I’m really getting antsy. This weather is going to drive me over the edge. I am tired of being teased by good weather, only to have it taken away from me shortly after its onset.

I’m trying to fill some time by making the proverbial heads and tails out of the proposed 2018 Illinois DNR budget that was recently released. There seems to be an awful lot of verbiage in it that needs a legal degree to be able to read and make sense of it all.

One thing that sticks out is a proposed five-year fishing license, a proposed five-year hunting license and a proposed five-year combination license. The prices are right, but I sincerely hope that this is not being done to collect money now rather than wait until later. Isn’t this what the City of Chicago did with its parking meters? Everyone agrees that was a bad move.

I guess I’ll fill my remaining time waiting for spring by getting my equipment ready. I recommend that you all do the same.

First of all, if you haven’t had your reels cleaned and lubricated, you are just about at the deadline to have that chore done before the traditional April 1 opening day. Get them in to the reel technician of your choice and have it done. It’s a cheap fix that can extend the life of your precious equipment.

As far as your rods, take a cotton ball and rub it gently over the line guides. Look carefully to see if any of the wispy cotton sticks or snags on the line guides. If a guide has even the smallest of snags, cracks or chinks in it, the cotton will stick to it. If that happens, you’ve found a spot that your line will rub against and more than likely break at that point. A damaged guide can be easily fixed. Never fish with a rod that has a line guide that is compromised. It usually breaks when you are fighting a trophy fish.

Everyone wants to catch as many fish as possible, right? We fish a lot of heavily pressured waters and bites can be hard to come by. It is quite important to be able to hook as many of the fish that bite as is possible. To do that, we all need to use the sharpest hooks that we can.

I’m a big believer in using sharp hooks. I like the Gamakatsu brand of hook and also those by Tru-Turn and Daiichi. If I’m using a drop shot rig or wacky rig, I always use these ultra-sharp hooks.

If I am using jigs, I don’t have a choice in the hooks, so I always use a file and hone the point of my jig hooks to a sharper point. It only takes a few strokes on the three faces of the hook, so it’s a job that goes by quickly.

I find that a lot of lures come armed with hooks that are not of the best quality and sharpness. Now, don’t get me wrong, some manufacturers use premium hooks, so you have to check your arsenal to see what you have. If your lures have a substandard hook point, then give them a few strokes with your sharpener. You want to hook every fish that shows interest in eating your bait, don’t you?

I hope that keeps you busy, now come on 60 degree temperatures.

Fishing report

Northern Illinois: Dave Kranz from Dave's Bait, Tackle and Taxidermy in Crystal Lake reports: "We have warm weather during the day and then sub-zero after dark so we wake up to lakes and ponds covered with skim ice. This is driving us all crazy. But, don't despair. March has just begun. We could have a whole month of bad weather ahead of us looking at past years. We got totally spoiled by the exquisite weather we enjoyed in February. Fish open water when you can. Middays are best, as are the northern sides of lakes and ponds. Rivers are producing some walleyes on jigs and minnows." Call 815-455-2040 for an updated report.

Fox Chain and Lake Michigan: Chris Taurisano of T-Bone Guide Service (www.tboneguideservice.com - 630-330-0090) sends word, "The Fox Chain and Fox River have been hit-or-miss for walleyes and crappie. Jig-and-minnows or jig-and-plastics have been a good bet. As the water warms up the fishing will get better. Lake Michigan has been very good for brown trout, Coho and steelhead. Crankbaits and jigs are typically the best bet. A mix of casting and trolling is best."

As of Wednesday, the Upper Fox River, Lower Fox River and the Fox Chain were all deemed to be open for boating by the Fox Waterway Agency. With our unpredictable weather, you should always get up-to-the-minute water conditions on the Fox Chain and Fox River. Go to www.foxwaterway.state.il.us or call 847-587-8540.

Wisconsin: You can call Wisconsin's Lake Michigan Fishing Hotline at 414-382-7920 to hear the latest fishing information for Lake Michigan and its tributaries. Excellent Wisconsin Lake Michigan fishing is posted at http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Fishing/lakemichigan/OutdoorReport.html

Illinois: The IDNR offers fishing reports on a number of waterways across the state. The fishing reports for lakes, rivers and streams are updated weekly at http://www.ifishillinois.org/fishing_reports/fishing_report_selector.php.

News and notes

A possible merger: There are a lot of rumors floating around the financial pages about things that affect the fishing industry. It is well-known that Bass Pro Shops has made an offer to buy Cabela's. There is a hang-up that stems from the fact that both companies own their own banks that issue their own credit cards. Apparently there is some rule about merging banks that has to be strictly adhered to and one bank or the other will have to be sold separately. I am also told by sources that the new conglomerate will run the existing Bass Pro Stores as Bass Pro and the Cabela's stores as Cabela's stores.

There is also a rumor making the rounds about a pending bankruptcy filing for the Gander Mountain Chain. I’m not here to spread gossip and I certainly don’t wish to see any vendors not get paid nor employees lose their jobs. That said, if I had any Gander Mountain gift certificates laying around my desk or dresser drawers, I’d give serious thought to cashing them in on merchandise sooner than later.

Calling all muskie lovers: Volunteers are needed to help the Chicagoland Muskie Hunters improve a great local fishery. Please consider joining the club at "Busse Woods Volunteer Day on March 12, from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Lunch will be had at Pavilion 12, followed by an afternoon of bank fishing. Volunteers will be working on habitat restoration and litter obliteration. Forest Preserve Department personnel will be present and will provide an educational atmosphere for any children or adults interested. All supplies are provided. Please dress appropriately for the weather that day.

Meet at Busse Woods Grove No. 16. Grove No. 16 is at the far end of the FPCC entrance, which is on the south side of Higgins Road just west of Arlington Heights Road in Elk Grove Village.

If you have any questions, please call Kevin Butts at 630-740-4439.

Bobcats captured: Illinois hunters and trappers took a total of 141 bobcats during the 2016-17 Illinois Bobcat Hunting and Trapping Season. IDNR Director Wayne Rosenthal said, “We are very pleased with the response to Illinois’ new hunting and trapping season for bobcats. The recovery of the bobcat is a conservation success story in Illinois. We were pleased with the response of hunters and trappers that applied for permits, and we will continue to evaluate the program.”

More than 6,400 people applied for 500 permits to take bobcats. Those awarded a permit in the lottery were required to register their harvest within 48 hours and purchase a Bobcat Pelt Temporary Permit. They reported taking 69 bobcats by hunting, 49 by trapping, 12 by archery, and salvaging 11 from roads. Bobcats were harvested in 44 counties in the open zone, which included western and southern parts of the state.

The Fishing Club of Lake Geneva: The club is dedicated to promoting sport fishing for all species on Lake Geneva. The club has season long outings and contests on Geneva. At the monthly meetings, it hosts speakers that include expert fishing and electronics professionals. The club meets at Cabela's on the second Wednesday of the month from March through November. They welcome all – men, women and youth. On March 8, at 5:30 p.m. (Please note the new start time) the group meets at Cabela's at 5225 Prairie Stone Parkway in Hoffman Estates. The speaker will be Paul Beran and his subject will be "Spring Strategies for Finicky Geneva Bass."

• Steve Sarley writes about the outdoors for Shaw Media. Write to him at sarfishing@yahoo.com. Steve does a weekly podcast about fishing called “WeFishASA.” You can find it at www.wefishasa.com