What Keeps You From Going Crazy In The Winter Months? 2025

Brent Christian reply :

Its cold here in Kentucky, all ive caught is an occasional trout.. Been looking at plenty of maps of lakes, and trying to find new spots to fish.. What occupies everyones time until spring?

slainempire reply :

stockpiling and organizing all my tackle, cleaning and lubing all my reels, cleaning my rods, and learning as much as i can by reading and watching videos online. its a long winter here in pennsylvania so its hard to keep my sanity, lol.

iabass8 reply :

Cleaning my reels. Buying new tackle. Fantasy football. Nfl playoffs. fishing expos. Expo season is my favorite.

.dsaavedra. reply :

RoLo reply :

When the mercury dips below 65 deg F,

we just huddle around the fireplace hoping for 75 degs tomorrow

Roger

slonezp reply :

When you start out crazy...it's not much of a jump

wnybassman reply :

Too much to list here. The boat gets put away around Thanksgiving time or shortly after and comes back out late March/early April and it ALWAYS sneaks up on me way too fast.

Waterlogged reply :

Loading up on tackle. I'll go out a few times while the lake is at winter pool and search for cover thats normally submerged, take some pictures, record it on my map and try to set a waypoint as close as possible.

tallen316 reply :

I pass the time by buying tackle, watching NFL football, and playing a little PS3.

Missourifishin reply :

Nothing. I already lost my mind.

aceman387 reply :

Roaming this site with a glass of bourbon and ice. What was the question again

Catt reply :

Go fishing

bigbill reply :

I have other hobbies. Gun smithing I'm building a deer rifle for my grandson(3 1/2yo). I figure I won't be here to see him hunt but he will be all set to do so.

Toeshots reply :

I think it's too late. Was out today for almost 2 hours in freezing rain because I found a portion of open water on a local river. Didn't catch anything.

papajoe222 reply :

I'll start out doing a little tinkering of some baits, maybe build a rod or two or just do a little decorative thread work on one, inventory my gear and change out or sharpen hooks, clean and lube all my reels and maybe do an upgrade on one or two and lastly I'll browse last season's log and compare it to other year's.

All that will take me maybe three weeks. The next fourteen or so, I just drive the wife crazy talking about fishing.

Gatorbassman reply :

When the bass fishing sucks I switch over to Crappie/white perch. They always bite best in the winter months and taste better too.

KyakR reply :

Staring forlornly at my new rod standing unused in the corner.........drinking mad dog 20/20 while perusing the site......when I can't stand it I switch over into my other obsessions ( compound bow tourneys, stained glass craft, knitting) but only dulls the ache in my heart a little........maybe try some Spoonerville 80/80

ColdSVT reply :

I am a ski patroller at a local resort and I ride my snowmobile as much as I can

slonezp reply :

On 12/30/2013 at 1:06 PM, flukemaster said:
When the bass fishing sucks I switch over to Crappie/white perch. They always bite best in the winter months and taste better too.

This I agree with although we have hard water here and I'm not a hard water fisherman. Panfish taste best immediately pre and post ice when the water is cold. The meat is also firm in consistency compared to fish caught in 80* water.

BassWhole! reply :

You know its summer in half the world, and they have these flying bus things now...

tholmes reply :

Clean, re-organize and re-stock my tackle boxes, clean and lube reels, clean and repair (if needed) rods and play guitar.

Tom

Felix77 reply :

This site, learning about the jig including pouring, painting and skirting. Watching my collection of The Bass Pros. All 7 seasons.

Crestliner2008 reply :

1) Keep up with the fishing forums here and elsewhere. (Never too old to learn a trick or two!)

2) Collect all the latest catalogs (just got BPS & Netcraft so far).

3) DVR all the fishing shows on cable and watch them as I wake up in the middle of the night with the fishing sweats!

4) Clean reels and re-fill with fresh line. Organize and re-organize....and re-organize once again, all my tackle bags.

5) Plan which rigs to start out fishing with, as soon as the ice is out, hopefully by early March - I'm an optimist!

BassmanDan reply :

1) Work out so I can better tolerate those 12 hour days in the 100 degree North Carolina heat.

2) Our fishing expo is Jan 10th---yay!

3) NFL playoffs GO COLTS!!

4) There is a new BPS that opens in February so I'll be living there part time.

5) We still get some 50 degree days in Jan and Feb, and that's when you can catch that fish of a lifetime.

Siebert Outdoors reply :

I build lures most of the time.

For the last few years I've also been going on an annual trout fishing trip in late January or early February.

Bluebasser86 reply :

I go fishing! Power plant lakes are a lifesaver during the winter.

I spend a lot of time building lures and changing out hooks that need changed and cleaning reels.

basscatcher8 reply :

Tackle making. been pouring and painting jigs like crazy the last couple months. Just ordered my first injector and grub mold from del-mart so that should be interesting. This season I have my new boat that I'm bringing home this week and gonna get that rigged out. The sauger should start running here in late january beginning of february and the season will be on!

Clint C. reply :

I work double hours it seems like. More spending cash for fishing season =0)

Brent Christian reply :

Thanks everyone! Headed out to the lake today it's down to winter pool gonna go see what I usually can't.. My winter will consist of archery competitions, trout fishin, buying more tackle, and trying to learn as much as possible!!

Bankbeater reply :

Strip the line off my reels

Clean and lube reels

Take reels in for maintenance if needed.

Decide which type of line to use.

Sharpen hooks on baits.

Clean out tackle bag.

Buy new fishing license.

Stock up on plastics that I'm low on.

SudburyBasser reply :

Much like the other respondents to this question: Cleaning and organizing of equipment, stockpiling of lures, map and lake research of lakes I have and haven't fished before, watching fishing videos and reading on the subject, drinking, NFL (though now that my Bears are out will be an empty activity). One addition to this year is research on an angling kayak I'm thinking of buying in the coming months.

doyle8218 reply :

Don't know what Winter is 80 degrees today !

gr8outdoorz reply :

Fishing!! Spring, summer, fall, & winter!

DogBone_384 reply :

It's already tough, but I work two jobs, have a family, and am trying to finish my MBA by June..... That'll fill up most of my time.

Thankfully I have plenty I want to learn, so I'll be reading Bassresource until thaw!

tomustang reply :

Trout.

RAMBLER reply :

Go fishing.

NEjitterbugger reply :

This

Insanity reply :

This! And I stripe fish all winter. ( white bass).

Sam reply :

The dead people in my house who are looking at me and following me all around.

I know they are there. I smell death cookies. Stalking me all the time.

Looking at me through the rods and then moving the reels around.

Playing with my baits. Opening up the draws that hold the baits.

Laughing at me. Knowing that I can't see them but they can see me.

I think they are largemouth bass but am not sure. They turn off the lights, too.

And they turn the lights back on.

They are here. All around me. Touching my things. Watching me.

But then they go away when I start to fish in March. They float away.

At least that is what the nurses and doctors say. They float away.

But they leave the death cookies.

You can never get rid of the death cookies.

That's what the nice doctors and nurses say.

I won't get my mind back until March.

I can leave my padded room and go outside in March.

But they are here for now.

Gone in March.

Can't wait for March.

Bye Bye.

5fishlimit reply :

Right now the new Jann's Netcraft catalog is keeping me sane.

My new club jerseys are arriving next week, so that's exciting to me.

Sometimes it's the little things.

ww2farmer reply :

Ice fish, and buy new bass tackle, but that's about it. I actually like the break. Keeps me from getting burned out. I'll know when I have "lost" it when I don't get excited for the ice to melt in early spring, or bummed that I have to put the boat up in the late fall.

MarkH024 reply :

Per the title - J. Walker

Time to clean the reels soon. Tackle has been organized about 3 times already.

Fish'N Impossible reply :

Inventory gear, organize gear, make list of needed or desired gear for the next year. Then I start buying gear from previous list, and start cleaning rods& reels. Read fishing articles, forms, and books. Watch videos both DVD, and Utube on techniques and tips, as a matter of fact Bassresource has a great video set on Utube.
I also set up a casting, flipping course in my garage by setting up 2,3, and 4" cut pieces of PVC around with obstructions (under the grill extension) and cast abd flip to them. This is the most critical skill in competitive fishing getting your bait exactly where you want it.
During all this I am working/searching for sponsors going too expo's, and taking to other anglers, businesses, and youths. While constantly complaining about the solid water.

Fishing Rhino reply :

Not a problem for me. Winter is the time I get stuff done around the house. This year, I'm replacing all the carpeting in the upstairs bedrooms with pre-finished hardwood flooring. Should have it done before we head to Daytona Beach for speedweeks. I get to fish whenever I want during the warmer months as a trade off. Another upside is that the fuel bills for my truck are about a hundred dollars per week less, which also pleases my wife. It takes me four or five days per room because I like a perimeter pattern in hardwood flooring. I also change the patterns slightly by using different color woods. It takes more time and care, but my labor is free, and we enjoy the finished product.

The dining room picture below which I also did was done in the 1970s with the photo taken about thirty years later. It was not a prefinished floor. I rented a floor sander to even out the strips. Then smoothed it with an oscillating sander to get rid of the sanding grooves.

Raul reply :

Nice job Rhino !

What keeps me from going insane year round ? well, unless the ball and chain orders something else ( like painting the house ) or the weather sux ( too windy or rainy ) ---> go fishing !

Ahhh, this warm climates are great !

nascar2428 reply :

This site!!

---=Martin=--- reply :

On 12/30/2013 at 9:37 AM, Brent Christian said:
Its cold here in Kentucky, all ive caught is an occasional trout.. Been looking at plenty of maps of lakes, and trying to find new spots to fish.. What occupies everyones time until spring?

south FL baby! All year round fishing though summers are tough for bass, so i just catch snakeheads

Jolly Green reply :

Leash up the bait monkey and cruise the clearance bins. Assorted 5-packs of Gammy worm hooks at 50 cents each? Thanks, local Walmart. Fetch, monkey, fetch!

CDMeyer reply :

School, Lift, Homework..... Then research fishing and organize tackle and keep trying to learn more to one day go pro

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