when i was a kid, we'd snag suckers in a creek.  they were loco and a lot of fun.  heard early in the spring that the meat is excellent.  someday.....

Porktown
I've caught more pike fishing for bluegills (perch & crappie), than I have targeting them.  At least at Arthur.  I don't find targeting them boring, more frustrating.  Casting 100 times = 98 times of cleaning the weeds off of the lure or leader, and possibly one pike.  Casting 100 times for pan fish, and usually end up with 30-90 bites, 10-40 keeper sized pan fish, 10-40 smaller fish and possibly one pike.  They're seasons seem to overlap, so too tempting to catch the pan fish for me.  I'm sure if I could just keep casting away, it would pay off, like the night bite.  But going on 2 months without any fish left in the freezer, I am usually hunting for a meal early in the year.  I would much rather take home 10 pan fish than nothing.  Although, one nice pike is about the same meat and 1/4 the cleaning.  Getting sick of grocery store fish.
 

Been fishing Arthur for 3 years now and never caught a pike lol... I did have something very big blow up on a spinner 2 years ago on Fathers Day. I never seen it but assume it had to have been a ski... Felt real heavy before it broke off.
 
You guys fish from shore or from boat for these critters? Would like to maybe try this year if I don't start hitting up areas around french creek. 
 
Speaking of French Creek.. any locals here that know what the ice conditions are like? 

Robins plucking worms from the grass????????? 
 
Heck I still got snow knee deep to a, 'professional basketball player'.  Can't imagine what the neighbors up north still have on the ground!
 
Did hear some geese on the beaver pond this morning but, I'm thinkin' their the resident birds I've been seeing this winter.
 
All the snow has melted on the side of my roof facing West while the East side still looking like a ski slope.
 
Speaking of, "picking up dog logs and puttin' em in a bucket" (might be a song in there) with  a Weimaraner and Short Hair Pointer  running around, I can't wait.
 
I am thinking Spring.....................  may never get here! 
 
Note: The "storing of a ice chipper, snow shovel and, brush" mentioned on another board can be considered delusional and, should be ignored.
 
 

Rap I got some wye sticks I'll sell ya at a really good price, there adjustable too. (whittling knife, not included (LOL))
 
Fishing for suckers (Red Tail) in the spring at Flat Rock, on French Creek off of 322, West of Franklin in the sixties............ What a time to remember.  And the wye sticks, well, each angler had their own style.  Heck you could tell who was there afore ye just by looking at the sticks in the ground.  Didn't dare disturb that stick either, that guy was coming back!
 
Read the other day, somebody using crab tails for sucker and carp and I mean to tell ya that brought back memories.  Never was, never will be a better bait........ 'cept my doughballs.  (and I still got that recipe (trade secrete))
 
People keep talkin' about spring and the fishin' I'm gonna tow my boat to a launch, push it off the trailer and sit in it, til the ice melts.  

Not sure what kind of Sucker this is but it's a good one. Actually Spring Bass fishing with my son and this one smacked a minnow. Red Horse Sucker ?

 

Was just looking at the river gauges for some of the area rivers and streams; Little Shenango at Greenville looking like she's beginning to awake.  On the other hand Walnut Creek at Erie might be getting testy; her history line looks  like a EKG graph! 
 
More rain heading into the area with some of it looking like it might last awhile.
 
Tonight and tomorrow is gonna bring some really dense fog (not a problem; I been navigating in a dense fog for a long time) so yinz that gotta be out there, be especially careful.

Was 38 degrees F. this morning as I gazed out of my 'favorite deer stand'.  Visibility was quite low as the fog is dense and further limited  what light was available.  The geese were raising a fuss down at the swamp and I'm wondering if a predator may have been near or, are they just agitated the same as I, with the current weather conditions.  A bit lighter now, and I can see water beginning to show around the edge of what was once deep snow but, now has become heavy ice floating on my pool cover.  Not to far off, about 100 yds. or so, I'm beginning to make out the silhouette of a International Tractor sitting peaceful and calm while waiting for enough snow to melt, so it can once again freely roam the fields and woods in search of firewood. 
 
On another note, any of yinz happen to know the symptom of stage III "Cabin Fever"?
 
Gotta go, today is the day I change water in the goldfish bowl.
 
COMMMMMMMMME ONNnn SPRING ................!      

A week after deer season closed; I placed a mineral block on it's side, atop of a cement block.  Yesterday I spotted that mineral block, beginning to reappear.  This morning the mineral block is fully exposed and I think I can see what appears to be the tops of grass stalks, in that same field.
 
As one would expect, it's raining here in my little piece of Penn's Woods.  Been doing that off and on since, around, 8:00pm last evening.
 
Good news, got my tractor free; bad news, still no firewood for the man cave. (wife absolutely refuses)
 
I hope yinz will join me over the next few days in.................  Thinking SPRING!!!!!!!
 
 
Your friend and mine;
 
BTDT

It's so danged foggy here, I couldn't see spring if it was sitting on my porch.  Ditto on the Redwings, a flock of them hit the birdfeeders yesterday (2 one quart and 1 three quart) drained in no time, and one of the feeders is missin'. (lol)  Big old flock of geese on the swamp and looking like some mallards flying around yesterday.  PLUS I got my tractor out........... sweet!
 
SPRING IS IN THE AIR............  now if we could see some water in the lakes!

Skies are gray and cold looking this morning and according to my unofficial "Official Weather Channel Weather Station"; the temperature is 33 degrees, wind is from the WNW with the speed fluctuating between 3 and 7 mph, creating wind chill down around 23 degrees F.
 
Not exactly the type of weather I would like to see mind you but, I'll gladly take it.  I see by the forecast, Mother Nature is going to tease a bit (typical woman(lol)) by giving us temperatures in the mid fifties with sunshine for tomorrow, than drop the daytime temps back to the low forties with some sun, rain and, possibly snow showers for the rest of the week(for some).
 
I'll still take it................  I got no choice(within reason(lol))
 
Think I'll just sit here, in my favorite deer stand , and watch the snow melt.
 
I'm thinkin' Spring 

Speaking of hemorrhoids.  You still 'hanging' around?

Rolled in, ground field corn, dipped in soy bean flour and, deep fried in possum fat over a open fire.  Note: Cooking inside not recommended due to........... smell of burnt fur.  
 
Taste like chicken.