Looking at the water today all I see are deer, so if she says baby it’s cold outside or if she’s a bit more subtle and says you’re crazy for wanting to go fishing, this would of been a good week to listen to the one who knows best.
Don’t get me wrong, for there were some fish caught this week by two guys with a canopy and a good-sized propane heater striper fishing on Beaver Lake.
Small baits are the hot baits now for stripers, so brood minnows might catch more fish including bass for they tend to enjoy one big meal over chasing after small crappie size minnows.
Walleye love the cold, so they will hit about any size bait you put in front of them now. Stripers are being marked from Rocky Branch to Prairie Creek on Beaver Lake, pretty good now with the top water bite still in full swing.
Remember the water is a lot warmer than the air, so the fish aren’t that cold yet. The walleye here around Holiday Island are moving in more every day and feeding up, for they’re the first to spawn which usually gets hot starting in February.
Winter crappie are still active and like the cold a bit more than bass, just move around with a minnow or jig straight down over the sunken brush about 8 – 12 ft. deep until you find them.
Trout also love the winter months and the tailwaters are full of them, with power bait and night crawlers still the best bait just floating off the bottom from the bank.
So, with the weekend slowly getting up to about 60° by Sunday, maybe more anglers will get out more now that that cold snap is over.
I had no baby to tell me it was too cold outside, nor one to tell me I’m crazy. What I do have are my memories, so since I did not fish this week I will share: One toe almost cut off, two fingers on 2 separate occasions having to see doctor due to fishing in the cold. That tells me when it’s too cold outside. So if you do go out during the colder days of winter layer up. Love that wool, keep that head covered and pack those hand warmers. Always carry your cell phone and remember to tell the one at home who told you it was too cold what area you will be fishing.
I don’t do as many trips in the winter months as in the warmer months, but I do sale gift certificates that are good for any date you choose during the coming up new year, so if you do persuade that one to stay in and stay warm you might consider getting them a last minute gift that’s good when it’s a bit warmer and save his toes.
Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year. Will get back to you in January. Keep them toes and fingers warm.