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If you’re an anxious angler like me, you can’t wait for ice out to head for your favorite crappie lake to wet a line in open water for the season’s first time. Those just after ice out trips sometimes produce good fishing, but at other times the fish seem to be non-existent. The fact is that as the water warms and weather stabilizes during spring, the crappie bite usually gets better.

As a fishing TV show host and fishing educator, one of my “jobs” is to help people find and catch more fish. With that in mind, I am constantly researching and experimenting with cutting edge fishing techniques, staying on the lookout for the latest in technological gadgets, and keeping a watchful eye for good bites that materialize across the Midwest.

March can be a bit of a difficult time for this open water angler. The weather is starting to turn for the better, so I am very anxious to be in a boat. Yet, lakes across the Midwest are still ice covered, meaning my boat and this angler are still on the sidelines! Nevertheless, there are some things that I, and we all, can do to get ready for when ice is off the lakes.

Even though I have been fishing for fifty-plus years, each fishing season I hope is better than the one(s) that came before it. In order for that to happen, there are some areas of my “fishing game” that need my attention if I am going to be a better and more successful angler than in the past. Here is a look at ways anglers can improve their fishing skills.

The sport of fishing seems to be in a sort of continuous technological revolution as boats/motors, electronics, and all the other gear we use to find and catch fish just keep getting better and better. Certainly all this “gadgetry” often makes finding and catching fish more efficient, but it is still important to remember that fishing can still be a simple sport.