SWITCHING GEARS
It hardly seems like winter here in southern Arizona, but even here the decreasing day length results in longer and cooler nights. This is a reminder, even here, that winter has arrived and for anglers this means that it is time to switch gears.
After a summer of getting up before the sun and heading out to get a few hours fishing before the fish take a midday siesta the coming of the winter months requires a rethinking of our angling strategy. At last, you get to sleep in.
The sun is lower on the horizon and the number of hours that the sun is above the horizon is shorter. The shorter day length means that the water does not have as much time to warm up and the longer night time hours allows the water to lose whatever heat it picked up over the shorter day. In addition, usually during the winter water levels are low which results in more rapid cooling during the nighttime hours. In northern areas the decreased day length and resulting colder temperatures means that fish require less food and periods of active feeding are shorter. As the winter advances the day length continues to decrease, the water temperatures continue to fall, and the fish become increasingly lethargic. These changing conditions demand that the angler adjust their tactics.
While the change of season is more marked in the northern parts of the hemisphere it also impacts anglers in the more southerly climes. Much of the behavior exhibited by wild creatures is more directly impacted by the amount of daylight than most any other factor. Even in the more southerly areas of our country the decreasing day length results in cooler water temperatures and a decrease in feeding activity. The change may be slight in comparison to the waters in more northerly areas but even a slight change in water temperature impacts feeding activity.
For the angler this means that active feeding periods are shorter. Rather than avoiding the warmest part of the day, which is normal during the summer months, the angler waits for the warmest part of the day. It takes much longer for the water to reach its maximum temperature for the day and the knowledgeable angler waits for the water temperature to reach its high point. Once the water reaches its maximum temperature for the day the fish will be most active and the angler will have the greatest opportunity to hook some fish.
While the fish will be most active when the water reaches its maximum temperature for the day that does not mean that the angler will experience a feeding frenzy. During the winter months in my home state of Montana the maximum water temperature for the day on rivers like the Yellowstone or the Madison during the coldest months of the year may only be a few degrees above freezing. For the angler to be successful under these conditions it is necessary to put their imitation literally “on the fishes nose” if they hope to induce a strike. The successful angler will work the water more thoroughly which translates into fishing less water in the course of a day’s angling.
The successful winter angler is the angler that understands where to find fish under the conditions that exist during the colder months. Fish move to different places during the colder months and the angler that is aware of these seasonal changes will be the angler that maximizes their success during this time of the year. In some cases water that held many fish during the warmer months of the year may be completely devoid of fish during the colder months of the year.
The lower water conditions that are common in many places during the colder months of the year means that fish will usually move out of these areas. The shallow water offers few places to hide and the thinner water cools off quicker. Fish may move into the shallower areas during the periods of maximum water temperature if food is available but they are more likely to hold in deeper water than during the warmer months.
The angler that has knowledge of what foods are available during the colder months of the year in the water where they are fishing has another advantage. You will unlikely move a fish to feed on a type of food that is normally unavailable. Matching your offering to available food types will result in more action.
Winter angling also requires the angler to be more aware of safety issues when they are on the water. While this may not be critical in the more southerly areas for anglers in the more northerly areas cold temperatures are not only inconvenient they can be life threatening. Taking a dip in your favorite lake or stream during the dog days of summer may be more refreshing than life threatening, but taking a dip in that same water when the air temperatures are close to freezing suddenly may become a life and death struggle. When possible don’t fish alone, or if you go out alone tell someone where you are going and when you will be back. If you do fall in don’t continue fishing but get out of the water immediately. Hypothermia kills many people every year and no fish is worth risking your life.
Winter months do not mark the end of fishing opportunities but it does require the angler to shift gears. To be successful you have to fish smarter, and by learning to fish smarter during the colder months of the year you may discover that you are fishing smarter during the warmer months of the year, and that most likely will be a good thing.