By Captain Ric Liles
What a great time it is around the Christmas holidays. I wish everyone a great start to the New Year.
What’s happening on the water? This time of year fishing can be a roller coaster with all the weather fronts we get. There can be fantastic days followed by challenging days and vise versa. This time of year we do a lot of fishing in the rivers, creeks and canals because the fish will move into these areas to stay comfortable. Try to keep in mind that it’s the drastic changes that really change the pattern of the bite, even in the areas I just mentioned. For example, a 10-12 degree drop in water temperature will bring the catching to a crawl if it happens in a day or two, but if it takes a week to drop that much the fish will adapt slowly as it happens and the effects will be less noticeable.
When we have the quick changes in water temperature, there are a few things as anglers we can do to improve our chances. Deeper water is always a good place to start after a front rolls through. The water will be warmer down in the water column as opposed to surface temperatures. The lee side of any land mass, marina etc. will also be a good place to try because the winds will be blocked. This can be a difficult place to fish due to the fact the wind may make casting a difficult challenge as the air comes across the top of whatever wind breaks your fishing from behind.
Another thing to look for when fishing in these adverse conditions, is to find an area that has a darker bottom. A black mud bottom will gather and hold the heat a lot better than a light sandy bottom.
Lastly try to find a place that has a little current flow. Fish will not eat as much when the water gets cold, but they still need to eat and the best place to find their next meal is a place that the water is moving. If you can find a fishing spot that has all of these variables, you will probably find a honey hole for winter time fishing in our area. I hope this helps some of you break the code of fishing this time of year. Until next time, good luck and be safe on the water. Remember: Don’t let your kid be the one that got away, take them fishing.
For charter fishing information you can call 601-2900, e-mail CaptainRic@msn.com, or visit www.ReelSimpleFishing.com.
