It's that time again

[Tarpon4me]

Well fellow anglers, it's that magical time again for those who are bound by the winter months, and have that long wait for spring to come back around. There's a quiet ness that creeps across the US when that final day of warm weather meets it's end. I believe I even shed a tear the other day.

I know myself, I await a freak day of warmth just to get back out on the water, even though I know I won't catch much. Some fish still hang out in the big blue, but the conditions are misrable and the bite is very slow.

By now, all the creek fishermen and women are enjoying the spoils of the winter flounder and dog tooth trout, but soon that will be long gone as well. The striper fishing is nearing it's peak on the east coast. The big blues and Tuna are hagging around NC. But before we know it, it'll be all done, and we'll be cutting eyes in jealously to those brothers and sisters that are fortunate enough to live somewhere like Florida.

Now our fellow BFT'rs like DaveTclown are bringing out the ice fishing gear and getting ready for another cold season. I wish the best of luck to those die hard anglers out on the ice.

For me, it's time to bring out the hunting gear and winterize the fishing gear and boats. It's a , day here in South Carolina. Many anglers fish for crappie in the winter, but I have a hard time dealing with the cold, atleast on the water. I like to toss rapala lures into golf course ponds on the warmer winter days. Maybe even a trip to the reef for some shark fishing action; that is if it's warm enough to go.

I have but one more major trip planned for the year. There is a stretch of about 2 or 3 weeks that you can catch large grouper inshore, around 15 miles, in only 50 feet of water. I wait for this trip each year, the only problem is that I have to have good conditions to do it. If the water doesn't cooperate on the stretch of weekends I have off, I miss the chance to go and have to wait until next year.

Well fellas, i'd like to hear your side of the winter story.
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[gdn443]

Same here Tarpon 4me, I know it's 34 degrees out and I have to clean out the boat and winterize, but I hope for one more sat. that the wind isn't blowing and raining. I guess I'll have to do the deed sunday and say good night for the season.[] Till march, when it's 34 degrees out and I won't care, because it's been way to long.[]
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[tomc]

i am not ready yet.untill the thames river boat launches freeze i will be in the water
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[Tarpon4me]

Well Tom, i'm going to sqeeze as much time into the remaining season as I can as well. I imagine our other anglers will be doing the same. I'm just hoping that my grouper trip works out. I have this fear in the back of my mind that i'll pull the boat down to the beach when the weather is suppose to be nice, and I'll get on the water and come to find that it's rough anyhow. I went through that a couple of weeks ago. It was calling for 2' seas and mild winds. We made the 2 hour trip, put the boat in the water, and it was the biggest 2' seas I had ever seen. [] I fought through 3 to 4' seas to the reef, and before long the wind changed to NE. With in 45 minutes of the wind changing, a rouge 7 footer broke over the bow and I decided to call it an early day. With such a small window for success, i'm praying that the weather man hits the nail on the head with an accurate report.

Fishing is my salvation, and when winter comes around, it truely is a time. It's nice to have something to turn to that will ease your mind and eliviate some tension. My home life can be frustrating at times, as my wife tends to be less patient and personable lately; and fishing is my way of hanging in there. I'm quite sure that i'm not the only one in that senario. LOL, but hell, what home life is perfect?

There is something about the roll of the waves and the smell of the salt air that captures my very soul. I think any true saltwater angler understands this. It's an unspoken philosophy, and a very true fact. It's not just the fishing that draws us, it's the ocean as a whole, and everything with in it. We battle the unpredictable waters and ever changing weather conditions for a common goal; sometimes pushing the limits of gear and safety for that picture perfect moment. Many often challenge the limits of life itself, with a brief feeling of imortality, the illusion of controling something that is uncontrolable; like a ship at sea. There is nothing more beautiful than a sunrise over the ocean, and there is nothing more fulfilling than successfully finding fish on a day when no one else can.

Anyone who thinks that fishing isn't a sport hasn't done the right kind of fishing. We are masters of reading the water and understanding the weather. We are professors of fish, learning thier feeding habbits, migratory habbits, and prefered living conditions. We are survival experts that can cator to specific conditions on any stretch of river, lake, ocean, or bay. We use safisticated electronics like sonar and global positioning systems to locate struture, holes, and safety issues. We are pioneers of uncharted locations and inventors of new found techniques and technology. We put ourselves in harms way, time after time, for the sake of our passion. In my opinion, there is no greater sport, there is no greater challenge, there is nothing that compares to an angler.
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[tomc]

it seems that this year has been bad on the marine forcasts.going out at 1-2 ft waves and find out they were at 3-5 ft waves.these past few weekends have been rough.today i will be bringing home the the flying pig..don says he is done for the year.this is our weather for today
that is a great insight to our type of fishing,i never thought about it that way.most of the time my wife will call someone to go fishing when i get under her skin.luckly i fish for anything so there always an "out"
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