Surviving winter...

[DitchPanda]

For those of us living in the North country winter can be a real struggle. Super cold temps coupled with ice and snow, very short days and seasonal depression. The best thing you can do is embrace it and look for ways to stay active and even get enjoyment out of these tough conditions. For me I've got two things I really do that help keep me sane: 1). Exercise- - just got back into it about 8 months ago after years of hiatus but I forgot how good even a modest workout can feel. 4-5 nights a week I'm running\jogging anywhere between 1.4 and 1.75 miles on my treadmill. I'm also doing some yoga, stretching and core exercises..the improvement in my lower back has led me back into my number ........

2) Ice fishing-- last year was the first year in 20 I did no ice fishing. I blamed on "being over it" but the truth is I didn't go because of back issues and the depression that came with it. Well this year I've been out 4 times and I've loved it. Been going for anywhere between 1.5 to 4 hours with basically no real back pain.

Outside of that I do the things we've mentioned in other threads similar to this like studying fish, tackle organization etc. For those of you in the land of heavy snow and dark days what are you doing to keep your sanity?

[gim]

I'm with on the exercise stuff @DitchPanda, although I generally do it all year round (not just the winter).  In the winter I enjoy doing activities that not only require exercise, but they are fun to play.  I play in a racquetball league until March, and then an ice hockey league from March - May.  Last winter I also tried pickleball for the first time and immediately caught on.  In fact, I caught on so quick, I need to find better competition.

 

I also like to swim.  Its better than running/jogging on a machine because it doesn't damage your joints either.

 

Ice fishing is a no go for me.  I occasionally tried it 10-15 years ago but it was almost never worth the effort required to pay off.  This winter the ice is very unsafe and there's 2 feet of snow to slog through.  Its generally quite popular here in MN, but the conditions are dictating things right now and they aren't likely to improve all winter.

[A-Jay]

Visit Bass Resource Forums daily.

Tweak Baits & Tackle as needed.

Spend time with our own & foster dogs.

Focus on being healthy. 

Working to stay lean, balanced, flexible & strong

has been a life long journey. 

A-Jay

 

 

[Darth-Baiter]

are indoor gyms and swimming pools super crowded in the winter time?

[DitchPanda]

18 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I'm with on the exercise stuff @DitchPanda, although I generally do it all year round (not just the winter).  In the winter I enjoy doing activities that not only require exercise, but they are fun to play.  I play in a racquetball league until March, and then an ice hockey league from March - May.  Last winter I also tried pickleball for the first time and immediately caught on.  In fact, I caught on so quick, I need to find better competition.

 

I also like to swim.  Its better than running/jogging on a machine because it doesn't damage your joints either.

 

Ice fishing is a no go for me.  I occasionally tried it 10-15 years ago but it was almost never worth the effort required to pay off.  This winter the ice is very unsafe and there's 2 feet of snow to slog through.  Its generally quite popular here in MN, but the conditions are dictating things right now and they aren't likely to improve all winter.

Closest pool around me is 30ish miles one way. Hard to do that 4-5 times a week when your factor in crap weather and working until 7pm.

 

4 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

are indoor gyms and swimming pools super crowded in the winter time?

not sure...I work out at home

[gim]

7 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

are indoor gyms and swimming pools super crowded in the winter time?

Only if you go during "peak" work out time.  That would generally be right after work during the week in my experience.

 

The gym I have a membership at has saltwater pools - no chlorine.  Chlorine is terrible on the skin.

 

This time of year you can easily tell which people have just started a new years resolution or a guest membership.  They are the ones actually reading the instructions on the machines lol

 

My health insurance pays for a significant portion of my monthly gym membership.

[roadwarrior]

Are you guys allowed to leave the state for brief periods of time?  Perhaps your

parole officer will let you out for a few days.  If not incarcerated, perhaps you should

consider a job with vacation benefits.  We have soft water down here in the South.

 

 

[Jar11591]

9 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Are you guys allowed to leave the state for brief periods of time?  Perhaps your

parole officer will let you out for a few days.  If not incarcerated, perhaps you should

consider a job with vacation benefits.  We have soft water down here in the South.

 

 

We have ankle monitors that go off if we set one foot south of the Mason-Dixon  

[A-Jay]

43 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

are indoor gyms and swimming pools super crowded in the winter time?

Don't do pools.

But my home gym is rarely crowded and open 24/7/365 !

Still the biggest battle happens in front of the fridge. 

A-Jay

[TnRiver46]

Northern threads again blah blah blah ….

 

 

just kidding carry on with your pinochle and euchre games and what not 

[Crappiebasser]

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

Are you guys allowed to leave the state for brief periods of time?  Perhaps your

parole officer will let you out for a few days.  If not incarcerated, perhaps you should

consider a job with vacation benefits.  We have soft water down here in the South.

 

 

Don’t invite more yankees down here. We have enough of the uninvited variety already.

 

RW was just kidding northerners. It sucks down, here stay home.

[DitchPanda]

3 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Are you guys allowed to leave the state for brief periods of time?  Perhaps your

parole officer will let you out for a few days.  If not incarcerated, perhaps you should

consider a job with vacation benefits.  We have soft water down here in the South.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Northern threads again blah blah blah ….

 

 

just kidding carry on with your pinochle and euchre games and what not 

Well I grew up in the south and lived all over down there and honestly everywhere I've seen sucks. But I bet its awesome where you guys live?

[TnRiver46]

39 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

 

Well I grew up in the south and lived all over down there and honestly everywhere I've seen sucks. But I bet its awesome where you guys live?

We shall all embrace the suck 

 

[DitchPanda]

32 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

We shall all embrace the suck 

 

My plant manager always says we rejoice in our suffering, to which I normally reply d**n we've been rejoicing alot lately.

[gim]

Don’t worry. When May rolls around they’ll all be bitchin’ about the sweltering heat and humidity again.

[DitchPanda]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Don’t worry. When May rolls around they’ll all be bitchin’ about the sweltering heat and humidity again.

Ahh yes...everyone will get their come uppins 

[VolFan]

13 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

Still the biggest battle happens in front of the fridge. 

Preach!

[TnRiver46]

9 hours ago, gimruis said:

Don’t worry. When May rolls around they’ll all be bitchin’ about the sweltering heat and humidity again.

I think most of that came from MN last summer too……..

[Captain Phil]

12 hours ago, Crappiebasser said:

Don’t invite more yankees down here. We have enough of the uninvited variety already.

RW was just kidding northerners. It sucks down, here stay home.

 

Winter in Florida is a different kind of fishing hell.  We are constantly dodging cold fronts that can whip up the lakes pretty bad, not to mention being downright dangerous. The water sometimes drops into the 40-50s and Florida bass go on strike big time. The biggest problem where I live is the influx of "snow bird" fishermen.  The boat ramps overflow, even on weekdays. Add in 2-3 club tournaments each weekend plus a few big national tournaments and you can imagine what the fishing pressure is like.  The good news is there is 50,000 acres of water to play in. I fish where other people don't.

[DitchPanda]

22 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I think most of that came from MN last summer too……..

Don't forget Iowa...I do plenty of whining about the heat as well. Wow maybe the weather isn't the issue....

[TnRiver46]

8 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Don't forget Iowa...I do plenty of whining about the heat as well. Wow maybe the weather isn't the issue....

Seems like ND can go from 110 to negative 20 most years, it might still be the weather

[DitchPanda]

Yeah we recently had -46 wind chill and like 3 days later it was 34. That's a difference of 80 degrees in 72 hours.

[813basstard]

If Winter up north is anything like Covid lockdown, you can have that. The ol lady ate the equivalent of 3 acres of wheat and grain or whatever they make bread with..chased it down with enough cheese to put a dairy farm out of business..

[FryDog62]

I groused about the winter in MN for decades and got tired of listening to me... so the silver lining with covid was it has become semi-normal to work remote. Kids out of the house, wife dislikes winter as much or more than me so we just left a couple years ago. Two months the first year, 3 the second, now 4+ months this year.

 

I hope to get out-of-state residency this year and may extend beyond 6 months in order to get away from a high tax state with extreme temps, far from center politics, rising crime, etc.  Why live cooped up any more if you don't have to. If you're not happy, change is good ~ 

[jbmaine]

Winter is the time for us to really spend time on our other hobbies. Woodworking for me and quilting for my wife. We used to enjoy snow shoeing, but the last few years we really haven't had the snow for it.