It doesn’t seem to matter how old I get fishing still seems to bring out the kid in me. You can call it cabin fever or whatever other virus seems to fit, but the bottom line is I always catch it about this time of year.

Whenever I have a moment to relax and allow myself to do a little daydreaming I’ll be on a lake somewhere seeking out that elusive lunker walleye or pike.

I maybe don’t have quite the enthusiasm that I once did, but I did pass some of that on to my oldest grandson Trevor. He wants to spend as much time fishing as he can and if the ice is on the lake he wants to be there whether in the fish house that he made or sitting on a bucket. It doesn’t matter to him as long as it’s fishing. My enthusiasm comes mainly for open water fishing, but he has gotten me at least “lip hooked” on the hard water thing.

When I was growing up, it wasn’t all about fishing, especially in the winter. It was about being outdoors and exploring the seemingly endless wonder of the slough by our house. As kids my friend, Kim Dilling, and I and some of the other neighborhood kids would walk the slough not really looking for anything special but hoping to see signs of critters. It was fun to play in the slough and pretend to be explorers like the first fur traders that came to Minnesota looking for those same critters we hoped to get a glimpse of.

We’d wonder at the sight of a fox track and even a raccoon. The sight of a hawk soaring overhead would always make us stop and stare in awe as it floated effortlessly above only to swoop down and grab an unsuspecting field mouse. Seeing an event like that made the day’s adventure seem fulfilling and somehow would make you feel closer to nature that ever.

In those days just like today you always dressed in layers. Thinsulate and Gortex weren’t an option back then, and we didn’t have expensive winter boots, but the old five-buckle overshoes worked just fine as long as you didn’t find some thin ice to fall through and fill them with water. On days when we were feeling adventurous we’d trek all the way to “skunk hill” and hunker down for a little while before heading back toward home where at least one of our moms would be seeking our whereabouts.

As the winter sun started to fade and the reality of the cold and damp started setting in we knew that it was just about time to head for the warmth of home. Besides the runny noses and cold hands there was the noisy pant leg thing. Once your pants got wet and froze it seemed like you made a clicking sound when you walked. It was almost like putting a playing card on your bike to make the spokes hitting it sound like a motor. I guess it didn’t take much to amuse us back then. I’ve said before that nobody wanted to make the call but there were times when one of our moms could be heard echoing one of our names from afar. Some times one of us might be the only one who could hear the calling, but that would be enough to send us all seeking the comfort of the heat register.

When I’d get home I’d sit by the heat register and suffer the pain that goes with warming up hands and feet that had been exposed to the cold a little too long. If you’ve never had that experience, I’d suggest you keep it that way. After warming up I’d put on dry clothes and have a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows and then head upstairs to dig out my old treasured Outdoor Life and Sports Afield magazines that my cousin Tom had given me.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t already read them many times over, but I’d pick out a favorite fishing story and revisit some fishing adventure that I could only dream about experiencing. I’d be sitting on a lake making that perfect cast dropping the lure just under an overhanging tree branch and waiting for the water to explode and that lunker to appear with my lure firmly embedded in its jaw.

Yes this was a great time for simple things and imagination was a great part of growing up. Wait a minute! Didn’t I just have that same dream a couple of days ago? Well, maybe I did, but I think I was using different equipment and a better boat, but the kid fishing was still the same one that has always been there.

Ice shelter removal deadlines approaching

Minnesota ice anglers will have extra fishing opportunities in March because of some changes that were made late in the 2008 legislative session but not included in the regulations handbook.

“These changes will allow anglers to enjoy some late season ice fishing,” said Capt. Ken Soring, acting Department of Natural Resources Enforcement chief.

The fish house/shelter removal deadline for the southern part of the state is March 2, rather than March 1 as originally printed in the 2008 Fishing Regulations handbook.