Stir Crazy! | OutDoors Unlimited Media and Magazine

By Bob Bohland: While even I am known to go a little stir crazy at the end of the winter, this has been the ultimate winter from hell. My cabin fever came to a head last week when another giant snow storm combined with high winds and super cold temps hit Minnesota again. While most of the plowed roads blew shut, there were still a few that were passable with 4WD and a shovel. I definitely had to use my shovel more than once on the way out, but the worst was yet to come.

I fired up my auger and let her warm up while I pulled some rods and my Marcum out of my truck. Went back to my auger (her name is Samantha), and started drilling, and drilling, and drilling. As my knuckles got closer and closer to the ice, I began to get a little worried. I don’t own an extension, have never really had a need for one. When my hands hit snow and I still wasn’t through the ice, I knew it was time to get off the ice for a week or two, or at least until I could find an extension for my auger.

After heading home, tail tucked firmly between my legs, I began searching for an extension. Called all of the local outdoor stores, no one had any in stock and had no clue when they would be getting any. So I began to search online and was shocked to see how expensive a 6-12” piece of steel was selling for. The cheapest I found was $40 plus shipping, and there were some for as much as $60+.

That is the exact moment my hatred of this winter hit. I am sure it is fleeting, it will probably fade when some of the snow melts off the lake and the waterways are fit for travel again. However, until then, I have begun my open water prep. This includes an assortment of things, most of which just provide me a way to think about fishing without actually being on the water. The first step is always to pull all the boxes out of my tackle bag and try to put them into some semblance of order. Continue reading….