What crazy things do you do waiting for opening?

[Old Ironmaker]

I have been known to do some nut job obsessive compulsive disorder type of things waiting for opening of walleye and Bass. Polished, paint touch up, clean eyes, painted on eyes, added eyelashes, sharpen hooks, tune eyes, put in order or colour spectrum, weight, size, trimmed hair, added hair, colored hair, added flake, trimmed tails, tied and dropped into bathtub to gauge fall rate and action, added stingers, painted on stripes and polka dots. That's just my tube jigs.

 

Craziest and most productive was to tie a line to my Terriers collar throw a ball and test line and drag,,,, in the living room!

 

What about you folks? How do you pass the time without losing it?

[Christopheraaron]

I fish pike, crappie and perch! LOL

[Handlebarz]

I used to sharpen hooks all winter. But a few years ago one of our members convinced me to start selling my lures so now all free time is spent building musky lures. I must say its s good way to keep my mind off fishing NOT. With each one I build I wonder who will get it and what will they catch?

 

Thus spring I do plan on pike fishing and walleye by may

[Dave Bailey]

I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

[moxie]

Keep from losing it? I'm afraid I've lost it to the point it cannot be found. Cant count the times I've rigged and re-rigged my gear over the winter, not to mentioned the times I have gone down to the basement just to stand and stare at all my gear .

[Sinker]

Geeze, you guys need to hit the hardwater! If your just sitting waiting, your seriously missing out on some awesomme fishing opportunities!!

 

S.

[Acountdeleted]

Ice fish

 

Spend too much money at bass pro.

[Rich]

I fish . I couldn't imagine cutting my fishing season to a few open months per year, worse yet fishing just one or two species in a year.

[bigugli]

I never stop fishing. There is always somewhere to go and something to catch.

 

If conditions suck, there is always tackle to make.

Edited March 16, 2013 by bigugli

[jedimaster]

I tried watching baseball once.

[Fisherman]

You guys need help

http://www.mynewnormals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/dr-phil-mickelson-advice1.jpg

[Rod Caster]

added eyelashes? I hope you were still talking about the lures

 

I've done the line test with the cat before.

[lew]

Muskies are the only species I target and once the season closes mid-December, so does my interest in fishing. I occupy my time with other interests during the winter and get back into fishing mode when the season re-opens in early June.

 

My gear is always in good shape before it goes into hibernation and when spring arrives, everything, including me, is ready for the soft water.

 

I have zero interest in ice fishing and even though I visit this & many other fishing sites thru the cold months, I seldom if ever read the ice fishing reports.

 

Really enjoy alot of the NF topics though

[jedimaster]

Hockey and ice fishing season is over lapped and followed by crappie, then turkey hunting, then trout, then walleye, then bass and musky, then deer hunting, then ice fishing.... repeat. Fortunately there Is only a small gap between ice season and crapoie. That is filled with hockey warching and fishing toy playing.

[BillM]

Always something to fishing for, lakers, whities, steelhead, etc etc etc..

[Moosebunk]

Between ice season and opener I used to have about a month. In that time I'd flip the WarCanoe and go over it with a fine tooth comb. Sanding, fiberglassing, painting, motor maintenance. I'd sort all the camp gear, tackle, rods, put in a LeBaron's order with the income tax return. Make some lures & jigs too.

 

Now I try and do that, plus fish a couple days a week for trout, crappie and gar. This spring there's some work to be done on the WarCanoe again, the small motors, the tackle, some trip planning, and as well as some simple wiring for a new sonar.

 

Fishing is a full-time job 365 days a year. lol.

[GBW]

right now I'm cleaning up all my lures that are in different trays due to ice fishing and not being put back in the fall. this way I know where it all is and if I need to go buy the odd item to replace a lure or just hooks. So I will be ready for what ever when ever. that and going to tie up some flies later today too.

[Locnar]

I've organized my tackle and set-up my rods. Now I'm just waiting for the suckers to roll into town. Maybe I'll try for some pike as well.

[Steve]

i go fishing.

 

there isn't a month of the year that in Ontario you can't go fishing .... and I don't mean ice fishing.

[porkpie]

I fish for steelhead, pickerel, crappie and perch and salmon only when I need bait, and not if I can get a bunch of skeins from open water trolling buddies. The pickerel are a once a year annual trip, and occasional ice fishing trip, and the perch and crappie are occasional distractions, either through the ice or in the spring if nothing else is going on. I havent ice fished in 2 years now, and cant say i miss it that much! Outside of that, I enjoy targeting steelhead, but I no longer looking forward to catching spawned out tired bows on opener. I prefer to catch them in the colder months of spring if possible, and in the fall. Otherwise I do a bit of hunting here and there. At this point I just enjoy the seasons as they come up, I don't sit in my basement polishing tackle or the like!

Edited March 16, 2013 by porkpie

[dhickey]

I work like crazy then shop(like I need more stuff)

Play with the gear tuning it up.

Then before I know it its over weather it be soft or hard water..

Keeps me out of troble..

I also never take off my camo hat.When Im working Im thinking about fishing Year round..But work does get in the way all to often.

 

That my friend is obsesive compulsive but My kids love it too.

And Im ok with it.

 

When my hands smell like fresh fish and the smiles are huge then Im a happy man...

 

Saltydawg.

Edited March 17, 2013 by saltydawg

[Whopper]

 

Really enjoy alot of the NF topics though

Your a sick man Lew

[kickingfrog]

Well selling and buying a house is going to keep me busy for a while, although I might have some time come mid May.

[Spanky80]

Wow I don't feel so bad after reading the replies here!

 

I am fortunate that I have something to keep me busy all four seaons, I snowmobile an average of 3 to 4,000 km's per winter, ice fish after work through the week, ATV around 2,000 km's every fall in Quebec, and fish in the spring/summer. I used to have to find ways to pass the time before fishing opens but now getting the boats and gear ready, it is here before I know it.

 

Still get excited like I did 20 years ago for the opener!

[Acountdeleted]

....... I am never allowed to own a dog, ever, after reading this thread. Tieing 8 pound braid to a harness on my dog sound hilarious, and a lot of fun.