As 2020 fades into history I’m sure some of us will bid it good riddance, as 2020 was certainly not a stellar year with the pandemic putting the entire world into turmoil. But even though 2020 was certainly not a good year I intend to put a positive twist on 2021. With that said I’ll start my New Year resolutions even though I very seldom keep them beyond February.
Of course I will definitely resolve to do more hunting and fishing in 2021. That should be an easy resolution to keep. But even fun activities like hunting and fishing sometimes require motivation. More than once I’ve either slept in or lingered over a second cup of coffee while my boat, The Barbie J,sat quietly at her dock waiting to go fishing. Sleeping in can often happen even more easily during hunting season. After all when the temperature drops below freezing my bed is much more inviting than walking through snow to my blind. It’s all a matter of extending my comfort zone.
I also resolve to limber up my flyrod this year and seek out some of the big bluegills I’m sure are somewhere in this lake. There was a time when I used the flyrod almost exclusively but I haven’t gotten it out for a long time. In my defense the fish I’ve been after usually run deep, and it takes patience to wait until a fly sinks that deep. I know I could add a split shot for weight, but that seems to take away the fun of fly fishing.
I also resolve to use my electric trolling motor more this year. The small trolling motor is not perfect to use with a pontoon boat it works well early in the morning when the lake is calm. It can be a bother to deploy it, but when it helps catch fish it is worth the effort. I use it to control the boat’s drift and to keep the bait over any honey hole I might find.
The trolling motor works well when slow trolling nightcrawler harnesses too, and we will use them more in 2021. The harnesses consist of just a hook on a long leader with pretty beads and spinners strung on to entice a fish to bite. I make the harnesses myself during winter and have so many that I’ll never use them all up no matter how much I fish.
Hunting will be a little different this year as I plan to hunt turkeys again. When I first got into turkey hunting I was obsessed until I finally got my first one. Once the ice was broken and I proved I could do it again and again I decided that I would just as soon fish doing spring turkey season. Now I’m ready to get back out there and smell the spring flowers in April and May.
One change in my turkey hunting will be using my crossbow instead of a shotgun. After four retina surgeries I won’t risk the recoil of a 12-gauge shotgun firing 3-inch shells. My eye seems fine now, but the doctor did act a bit concerned about recoil. The crossbow might also be my implement of choice for fall deer season. That means that I need to practice a lot this summer until my bolts (arrows) hit the target consistently every time. Eve though the crossbow has a stock like a rifle it is a very short range implement. I set my farthest range at no more than 30 yards, and will not take a shot beyond that distance.
These are just a few of my resolutions for the new year, but time can be fickle and who can say what 2021 will bring our way. Whatever it is my advice is to take it in stride and pray that the covid will be defeated and this will be your best year yet.
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