I'm an avid smallmouth bass fisherman and normally I spend 50-70 days a year floating streams for smallies. I used to lake fish but now spend about 95% of my time on streams. "If it ain't flowin', Ol' Ed ain't goin'" Due to a knee replacement last summer, I was limited to under 30 days so I'm rarin' to go this year. My Buddy Doug and I talked last night and plan on hitting one of our favorite local streams tomorrow. Air temps are supposed to hit 50F today and tomorrow which should bump up the water temps to mid to upper 30's and hopefully put a smallie or two in a "bitin' mood". Winter is one of my favorite times to float fish. I may only get one or two bites all day but it's usually a big fish.
I really don't have any pre-season rituals I go through other than plan trips and spool new line on all my reels. My raft, canoe and yaks are always hanging in the garage ready to be loaded at a moments notice and rods & reels, tackle, waders, pfds, dry bags, coolers etc ready to go. When I get a call that one of my buddies want to float a stream I can be loaded and pulling out the drive in about 45 minutes. If an over-night camping trip is involved it might take two hours to make sure I have everything.
During a normal year I fish in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia with occasional forays to Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Missouri or even out west to Montana and Idaho. I've done 21 fishing trips in the Quetico/Boundary Waters area and am planning another one this fall. I may need to move it up a little to mid-August as my son and his wife are expecting their first child in early September (my 5th grand youngun). I'll also do a couple trips to WVA and at least one to KY and VA. I think it should be a good year.
DE
I want to read my own water, choose my own path, write my own songs