How do you fix this?

[bloocrab]

I’m assuming that most people (sooner or later) get infected with the winter-doldrum virus once they’ve hung up their gear for the season. In saying that, at times…I too, suffer from this sickness. Although I can’t say it always happens. Life can sometimes fill that void rather quickly and keep me busy up until I hear the first false reports of new fish being caught in my local waters.

Even though something happens to me during the month of January in regards to how I look at the upcoming fish-able year. I don’t know if it has to do with it being a “New” year or not, because it’s still cold enough to make an Eskimo shrink while peeing…but anyway…As I drive past my local waters I begin to gaze out into the abyss and actually get excited when I start thinking that these same waters will be infested with predators chasing their prey not too long from now. The anticipation of seeing the first herring arrive along with the menhaden shortly after is all but consuming at times. It’s odd because I only feel this way in January. The next few months following this phase, up until they (keeper size bass) actually do arrive, I anger with anticipation. I do not enjoy getting my gear ready when dragged out over the next few months. That’s just plain torture to me. I enjoy playing (if I can call it that) with my gear, but not preparing…just seeing what I have, what I’ve forgotten I had…and what I think I still need. I will not ready my plug-bag until I’m ready to use it. God knows I’ll be changing its contents numerous times if I were to do that. We all know that the next 4 months will fly by sooner than we think…and then BAM!! we’re right back into the thick of things.

On to my existing problem. I must first confess that I used to fish ALOT more than I do now. I can't stress that enough. And NO, not stripers but just about anything that swam or settled along our saltwater shorelines. I'm not going to list them all because you'd think I was lying. For some reason, possibly life events stealing more and more of my time and therefore changing my priorities, I just haven’t had the urge to chase our winter-resident fish or for that matter, the many other species available to us through-out the fish-able year. It seems that what time I do dedicate to fishing, is strictly Striper fishing. What happened?

During the winter months, perhaps the pay-off of catching 3 or 4 schoolies or a mystery tommy-cod while I’m out numbing my toes no loner makes it worth my effort. I can remember back when we’d be looking for that last white-chinner in December while at the same time trying to jig up some mackerel in the surrounding snow-drifts of Newport. I also do not remember having a problem getting all bundled up just to try and catch some tommy-cod on old, frozen clam necks during the months of January and February. What happened to me? I see people ice-fishing, sitting on their bucket, cold-smoke blowing out both nostrils just watching their tippets. They look so content. I don’t envy them; I simply shiver and think they’re nutz. What happened to me? How do you get that drive back? Don’t get me wrong, when it’s on it’s on in referring to the Striper season. But what about when it’s not on…what happened to the desire to get out there anyway? And NO, I am not addicted to Striper fishing. I truly enjoy ALL fishing...so why do I choose to place my focus on Stripers? Could it be that perhaps they are our largest catchable shore fish and subconciously, I just want to catch BIG fish? Because consciously I don't feel that way. I will openly admit I LOVE A BLUEFISH BLITZ, I don't care what size they are and I don't care if Clammer don't love me anymore cuz I said that. I get all fuzzy inside remembering when we could drive out onto the Melville pier and catch about 10 different species of fish on the same day. What a challenge that would be to me. What happened? Where did that challenge go?

Am I alone?

Could I have fished myself sense-less in my younger years that now I’ve all but lost my will to just simply fish regardless of what happens?

I know this is a striper site, and most of you won't understand...but in case someone can relate...Help!!!