Off-season - [awf-see-zuhn]
noun
1. a time of year other than the regular or busiest one for a specific activity: Fares are lower in the off-season.
2. a time of year when business, manufacturing activity, etc., is less than normal or at an unusually low point.
3. a time of year when fishermen start to go out of their mind and their heads spin with unrealistic expectations of all the fish they will catch this year
Not that we've had any real weather that one could call "winter" but it is never the less the off-season. The time of year when surf fishing can be unpleasant and is almost always unproductive. Just because we haven't had much of a winter doesn't mean the fish stick around. I have however, had the opportunity to get out a couple times to try new gear and just mess around in general. New gear has been abundant this off season with lightweight, breathable, boot-foot waders, a new bait knife, a set of glacier gloves, a bunch of Dick's gift cards, and some korkers...Christmas was good to this Bad Fisherman!
This is actually my second set waders, and that's a bit of a funny story. The waders were purchased from Dick's thanks to a combination of gift cards and scorecard rewards points. The day I got them I took them right out to Rye state park where I know the beach gradually slopes to the water and is free of rocks and obstacles for the most part.
I pulled the waders on, grabbed my gear and trudged to the waters edge before carefully stepping into the water feeling not unlike an astronaut. Having never previously thought about what it must be like to walk in the water without being wet, it was quite the experience...for a few minutes at least. After popping on a 1oz. bucktail I began to work the water column; I saw bait ripple the surface on a few of my retrieves but never had a hit. I was up to my waist at this point and happy as a clam...until I felt it that is. At first all I noticed was a little bit cold around my calf. For all I knew this was normal so I didn't give it too much thought but within the next five minutes cold had turned to wet. Completely bummed I headed back to my car where I took the waders off and found a soaked right leg and a damp left one. Obviously this company's quality control leaves something to be desired. With the waders (somewhat) packed back into their box I headed back to Dicks's, luckily they didn't have a problem exchanging them for a new pair.
Fast forward to my last trip to the beach when I managed to hook and loose something big as well as a bucktail to a errant cast. That brings me to the final point about the off-season, it is a time to reflect on and evaluate the previous season and to set expectations of the upcoming season. Below is last seasons catch stats.
2011 Stats:
Money Spent - Lots$$$
Scup - 5
Bluefish - 3
Lost Lures - 3
Sea Robbin - 2
Smooth Dog Fish - 1
Fluke (Summer Flounder) - 1
Crab (significant other) - 1
My hopes/expectations for 2012:
Catch a Striped Bass
Hire a shore guide
Fish with a friend/my dad
Fish freshwater
Hone my bucktail skills
Read more fishing books
Learn "my" beach and jetty inside and out
Blog more.
So, that being said here's to tight lines and fish on the hook! Good luck in 2012 all.
-Bad Fisherman
