I’m in the mood for longer days

I took a few minutes Googling sayings that centered on the word “mood.” Needless to say, there were thousands of quotes regarding moods. Good moods, bad moods, blah moods, upbeat moods — the list just went on and on.

I think people tend to believe a particular mood is a strictly human condition but, if you really think about it, moods are universal in the natural order.

Need an example? OK, how about any of you that are dog owners? Just by looking at your mutt. It’s pretty easy to determine if it’s feeling good, bad, sick or simply grumpy.

So what does all this talk about moods have to do with the great outdoors? A whole lot, if you ask me.

Even though we really haven’t had a winter to speak of, my mood during this period can best be described as slightly impatient, a tad sad. And though I have good days, I simply can’t wait until spring arrives.

Is it because the days are shorter? I can totally relate to all those folks who live in Oregon and Washington and turn to light therapy to counteract day after day of gloomy weather with little or no sunlight. Other environmental factors affect the mood of just about every living thing on the planet. Cold, heat, full moons, new moons, barometric pressure and numerous other factors can make a great day go south in a heartbeat or a bad day turn exceptional in the blink of eye.

Having been a student of things in nature that can affect the moods of fish, fowl and animals (along with myself), it has helped me better judge how to use my time out in nature wisely.

Other than tarpon and cobia, I simply don’t fish during a full moon. If I want to catch the biggest king mackerel or wahoo, the week before the full moon is best. Redfish are more apt to bite on low tide and the first two hours of the incoming tide, while trout bite better from around the middle of incoming tide until high tide.

A falling barometer definitely affects the habits of just about every animal in the woods, every fish that swims, every bird that flies and every human that walks on this earth. Maybe you don’t realize it but, if you pay close attention to these factors, you’ll see that I am right.

Having hunted wild turkeys for years, a falling barometer means the woods will be as silent as a graveyard. Then, just as soon as the barometer starts to rise, you’ll hear turkeys gobbling their heads off in places you had thought were barren of any wildlife at all, since you had walked every inch of that area the day before when the barometer was down.

Do you think fish have moods? With brains the size of a peanut, is it really possible? I say yes. Maybe it is more instinctive, but after thousands of hours observing fish of every type, there are days when I know the fish are there but for whatever reason they appear to be sulking. Then, as if someone has come along and flipped a switch, they become ravenous, darting this way and that. What changed their mood?

Getting back to my winter mood, it usually starts around the middle of January and goes on through most of February. It happens every year and I have yet to find a way around it. Luckily, I am not alone. Many of my fishing friends say they, too, are in a slump around this same time.

Almost magically, as soon as the days begin to get longer, my mood changes and, by around mid-April, Mr. Bluebird is sitting on my shoulder from the moment I get out of bed all the way until the sun goes down. Where he goes after that is a mystery, but as long as he plops on my shoulder when I get that first cup of coffee, I don’t worry too much about where he has been.

Unlike most years, I may have a short reprieve this year because, as you read this, I am down in the Turks and Caicos Islands with my wife Karen, my daughter Camden and 3-year-old granddaughter Alice. I haven’t had a vacation in years, so this should be just what the doctor ordered.

Hopefully, all that sunlight and warmth will fry the grump right out of me and, if I try really hard, maybe I can hold onto that mood for a few days after I return.

So pay attention to the little things in nature that affect the moods of every living creature on the planet. Especially for outdoorsman, it can make all the difference between having a good day or a great day.

This story was originally published February 11, 2017 at 5:57 PM with the headline "I’m in the mood for longer days."