What do you do in the off season?

[Squibby17]

I'm curious as to what keeps us crazed fisherman busy during the winter months? I know a bunch of guys here work on their plugs. Does anyone Ice fish? Save for winter fishing trips to Belize? Snow Mobile, Ski? Basket Weaving?

I mentioned before I'm almost as crazy about skiing as I am fishing. I dropped my ski's off last night to get tuned up. I find there are lots of similarities. When the fish are in and I know the bite is on i'll drive long distances and drop other stuff in my life. If I know snow is coming I'll drive 4 hours to Jay Peak to hit the pow pow. Carving turns in 2 ft of powder is just as fun to me as a screaming drag from a large bass. You can do it alone or with a group of friends. You get to go to beautiful places and experience nature just like fishing. I'm going to Montana and Wyoming this winter to ski Jackson Hole and Big Sky Montana almost like a ski pilgrimage like a fisherman would do to Cuttyhunk, Block or Montauk I can't wait!

[eelman]

Seminars, shows, enjoy football and Play the drums as much as I can..

Be here Sunday!

BLUES JAM SUNDAY
SUDAY NOVEMBER 11TH
1PM –7PM
NARROW RIVER COFFEE HOUSE
PETTEQUAMSCUTT LAKE RD
NARRAGANSETT, RI

BRING YOUR AXE AND A COVERED DISH
CALL MITCH @ 486-3476 FOR INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS
SEE YOU ALL THERE!!!!

[The Dad Fisherman]

Making Plugs
Smelt Fishing
Picked up all the necessities for Ice Fishing
Fishing Shows in February-April
Scouts takes up a lot of time between October and May

Squibby....you should come check out our meetings (Plum Island Surfcasters). Great place to just go and talk fishing in the off-season....and pick up some tips.

[Rockfish9]

Now, that I get a "normal" nights sleep, meaning more than 4-5 hours, I go back to the gym before work to get in shape for the summer... I build plugs and rods a few hours each night during the week and ice fish on weekends, somewhere inbetween I try to reaquiant myself as to what my wife looks like, that way, when full blown senility and alzhimers sets in, I have half a chance of remembering some body....

[hyefisherman2]

i build rods and try to stock up on plugs and the things i need for the nest season.

also like everyone else i go to the shows i read alot of books to, and try to catch up on some reading.

[Mike P]

I shellfish on weekends in the winter. Schoolies in the rivers--it can happen as early as mid-February.

Saturday morning coffee klatches at M&Ds also help pass the time.

[jim sylvester]

catch up on sleep

[Clammer]

holdover fishing ;;

as good as it gets //

Bill if there woman there ..call me . I gotta work .but S/B done by 4;45

[EarnedStripes44]

I shop around local sporting good stores and stock up on hardware and supplies. There is a store dead smack in Medford Center that that reduces prices up to $40 on fishing equipment. I have purchased all of my rods and reels during this time of year and I have saved several hundred dollars.

Also, someone else mentioned fishing for schoolies in rivers during the winter, that is indeed very true. I have caught schoolies out of the Mystic in December. When the hankering to cast those line too much of a burden, I make a few trips. Usually come up empty and I get cold quickly, but I have caught some schoolies and some nice sized cod and pollack from the shore here in the Boston area during dead winter, especially in Feb. & March. I have also noticed that the skates I catch from the shore during the winter time, on average, are bigger than the those landed during the warmer months.

[EarnedStripes44]

I meant 40% off*

[kippy]

I plan on building spreader bars and daisy chains for tuna season. Probably willl take a boating safety course this winter as well.

[RNC]

I snowboard and build different mobile audio setups during the winter. I'll even watch fishing on tv during that time. Also traveling is great to get away from the cold.

[Rappin Mikey]

On the weekends I ice fish here around western MA and occasionally make a few holdover trips. Other than that, it's working and

[likwid]

deliver boats to the carribean
telemark
sleep

[fishpoopoo]

my participation in high-velocity copper-jacketed lead flings/legs tends to go up in the winter months.

[GonnaCatchABig1]

go absolutely crazy. i cant have anything to do with fishing during the winter. i would ice fish.. but the whole drop it down method doesnt appeal to me in the least. not knockin it.. just dont enjoy it. so ice fishing is out. that said i have on occasion thrown lines out as late and early in the year as i can. i was alot worse a few years back. when i would fish in a lil pocket of moving water on a certain lake. it kept it from freezing so i had about 30ft area to work with. never caught anything since it was to shallow and freezing.. but id still give it a shot.
anyway.. once i finally give up for the winter.. i hid from all fishing related things. i cant watch shows or read mags. cant even o to teh fishing sections at stores.
out of sight, out of mind.
or else the winter drags on for ever. i am highly impatient when not fishing. where as i could sit next to a rod with a chunk on it and do nothing or work a plug for hours. everything else needs to be either instant. or i have to be working on it non stop and finish it all in one sitting. <- makes for many sleepless nights. so waiting for the fishing to pick up at the end of winter, killllls me.
how ever being young and stupid..theres a sweet video game comin out (the 11 day from now wait is killin me lol) that i will probably spend most of the winter playing with.
hopefully see my girl more..
errrr.. maybe work on my camaro if i manage to get it.
come feb/march
i'll make a few plugs and in between
might work on a new rod.
if i make anything earlier than that i will go nutts waiting to try em out in actual fishing conditions.
yeeeeeeup gonna be a long winter now that i have some people to obsess over it with...

[jimmy z]

Work more. In my spare time do some plugs. But if I really get restless, there's the spot with winter holdovers.

[capesams]

watch naked ladies polish brass poles.

[InTheHole]

Ice fish, hunt, hockey, work on the honey-do list.

Not necessarily in that order.

[JohnR]

Put out squabbles on the Internet

[numbskull]

I compost

[Flaptail]

Sneak over to Numbskulls and watch him frustrate himself because only two out of ten bottle plugs swim right! hahahahahaha!!!!!!!

[likwid]

Also drink heavily on other people's tabs in warm places.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Put out squabbles on the Internet

Official Shack Nasty Negotiator

[Tagger]

honey do list ,,build plugs,,Dream about fish chasing the plug . Fantasize about maybe being a great plug builder when I'm dead . Think about how great that will be .. Get re aquainted with the wife . Try and get her in love with me so I can ignore her come spring .. I downhill ski .. Proud to be a founding father of the greatest ski club on earth .. the "Mongolions" 200 strong ... only one rule .. 1. No Rules

[bassballer]

snowboarding takes over my obsession, hopefully attending some shows also. But the habit of spending my money on plugs will never end.

[Al in Westport]

After Christmas tree season is over...hibernate.

[Rockport24]

skiing, but not too much cause it gets damn expensive, other than that, dream about fishing, go to shows and seminars, and I'm in a cover band now, so hopefully get enough material together to play some shows! I'll post when we have one!

[keeperreaper]

Rig up some eel hooks, redo all my tuna bars and restring all the rods. Rest, enjoy the family and work on house projects. Hunt.hunt, hunt. Catch up with all my non fishing friends.

[l.i.fish.in.vt]

Living about 6 miles from Sugarbush i have no off season. as soon as the fishing gear gets put away the ski gear gear comes out.the snow guns are blasting as i type.