Count your blessings if you are located in a southern latitude where the water is still warm and the fish are biting. Many of us are stuck in a frozen tundra and fighting off cabin fever like Mike Tyson trying to hold off Evander Holyfield. If you keep hitting refresh on the extended forecast, and have fishing withdrawals like a recovering addict, don't worry all is not lost. Here are some things you can do to get some relief!
1. Plan Your Goals For This Year
This may sound a little crazy, but I mean make a physical written plan of your goals for the year. The mental aspect of fishing is the most overlooked and in my opinion the most important. Goals written down with a plan are far more likely to be realized. So if you have a species you've always wanted to catch, a place you've always wanted to fish or a record you seriously want to break, then write it down. Put it on the calendar then start making a plan of what it will take to make it happen. One final thing to making that plan a reality is to keep it somewhere where you will look at it daily. Keeping it front of mind is key.
2. Clean And Organize Your Tackle and Gear
You know the bottom of your tackle bag is full of hooks, weights, and torn up soft plastics. If you're from the midwest you probably even have some hooks with dried crusty nightcrawlers floating around in there. You spent all season tossing lures and gear back in the wrong box and stuffing those snack bar wrappers into pockets you haven't seen in months. Its time to clean up! Wait until your significant other is gone, put the cat up, then bring all that junk in the house and start organizing it. Throw away the trash, box up all those loose hooks and put everything back in its respective box. Being organized for the beginning of the season will feel so good!
3. Eat The Fish You Caught Last Summer
You're going to need some freezer room this summer for all those fillets, right? So make sure you are using up everything from last year. Invite your friends and family over and have a good ole fashioned fish fry. Nothing is better than eating a fish you caught. Doing it in the winter time will bring back those memories and will give you an excuse to repeat your favorite fishing lies.. er stories!
4. Put Fresh Line On Your Rods
Seriously this is super important. The last thing you want is to have that monster fish of your dreams break off because of some worn out, beat up, rotten line! So take all that old off and fill 'em up with some fresh stuff. Of course if you are going to put on some braid, we have to recommend you get some of our Atko Leviathan that has been tested on monsters all over the country.
Its available on Amazon and AtkoFishing.com
5. Go Fishing Anyway!!
Here's a novel idea, go ahead and go fishing anyway. Trout, crappie, and walleye are always reliable winter biters. Even catfishing can be good in the winter. If you are far enough north to have some hardwater, that's safe enough to fish on, give it a go. Ice fishing can be a blast and is a whole different experience. If you don't have any experience find a local willing to take you. They always could use another hand carrying the gear or cutting holes. If you are south of the hardwater zone, then put on a coat and go find the fish! I guarantee it will give your cabin fever a reprieve!