphone in a plastic bag to protect it from water. Keep a pair of ice awls in your pockets – or at the very least a couple of screw drivers – to jam into the ice to use as grips to pull yourself up if you fall through.
Above all, check the ice often as you travel, and if you start to feel uncomfortable, head back to the parking lot before the cold overwhelms you.