Chores

You know, it is weeks like this where all you can do is sit back and think about what is to come. I mean, we just had our fill of snow and ice. Next is a forecast of rain at some point every day of the week and then another cold weekend.

It makes it tough for the outdoors lover to get motivated and get outdoors. Sure, we have the Dixie Deer Classic and the Greensboro Fishing Expo over the weekend. All they do is get us more into a frenzy only to have the wind knocked out of us when we step back outside.

It may give us time to catch up on our honey-do lists so there will not be any excuses when Mother Nature decides to cooperate.  But if you are like me, these to-do lists are more like ta-da lists as it will be a magic trick if I were able to finish anything on it.

Even if I try to take a look at an inspirational documentary on something like Netflix such as River Monsters (yes, it is my favorite show, there are plenty of seasons to watch for the third or fourth time, and Jeremy Wade knows how to fish), I am pushed to the back burner because with all the school time that has been missed the kids have begun to binge watch shows such as Friends which has like 500 episodes and they are only in season 3.

Yes, you can call me Negative Nelly. I am becoming stir-crazy.

I am ready to hit the waters on the kayak with rod and paddle in hand and find those big fish that Jeremy Wade catches with ease. I am ready to start scouting for the gobblers and setting up ground blinds in their trampling grounds. I am ready to start some early spring food plots and set up trail cameras to see what deer made it through the winter and start the target list.

What is one to do?

I guess the first order is to start planning. The sucker fish, shad, and striper will all start spawning once the water temperatures begin to rise. Will I try to hit the striped bass early on their migration up the Roanoke River or try to catch them amongst the hundreds of other anglers on the upper Roanoke? Timing is everything, so lots of thought must go into this!

I can target redhorse suckers on the Contentnea Creek and river suckers on the Swannanoa River. The redhorse will only have a week or so of great fishing. The river suckers can be targeted throughout the summer months.

The shad will begin their runs slightly before the stripers. Both hickory and American shad will overlap the spawns on a variety of rivers. Will it be the Neuse, the Tar, or the Roanoke? I will monitor the reports from the North Carolina Wildlife website when the sampling season starts in mid to late March. That will let me know when and where I should be.

Just have to stay focused on the important things and get the game plan together. That way there will be a quick response to the “what are your plans this weekend?” question from the wife. Otherwise I will never find a way to avoid such gloom and doom pains like housework and cleaning.