If you lead an outdoor lifestyle instead of just participating in outdoor activities, there’s plenty to do all year round. Of course, during the winter months you will need to adapt if you want the rest of the family to participate.

     Southern Maine is blessed with dozens of otherwise insignificant ponds that yield excellent populations of bass, pickerel as well as a couple species of trout. Most of the time the only access to these waters is to park at a camp that hasn’t been plowed yet, and drag your gear out onto the ice.

     Use a little bit of judgment here. Don’t block driveways and avoid walking right across the front lawn. Winter caretakers will mistake your footprints for camp vandals. However, I can’t remember hearing of a single complaint by a camp owner, about ice fishermen. We very seldom get hassled on southern Maine lakes or ponds in January or February, and those who do are usually the ones who borrow (steal) firewood from closed cottages. Mind your manners and you shouldn’t have much trouble.

     There seems to be a dramatic increase in the number of southern Maine ice fishermen and there is a decided increase in the number of families which use the ice. A day on the ice is more than just staring at tip-ups. Most bring along a football or ice skates, if the conditions are good. A portable barbecue grill drives other fishermen crazy, especially if you fill the air with smells of cooking venison.

     On the ponds with plowed access areas, you can combine snowmobiling or ATV use with other activities. Of course, it’s always fun to have a few dogs on the ice. Last year I saw families conducting impromptu dogsled races while they waited for fussy trout to bite. Those races consisted of using a plastic toboggan and the lightest kid you could find to ride, hitched up to the dog. Toss a stick or rubber ball and the races begin.

     Maine’s winter ice fishing season for trout and salmon runs from January 1 through March 31 and there is a special law booklet that covers ice fishing. The regulations are posted for two years at a time, so last years book is still valid. Call or write the Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife at 284 State Street, Station #41, Augusta, ME 04333 (207) 287-8000, or stop by any Town or City Clerk’s office or most sporting goods stores, and Rite-Aid.

     In keeping with modern technology, the Maine Dept. IF&W can be reached on the Internet at www.state.me.us/ifw/homepage.htm. Internet browsers may access dozens of sites that include information on hunting, fishing, conservation and wildlife management. Included in the homepage are hyperlinks that allow connection to other informational sites regarding Maine’s outdoor recreation.

     Of course there are other activities besides spending the day on the ice. We offer some of the finest predator calling opportunities in the state. Fox and coyote calling are very popular in southern Maine and there is plenty of public access. The same holds true for rabbit hunting, although the cottontail population seems to have just about disappeared. You’ll find plenty of hares to keep you busy.

     On the coast I’ve mentioned the sport of probing for hen or surf clams. These are monsters of the clam family, measuring 9-12 inches with a dozen clams yielding about a pound of meat for chowders or clam cakes. Old Orchard Beach is 10 miles long and by calling the clam hotline 1-800-232-4733 you can get updated information on beach closings due to storms etc. and in-state you can call 883-5299 for the Dept. Marine Resources. All you need is something to carry the clams and a long-tined pitchfork to find them. Daily limit is two five-gallon pails per person.

     A few days either side of the new moon or full moon is the best time to find hen clams since the low tide is drawn out farther. Also, watch the news for unusually large storms at sea, especially northeasters. This washes the clams right up onto the beach and just as the high tide begins to recede, you’ll be competing with the seagulls for clams. No fishing license is need for this activity.

     While you’re on the beach, you may not feel like sunbathing, but low tide is a great time for some street hockey or handball. There sure aren’t any tourists to get in the way and the strenuous activity will offset the cold weather. Most days are fine for kite flying, too. Most of the side streets in OOB are plowed and the meters are taken out so there is ample free parking and access to the beach.

     Then, there is a number of saltwater tributaries that offer brown trout angling right through the winter. No fishing license is required below the rise and fall of the tide. The Mousam, Kennebunk, Ogunquit and Stevens Rivers are just a sampling and the trout caught last winter ran in the 18-22 inch range.

     Who says there’s a rule that sportsmen have to come to Maine with a specific activity in mind. That’s why I suggest that people try to live an outdoor lifestyle rather than just becoming interested in fishing or hunting or hiking or skiing. Maine is called Vacationland for good reason, and there is no need to separate the family for different activities.