If I was you, I would start gettin ready now. There is a spring jig bite that is unreal. Youhave to travel every bit of a couple miles in a day to get fish, sometimes only a 1/2 mile from your put-in, I use wildwings, go out @ dark thirty and alot of days, be heading back in when the fella's are on the way out. It's an easy catch fishing trip, kinda nice with the price of gas nowadays, helps balance out the season. Keep an eye on this website, you will know when it's time, then just come out the mouth of the channel, look north and join the masses and I mean that litterally. Also, my condolences for your pops, lost mine over 15 yrs ago and never have felt the pain go away. See ya up there, Mike