So much for the balmy winter weather. The good thing about it is the fact it brings out most of the winter outdoor enthusiasts. The parks are once again echoing the familiar sound of pucks hitting the boards on a crisp winter night. The ice fishermen can once again go about their sport without the worry of standing water freezing their houses into the ice, or of the ice opening up and swallowing their house as was the case for some.

The only ones struggling to find a place for their sport are snowmobilers. It has been pretty slim pickings when it comes to snow. We still have a chunk of winter to survive yet, so there is always a chance we’ll get a fair amount of the white stuff.

When my boys were young they both played hockey. The regular routine in the winter was to get home and change and grab the skates and sticks and head to the park. We lived only a block from Academy Park so it really convenient.

Once in a while they would ask me for a ride! I’d say, &uot;It’s only a block away and you get more exercise when you’re there than you’d get walking over there.&uot; I know for a fact they would only ask for the ride so they could see my reaction. They’re still pretty good at pushing the right buttons.

I guess the sound of pucks banging off the boards always sounded neat to me because I knew the kids were getting more skating time than just practice at the arena. They also got a chance to work on the things they felt they needed to improve. Skating at the park with bigger kids always seemed to motivate the younger kids.

I don’t really mind the cold because you can usually dress for it and you don’t have to shovel it. I’ve only had to drag out my trusty scoop once so far this year.

Most Minnesota lakes this year have been producing numbers of pan fish, but the wily walleye has not been as prominent as in other years. I don’t have any scientific evidence to support my theory, but I think the unusually warm and unstable temperatures in the first part of winter were a contributing factor.

There was an interesting story in Outdoor News about an off-duty game warden from New Ulm who tried to help some men that had fallen through the ice on Lake Washington.

After the men were pulled out of the water by some area fishermen, the game warden started back toward shore in the dark by himself and fell through a small opening in the ice. Nobody knew he was there because they all left to take the men to the hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

This story has a happy ending because the warden did mange to pull himself out of the water and walk to safety. He said that reaffirmed his theory about ice being dangerous at all times, but especially at night.

I don’t think it has been such a long cold stretch that any of us have to worry about a serious case of the dreaded cabin fever. But, if you do think you are feeling a little strange, here are some things to look for:

– a. You find yourself staring at a frozen lake and envisioning a fishing boat in the distance;

– b. You spend hours daydreaming about the one you almost put in the boat last year but blamed your brother-in-law for miss-netting;

– c. You find yourself saying &uot;Oh Son,&uot; &uot;Nice One&uot; and &uot;Dandy&uot; a lot because of watching way too many bass fishing shows from places you will probably never get to fish;

– d. You have little poke-holes in your fingers from re-arranging the lures in your tackle box one too many times;

– e. You automatically turn on your blinker when approaching the exit to Cabela’s.

If you have any of these symptoms, or some other related ones not mentioned, don’t be alarmed. Just remember, you have reels that probably need new line put on them and there are numerous sports outdoors and travel shows you can go to for a getaway adventure. Most of the shows even have trout tanks you can wet a line in if you’re quick enough to beat the little kids to the front of the line.

If all else fails, you can always go to the local discount store and pick up a couple of lures for a quick fix. Just remember, there are lures out there so appealing you know the fish are just waiting for them to be made.