Spring is finally showing signs that it is coming and that winter will not hold on forever this year. I saw this as I am sitting here looking at the current weather which says it's 38 degrees..... Well, tomorrow is suppose to be almost 80 degrees with thunderstorms. That will make ever feel like it's more like spring.
Many things that bring me to spring are happening over the next couple weeks. First, the Orioles season started on Monday and the home opener is tomorrow! Go O's!!! Second, spring trout fishing is well underway and has been providing entertainment and dinner for many of us over the past two weeks. Third, spring turkey season starts next Saturday, and that too gives us hunters a reason to hit the woods, even if it only is for a couple hours in the early morning. Forth, spring trophy Rockfish season also starts next Saturday, as I am sure this will leave some people torn if they should be in the woods after a turkey or on a boat on the bay looking for one of those big Rockfish.
This year the weather has been funky, which may help both turkey season and spring trophy Rockfish season. The woods are still mostly in winter mode, as very little if anything has started to sprout which means turkeys will be easier to see and possibly get a shot at when the season opens next week. On the other side the cold temps have held water temperatures down in the bay so a lot of the big Rockfish are holding in the months of the rivers and in the upper reaches of the bay waiting on water temperatures to get a bit warmer so they can go spawn. This should give a many a good chance to catch a good size Rockfish while out trolling when the season opens. I have talked to a couple of people that have been out doing catch and release fishing the past week and they said fishing is good.. I think fishing should be good for the first couple weeks of the season as the fish continue to move up the bay to spawn and then back down to head out into the ocean to head north for the summer. Sadly, for those looking to see those fish at the beach, you could be waiting until early to mid May at this point before the fishing gets going on the ocean side.
Lastly, of course as water temps continue to rise over the next couple weeks, freshwater fishing will continue to get better and better and offer something exciting for everyone in the family of all ages to do. This has to be one of the best times of year in terms of the most things to do, although fall comes in a close second as many of the things you can do now you can do then, plus deer hunting. Guess you are trading turkey for deer in the fall.
Nevertheless, spring is a great time to be out on the water, in the woods, or just on a nature walk with family and friends to just enjoy everything nature has to offer to us. We have even still be out shed hunting, but like this past hunting season, we have had very little luck in finding any sheds. We did find a dead 8 point which I will post a picture of in a coming post about my spring shed hunting.
Hopefully many of you are planning to enjoy some form of nature, or one of the outdoor sports that will soon be open to enjoy in the coming weeks.
If you are out and get a cool picture, or get lucky and get a turkey, or Rockfish we would love to see the pictures and hear the story that goes along with it!
Good luck and enjoy this spring!
