Why Bother!
A Futile Excursion in Winter Pond Fishing
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As we walked along the dam face meadow of the pond I noticed several praying
mantis
egg masses, this one attached to a black locust seedling. At least there
was no ice on
the pond or along the marshy edges. I was hoping that with the last two
day having gotten
into the upper 50's that the warm side of the pond might have shaken lethargy.
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Note the vegetative interface of upland lespedizia on the right and wetland
cattail on the left.
I purchased worms from Dick's last week, and I figured that only live bait would
work for late February. I set everyone up with bobber rigs. I tied on a
small #6 Aberdeen hook with
a Trilene knot. I attached a bobber 2-feet above the hook and then added a
split-shot about
8-inches above the hook. Textbook.
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Meg and Mike fished from on top of the dam
riser, which allowed them easy
access to the front side of the cattail and the edge of deep water. |
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Other than a hawk, a few ducks and geese, the
pond was absolutely still. |
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A few times I saw the inverted vee of a fin
cruise the surface of the pond that was
unmistakably a fish on the prowl. |
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When a breeze kick-up it was a reminder that it
was rather cold today.
Between the four of us including Jeb, we were working the warmest parts
of the pond, with the subtle twitching of the bait that should have enticed a
bite.
Nothing doing. |
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These pond fish are ice-cold, lethargic and
holding on the bottom.
They have the metabolism of a snail.
Did you know that
"meteorological spring" arrives tomorrow Sunday March 1.
The months of March, April and May comprise meteorological spring.
As we know all too well March can contain almost every season.
Winter and spring battle, which often leads to
some big storms and wild temperature
swings. Our average high at the beginning of the month is in the low 50's
but rises to
the low 60's by the end of March. We average over 3.5-inches of liquid
precipitation
and a bit over 1.5-inches of snow. Since the winter of 1887 thru
1988 we have had
10-inches of snow or more just ten times. We have had 5-inches or more 18 times.
43 times since 1887 thru 1988 we have had no measurable snow in March.
Astronomical spring arrives on Thursday the
20th at 1:48 AM.
This is the "Vernal Equinox" when the sun is directly over the equator,
which creates equal day and night in each hemisphere. We will be going
into spring while the southern hemisphere slips into autumn.
For you star gazers Mars will be bright and
overhead by 7:00 PM.
Venus, which has been putting on a show for months, will remain bright
but very low in the horizon and be difficult to see.
Daylight saving time begins
the second Sunday in March, the 9th. Yea!
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Submitted by Mark Burchick
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