Lincoln Blanco

In honor of all this cold winter weather we have been receiving this past week, I felt compelled to discuss fishing during the winter months.

Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean you can’t catch your limit in fish. Too many fishermen assume that when winter rolls around, they are going to have a hard time catching fish, this is simply not true. Yes, during the winter months, a fish’s appetite reduces. This is because the fish’s metabolism is slowing down. So the fish is trying to conserve as much energy as possible. The secret to overcoming this hurdle is to know where to look for the fish, and then placing the bait right in front of the fish.

Living in the valley during the winter months mean less tourists fishing the waters, and the lake and river are going to be low. Which is perfect fishing condition for the local fishermen.

With little to no lines in the water, means no one is competing for those fish. This past Sunday, I spent the good part of my day checking out the fishing action along the river. From the Old Cemetery to the Powerhouse, I did not come across one fisherman. I did however, catch my limit in trout at Riverside Park within thirty minutes.

Which raises my next point, where to look. Now if you’re like me, I know you hate to see the water level in our beautiful lake and river so low. More trees to avoid in our boats, and more rocks to get snagged on in the river. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean bad fishing. When the river level is low, it creates great pockets of pools for trout to gather in. Just look for the calm parts right after a good rapid, and that’s where the fish should be gathering, catching food as it comes out of the rapid. Toss that line into the rapid, let it roll out of the rapid, and in no time you should be getting a hit.

Winter fishing at the lake is great. I love seeing those trees and rocks in the water. What a lot of people look at as obstacles, I look at as targets. Because I know that’s where the bass are going to be. Just like in summer, bass are always going to be looking for cover. The only thing I change during the winter months, is the time I go out and the bait I use. Unlike the summer time, where I would head out in the morning. During the winter, I will head out in the afternoon when the day is going to be at its warmest. As for bait, I switch from lures to night crawlers and bait fish.

Just because the weather can’t decide what it’s going to do. Don’t let that make up your mind in whether to go fishing or not.

And always remember folks, it’s called fishing and not catching!