Well Now What?

Dave Barnett

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jan 16, 2010
Messages
282
My fishing rods are all hung up neat and stowed. The tackle box is in the closet. All the life jackets and ropes are stowed. The outboard is winterized and it and the boat are under cover. Now I have about 4 - 5 months of thumb twiddling to do. What are some of your ways to pass the time till Fishing/boating season?
 

roncoop75

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
229
Re: Well Now What?

This can't be the only hobby you have. I'd go nuts in the winter.

RC Helicopters, teaching myself Linux, car audio, working on my house.... to name a few.
 

kenmyfam

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
14,392
Re: Well Now What?

The honey do list is usually extremely long at this time of year.:D
 

HondaPower

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 28, 2002
Messages
236
Re: Well Now What?

Rebuild an outboard, work on computers, go ice fishing.
 

tallcanadian

Captain
Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
3,250
Re: Well Now What?

All the above but I twittle thumbs good too, Dave. Luckily we get ice and the ice fishing starts in February. Snowmobiling early January. In between all this we just freeze.
 

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
Staff member
Joined
May 19, 2001
Messages
26,066
Re: Well Now What?

It's a great time to volunteer your time to the community.

There are ton's of volunteer opportunities to help out your neighbor's and people in need. Very rewarding time consumption and who know's....... you might make a new friend or two.
 

sasto

Captain
Joined
Jun 1, 2010
Messages
3,918
Re: Well Now What?

Hi Dave, might try one of the online boating, docking or fishing simulators. Got to like the advice Bob gave. :)
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: Well Now What?

I have model trains. Just cleaned up the basement yesterday so I can start working on the layout again.
 

Dave Barnett

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jan 16, 2010
Messages
282
Re: Well Now What?

I'm not at loss for things to do. I like to restore old Fishing reels an rods. I usually give them away to kids and folks who don't have one. I pick them up at auctions and yard sales. It's a great feeling to see the excitement on kids faces when they get their very own fishing stick.
I also raise rabbits. They are fun to mess with and good eating.
I do a little wood working and there is always something around the house that needs attention.
Mostly I was just wondering what everyone else does to while away the winter blues.
 

LongLine

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
494
Re: Well Now What?

Put a rug on the basement floor. Open your tackle box and dump it on the rug. Take a hand file and sharpen every hook point then place it back in the tackle box when sharp. Spring will be here before you know it. :)

Tom B.
(LongLine)
 

WIMUSKY

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 26, 2009
Messages
20,059
Re: Well Now What?

Hunting, ice fishing, snowmobiling, x-country skiing and I have a couple of R/C boats that need tweaking b/4 next season. And there's always something to do on the Goat.... I like that hook sharpening idea too. Especially for the musky lures....
 

642mx

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
1,588
Re: Well Now What?

Well, my boat isn't packed away yet... (but probably will be after this coming Sunday)

In the winter;

We hit every boat & sport show we can find within a reasonable driving distance (Indy, STL, Louisville, Nashville). Most of the shows don't have a lot of performance boats, but they are fun anyways.

We go snow skiing at least once, but I've got a broken foot right now so that will have to wait until late January.

We get some friends together and spend a weekend in Nashville. I like country music and I like boozing... the town seems to fit me.

Take my MX bike trail riding, but the foot thing is preventing that right now...

And I try to work a lot of hours in the winter. It passes the time and I can always use more income (more money = more boat parts)

This is also the time of year where I have time to sit down and read a book, see some movies, and spend some quality time with the wifey.
 

Gromulin

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 5, 2010
Messages
230
Re: Well Now What?

Too cold for Boats, switching to Guns...

Detail strip and clean a few M1 / M1 carbines, set up the MEC reloader I bought off a friend a couple years back, get as much trap shooting in as weather allows and go try some Sporting Clays, finally, this year. I was invited to take a 3-gun clinic in December, but had to pass. It's the same weekend as our Cub scout Pack's overnight on the USS Hornet in Alameda. So, I still get SOME "boating" in December. Staying overnight on a retired Carrier is a blast!
 

d4570

Cadet
Joined
Sep 20, 2010
Messages
18
Re: Well Now What?

The boat never get put away. Some times I have to shovel the snow out of it and put the chains on the truck. As long as the river keeps moving and the wind can get at It I'm on the watter. Were hunting right now but Deer/elk closes the weekend of Thanksgiving. Then we will goose hunt and call coyotes till it stops moving. Its going down to 0 latter this week and a foot of snow.:cool:
 

gonefishie

Commander
Joined
Jul 28, 2004
Messages
2,624
Re: Well Now What?

Spend an enormous amount of time on iboats and chasing a different kind of tails. :D

It still get into the high 50's low 60's, what are you thinking putting the boat away?
 

scipper77

Commander
Joined
Sep 30, 2008
Messages
2,106
Re: Well Now What?

My wife is trying to kill me with the honey do list.

I am finishing up a minor remodel on the upstairs bathroom (Granite counter top, new toilet), then I have to replace 7 doors upstairs with prehung 6 panel doors before the carpet guys come to recarpet our entire second floor next week.

When that is done it's on to drylocking the basement.
 
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