After a couple of days of bright sunshine, it’s hard to fight that traditional spring urge to hop in the truck, point it in the direction of your favorite fishing hole, and check things out.

For the record, “checking things out” doesn’t mean you’re actually going fishing. Not now. Not yet.

Ice is still an issue in many parts of the state, and real Mainers are understandably reluctant to embrace spring in earnest until they’re absolutely certain they’re not going to be shoveling another foot of snow a few days later.

But we can hope. And wish. And dream.

And we can take field trips … to check things out.

Not for today. Maybe for tomorrow. Or next week … if we’re lucky.

On Friday, I hopped in the truck, flopped my arm out the wide-open window, and enjoyed a fact-finding drive to some easily accessible lakes and ponds.

Two hours later (with the one-arm sunburn to prove it), I’ve got some news to report. Kind of.

You may be able to go fishing this weekend. Or you may not. It all depends on where you live, and where you want to fish.

First, the good news: Over on the north end of Brewer Lake, anglers have reason to smile. I saw nothing but open water, although I must mention that I didn’t travel all the way around the lake.

Those who enjoy fishing for warm-water species can do so out of a boat at nearby Fields Pond.

The Orrington pond has plenty of white perch (as well as most of the other warm-water fish you can imagine), and was open from end to end.

Over in Eddington, there was more good news.

Just off Route 46, Davis Pond was wide open.

A bit farther out Route 9, Chemo Pond, which straddles the Eddington-Clifton line, was also open for business … more or less.

Out on Scott Point, the basin on the right side of the road was wide open except for a small patch of ice at the head of the pond. Observers there said the ice went out on Thursday.

On some of the Bangor area’s premier cold-water lakes, things weren’t nearly as encouraging.

On Green Lake, a top producer of lake trout and landlocked salmon, open water is hard to find.

Mann Brook has peeled back a few hundred yards of lake ice in front of Jenkins Beach, but ice is plentiful after that.

And at the town landing on Nicolin Road, the ice has receded only 20 feet or so from shore.

The good news: The ice that remains is a rotten-looking grayish-black, and shouldn’t last much longer.

On Phillips Lake – Lucerne to locals – the situation is similar: The gray ice looks ready to give up its hold … but it hasn’t yet.

That’s all I was able to learn on Friday, but I’ll keep my eyes peeled and let you know about other iceout events as they happen.

If your local lake or pond is ice-free, I hope you’ll let me know so I can pass along the word.

One more word of caution: If you do get out on the water at this time of year, be very careful and wear your life jacket.

Kenduskeag race today

By the time you read this, it may be too late to get to the starting line for today’s 42nd running of the Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race.

Race-day registration only lasts from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m., after all.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t get in on the fun … even if you decided to sleep in for a bit.

Each year thousands of Bangor-area residents enjoy the annual rite of spring without leaving dry land.

We call them “river vultures.”

From Kenduskeag Village to downtown Bangor, the paddlers will be greeted by many fans who gather on the banks to wish them well.

And they’ll be greeted by many others – the river vultures – who are looking for carnage.

If you’re looking for a good spot to check out the action, you may want to head out Broadway to Six Mile Falls.

Or you may opt to watch the paddlers as they get closer to downtown. Spectator areas along Valley Avenue provide easy access and plenty of action.

Racers will begin leaving Kenduskeag at 8:30 a.m., and the fastest racers typically make it to Bangor after more than two hours of solid paddling.

Others will take their time, and may take three or four hours to get to the city.

Either way, they’d surely be glad to have a few fans on hand when they finish.

And with mild weather in the forecast, it sounds like a pretty good way to spend a few hours on a Maine Saturday.

Turcotte gets DIF&W post

Deborah Turcotte of Bangor, a former BDN staffer, has been named the public relations representative for the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife.

Turcotte has been working for the department since November in an “acting” capacity, first as acting director of the information and education division, and later as acting PR representative.

Many of the DIF&W’s communications with media outlets are handled by Turcotte, and hers is the voice you’ll normally hear when newsworthy events take place in the woods or on the waters of the state.

The job can sometimes be thankless, as many of the events that Turcotte will brief the media on don’t take place during regular working hours.

You’ll learn about lost snowmobilers, boaters or hunters, in large part, because of the role she’ll play. And as you can imagine, speaking to the media about tragic events is never enjoyable.

Turcotte takes over for the popular Mark Latti, who moved over to the Department of Transportation late last year.

Congratulations to Turcotte, and best of luck in her new – or not-so-new – post.

jholyoke@bangordailynews.net

990-8214