Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
There's still a lot of fishing season left in the year so there's no need for anyone to start putting their tackle or boats away yet. But sooner or later, it’s sure to happen that external conditions will be such that even the most diehard anglers will finally toss in the towel and choose one of two options; either head to southern latitudes where they can keep on fishing until the “spring thaw” occurs up here on Delmarva or stow their boats and tackle away and go into some form of hibernation for a few months.
Given the chance, I think most fishermen would choose the former of the two alternatives. It’s always better to fish than not, and better still, you can do it in a warm tropical environment in the middle of the winter. Of course, most folks simply can’t pull up stakes and head south just to catch a few fish and dodge a few snowflakes, so for so many, “make like a bear and hibernate” is the only way to get through the long fishless winter.
When I was a kid, too much downtime between fishing seasons made the winters absolutely brutal on me. Still too young to drive and being in school 5 days a week meant that any hunting, fishing, camping or ski trips were at the mercy of my parent’s busy schedules. I was impatient and desperately needed something to keep me occupied between outdoor adventures. Recognizing my discontent one winter, my mother bought me a beginner fly-tying kit to give me something to do. Talk about creating a monster! For the rest of that winter I did nothing but study pictures of flies in an Orvis catalog and then try my best to duplicate them on a little fly vise clamped to the very desk where I should have been spending more time doing my homework. I learned not only how to tie flies, but also that the next best thing to “fishing” is working on the tackle and equipment that would eventually allow me to go fishing. That next spring when the action finally resumed, I surely wasn’t lacking for flies!
It’s interesting the way that life turns out. As a captain and fishing guide, I now do for a job what I used to do for fun. These days my winter downtime only lasts until the end of January when I head south to get back to the "work" of fishing, but that still allows opportunity to take on projects that will make the upcoming season in Florida and Ocean City run more smoothly.
The process typically starts in early November when I start taking tackle and equipment off my boats, running through the winterization and storage process and making a list of the various tasks I’ll need to take care of between now and spring. Having a written list allows me to prioritize items and schedule projects.
Obviously there will be things on the list like “painting” or “fiberglass work” that are very weather-dependent and must be done either on a nice day in the fall or not until spring. Inside work is always reserved for the cold, bleak days in the heart of the winter when I’ll get the additional benefit of enjoying some hands-on work that makes me feel a bit less removed from the upcoming fishing season. Let the snow fly and the ice form because today I’m warm as toast sitting at a work bench tweaking out the drags on fishing reels so they’ll be ready for action this spring! You get the point.
There will always be plenty of maintenance and repair projects that pop-up during the fishing season, but those who fish a lot don’t have much time for the “hobby” type of work that can and should be done during the winter months. Anything that can be done in the off-season will make life so much easier later when it’s time to focus more on catching fish. And it’s for that reason that I already have a to-do list in the works for this fall and early winter that will keep me more than busy in the off-season and ahead of the game when it’s time to get back to the business of fishing. So far, my list includes: making lead-head jigs, tying some flies, cleaning and fixing some reels, repairing a couple rods, re-spooling reels, updating my inventory of leader, new bearings in a boat trailer and way too many projects on my boats than I care to mention.
If ever the size and scope of this punch-list starts to get me down, I just remind myself that even though I “must” do these things for my business, many of the tasks are no different from what I once did as a kid for "fun" and a way to maintain some sanity during the no-fishing months. I’m betting there’s a lot of young, old and anywhere in-between anglers out there who would benefit and get a lot of enjoyment from picking away at fishing related hobbies of their own and right now, while we're all still fishing, boating and doing what we so much like to do, is the best time to start that list. That squeaky reel you fished with last weekend, the bad light on your boat trailer or that broken rod holder - get those off season chores on paper and it will be a lot easier to prioritize, budget for and eventually knock out what you'll need to get done before next season.
By the way, once you get all your "stuff" ready for the next season, how about getting yourself ready? Maybe the last line on your to-do list should be something like "go south and practice!" And if you're so inclined and find yourself down in the lower Florida Keys in February, March, or April I hope you'll consider joining me on a full or half-day backcountry flats fishing trip to chase tarpon, bonefish, permit, barracuda, sharks and any of the other species found in the shallow and incredibly beautiful waters we fish between Big Pine Key and Key West. I can take up to two anglers at a time on my Maverick flats skiff and while I can never "guarantee" fish, I can promise you'll get a lot of fishing - and certainly casting "practice" that will make you a better angler when you get home.
This might be the last issue of the Coastal Fisherman for 2019, but there's a lot of great fishing yet to be had on Delmarva before the snow starts to fly and our fishing holes ice over. I hope everyone has a chance to enjoy what's left of the summer and has a great fall and winter of hunting, fishing and knocking out their to-do lists before the start of the 2020 season!
Capt. Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and captain of the charter boat, “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center. During the winter months, Capt. Mark runs charters in the Lower Keys.
