It snowed again. I got around eight inches and now it is wet sloppy slushy snow. The dog is having a blast. Everything is soaking wet. This will be great for the gardens in the spring. Maybe it will help keep the bugs down a little, but probably not — we live near marshes.

The bite was yellow perch showing up around several areas in Delmarva, and anglers looking for perch. They are still mostly in deep water but some are moving around. Look in the deeper part of creek bends and main channels. Use the biggest minnows you can get. Use J hooks over circle hooks this time of year. You will need to manually set a hook. Fish strikes tend to be less dramatic in winter. The fish might just hold onto the bait and you need to manually set the hook.

Yellow perch want a big meal in the winter. That’s true for all fish. You’d be surprised how large a minnow a small fish can consume or will try to consume in winter. Large minnows produce more energy. Big bait, big fish.

There has been some crappie and bass action. It’s winter, you have to put in the time.

Maryland DNR is stocking trout and announces new places constantly.

This crazy weather has been fun. In the north, our lake has 12 inches of ice and the fishing is amazing, I am told. It’s too long a trip for some ice fishing, but maybe that will happen this year. It has been a while since we had fishable ice on that water. Yesterday they were driving across the lake. A road trip could be in order.

Speaking of road trips, the OBX still has action to try from the surf. That’s a warmer trip than ice fishing but not too much warmer. Soon enough we can complain how hot it is this summer.

Shops are starting to open longer hours and earlier. Many have to be around the shop anyway for shipments to arrive for the season. Look out for beginning of the year sales. The fishing show circuit around Maryland is cranking up and the Philadelphia Fishing Show is this weekend.