It’s the cruelest month in terms of weather, but knowing that March is so close just makes me start watching weather reports to see if there is any chance to throw a few casts without icing up my gear and brain.

This year, it seems even worse. I’ve become spoiled living in Kentucky. Most of my life, winter meant hard water. In Kentucky, the lakes rarely freeze, so I can fish all winter long. Do I? Um, no. It’s still cold. No, check that. It’s worse than cold. It’s damp cold; the kind that filters into your insides, saturates your bones and makes it impossible to get warm for, say, 29 hours.

Luckily, I got to scratch the itch last week, when it warmed up to a balmy 56 degrees. I dragged my wife out to a local pond to do a little fishing. We didn’t do any catching, but I didn’t care. I needed the fix.

Which brings me to today. I wasn’t supposed to be writing this blog today. After that hour of fishing, I wanted more. So I planned a trip with Prevacid pro Dan Morehead to shoot photos and write a Pro Lessons article out on Kentucky lake.

Then I saw the weather: Morning temps hovering around 20 degrees. A high of 40 (which is a blatant lie because there is no way it’s getting that warm). Oh, and a chance of snow.

Ugh.

I’ve fished in that type of weather before. I’ve watched the line freeze in the guides. I’ve taken those horrendous boat rides where any open piece of skin gets so cold it hurts. Basically, I’ve been that dumb before.

Not this time.

Those previous trips were usually for muskies (my passion) or because I had to (covering the 2010 Walmart FLW Tour event at Table Rock Lake, I was given the coldest boat ride of my life, and it lasted for 50 excruciating miles!). This trip didn’t fit into either category, and even Morehead didn’t want to go. He said he would, but he’d rather not. I’m so glad he said that.

Now, instead of freezing, I’m sitting in my toasty-warm office patting myself on my back. Though maybe I shouldn’t be. We’re hitting the water next Friday …