It's not unusual some winters to have ice fishing season extend well into March on many waters, after daylight saving time goes into effect, when you can fish in comfort on some of those special 45-degree days,leisurely watching your tip-ups and maybe even doing some venison on your portable Coleman stove while you wait for a flag to pop. 

There have been some days when I've even returned home with a sunburned face. 

This, however, is not one of those winters, not one of those extended ice fishing seasons where you can walk on water without worry. 

There's not much we can do about it, except maybe rationalize that because our ice-fishing season fizzled amid a warm weather trend and some heavy mid-March rains it could mean an earlier kickoff to the open-water season, particularly for backcountry brook trout. 

That's nothing to sneeze at; the remote brook trout ponds in the Schroon Lake region are teeming with brookies, thanks to an ambitious DEC stocking program, much of it done via air. Nowhere will you catch more beautiful fish in more spectacular surroundings, and depending on how far you plunge into the wilderness, there's always a chance – especially at mid-week –you'll have the water all to yourself, with the exception, perhaps, of a pair of loons. 

All we can do now is wait for open water. And prepare for our first backcountry excursions of the spring. 

For sure, there are maps to dissect. Stocking lists – you can get them from the DEC – to check. Gear to ready. From the time-tested LakeClear Wabblers to small spoons such as Little Cleos or perhaps lures like the famed Rapalas, lines must be replaced, rods readied, and canoes or float tubes checked closely for signs of wear and tear from last season. 

In the Schroon Lake region, your biggest challenge might be deciding just what water to target. The options are many, including Moose Mountain Pond and Bass Lake in North Hudson; Black Pond and Barnes Pond in Minerva; Latham and Livingston ponds in Newcomb; and Gull Pond and Pharaoh Lake in the town of Schroon. 

Some require a little more effort than others, but if you can handle the hike, keep in mind the quality of the fishing is often directly proportional to the amount of pain necessary to get to the water. 

So get ready. Winter will release its grip sometime, the ice will depart and the brook trout will be hungry. Make sure you're there to take advantage of it all.