5 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’m on the opposite schedule, it’s about to get really really good from thanksgiving til valentines. Only hinderance is extended periods of darkness 

Same here!

5 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I love fishing in the winter.  The problem here is it’s to dark to fish after work and with the increase in cold and rainy weather, fewer weekends are fishable.   
 

Until now!  I just retired and that changes everything about winter fishing.  I can’t wait.

Retired this past March and been fishing ever since! ? Congrats!

I fish pretty regular until Thanksgiving.  After that I need to watch the weather to see what the high temperature for the day will be.  If there are a couple of warm days in a row I'll be out on the water.

4 hours ago, Aaron_H said:

.......Winter?

 

 

My same reaction in Southern California. Haha. Gas prices at $6.60 a gal, not so funny... 

There's good and bad.  I love the fact that less people are fishing.  Last year was my first year fishing all of November and well into December.  As long as there are no tournaments, the number of fishermen plummet.  And while it's colder, the number of big fish I catch go way up compared to the summer.  If I am fishing Lake Michigan or its feeder rivers, I can easily tangle with a salmon or trout so that is also fun.  Got into a couple musky last year as well.  Naturally, it is a little sad since the big fishing pause is coming.  However, I have a fantastic cooling lake that opens March 1st so my offseason is usually no more than 2.5 months.  And if the water is open this winter, I plan to try some damiki rig fishing and lake trout fishing.  There's something about the empty water and cold temperatures that feels both lonely and liberating at the same time.  My expectations go way down and I'm just happy to be on the water.    

You can come down to south Florida we are still in the middle of Hurricane season, and lots of water.  I cant wait for late November to get here!

I think I have bear blood in me because I enjoy my winter den-ning. Human hibernation lets me recover from the warm weather gardening, fishing, biking, and hiking. Over the last few days, I have shoveled literal tons of dirt, built two raised beds from heavy hemlock, planted various trees and bushes, etc. Soon the ground will be frozen and I won't be able to work and thank goodness for that!

 

However, I am going fishing tomorrow, even though I said I was done for the year, simply because it'll be warm (64 degrees!) and every bear loves to fish. 

Pretty sad this year especially now, knowing I need to put the boat up for hibernation, especially since I never launched it once this year. ?

12 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Pretty sad this year especially now, knowing I need to put the boat up for hibernation, especially since I never launched it once this year. ?

Ya, I'm gonna be putting the F-9 to bed in the next week or so...got it out 4 times, hopefully next year will be better.

9 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

hopefully next year will be better.

I keep saying that every year but I keep going backwards. Apparently I underestimated the amount of work I’d have to do around the house after moving. Thankfully the boat is paid off or else the Mrs. might be having a different conversation with me. ?

10 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

 

However, I am going fishing tomorrow, even though I said I was done for the year, simply because it'll be warm (64 degrees!) and every bear loves to fish.

Seems like every year after I put all

my gear and boat up for the winter, I have to pull it all out on a nice day. 6-7 years ago, we had a 70+ degree day on Christmas Eve, you better believe I took the boat out! So now I don’t put my gear up until I have confirmed frozen lakes. That can be anywhere from Dec 1st to Jan 1st. 

1 hour ago, 12poundbass said:

I keep saying that every year but I keep going backwards. Apparently I underestimated the amount of work I’d have to do around the house after moving. Thankfully the boat is paid off or else the Mrs. might be having a different conversation with me. ?

Hang in there my friend.

It will eventually come full circle.

And you know what I mean.

A-Jay

Yes I agree its a bummer but its all part of it up here. I'm in the fish until ice up camp...last year I had several good days well into November. Also my local river is very low which means wall eyes and saugers are easy to find...I've caught them in these conditions into December. Just need a little water depth...luckily there is a spot 5min from my house that has the deepest water for miles in each direction.

To everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season, turn, turn, turn...

15 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

To everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season, turn, turn, turn...

Wabbit season, duck season, wabbit season, duck season.

12 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Ya, I'm gonna be putting the F-9 to bed in the next week or so

I think I'm gonna give it a try at least once more.  The water temps were still 58 on Saturday when I went and we had a couple of really warm days, so I think they will hold above 50 for a week even with the cooler forecast.  The bite was good and the fish were aggressive.  I'm definitely waiting until the warmth of the afternoon to go though.  Starting at sunrise or shortly thereafter when its near freezing is a no-go for me.  Its my hands/fingers that get cold after they get wet, and I prefer not to wear gloves.

Get some hunting in. Shoot more sporting clays. Work around the house. Stream fish for some trout. 

If I lived up north I'd for sure be using this as an excuse to go fishing for a week or two in Mexico, tell your significant others, AlabamaSpotHunter said TREAT YO SELF! 

3 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

If I lived up north I'd for sure be using this as an excuse to go fishing for a week or two in Mexico, tell your significant others, AlabamaSpotHunter said TREAT YO SELF! 

Done. She said “who?” ? 

 

I really am trying to plan another trip to Baccarac in the next couple years though. 

12 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

 

I really am trying to plan another trip to Baccarac in the next couple years though. 

Me too.

A-Jay 

12 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

Pretty sad this year especially now, knowing I need to put the boat up for hibernation, especially since I never launched it once this year. ?

How much you want for it???

I disagree....

 

It's always a lot sad

On 10/11/2022 at 10:47 AM, TnRiver46 said:

“And the peasants rejoiced “

Not rejoicing here yet, unfortunately. 

I was out on Sunday and there was only one ski boat, but it was nearly unbearable.   Bass were schooling in middle of creek bends.  For whatever reason, the ski boat didn't go out in main lake and just went up and down the creek I was trying to fish.....for over two hours.  Between the wake, the music and the beginner skiers, it was beyond annoying.  Hopefully, it was their last time out this year 

5 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

Not rejoicing here yet, unfortunately. 

I was out on Sunday and there was only one ski boat, but it was nearly unbearable.   Bass were schooling in middle of creek bends.  For whatever reason, the ski boat didn't go out in main lake and just went up and down the creek I was trying to fish.....for over two hours.  Between the wake, the music and the beginner skiers, it was beyond annoying.  Hopefully, it was their last time out this year 

Yeah I’ve seen someone skiiing in a Santa hat on Christmas Day so it’s never complete rejoicing 

Winters are a bummer for me in Mexico, no ice fishing.  

13 minutes ago, king fisher said:

Winters are a bummer for me in Mexico, no ice fishing.  

 

I was just thinking about how jealous I was that I don't have the opportunity to shiver over a hole cut in the ice for hours on end.