Trout season is just around the corner, but winter seems it’s not ready to give in. Fish don’t seem to mind the cold, while fishermen tend to struggle under such conditions.
It looks like we are in for another repeat performance. Like last spring, the snow is hanging on as long as possible. This creates some pretty rough stream fishing. It’s not impossible to catch fish in cold water, but in rushing, fast-moving streams? That is a different story.
There are ways to combat such conditions, but you will still be hard-pressed to catch a limit. Sometimes a little thinking outside of the box can help you be a bit more successful. If you organize and properly prepare your equipment, things will likely be a little less complicated. Either way, we are again in for a struggle the first couple weeks of the season.
There are two scenarios we need to prepare for. The first is cold-water fishing. Your gear better be up to par or you are in for a miserable and possibly life-threatening situation. This isn’t the time for that pair of old leaky waders you refuse to throw away. Nothing can end a fishing trip more quickly than a dunking in freezing water. Beyond your comfort, your life may be in danger if you haven’t prepared properly. I recommend not only dressing for the cold, but having an emergency stash of dry clothes in your vehicle. Hypothermia can take hold in only minutes after being dunked in freezing cold water. For this reason, the way you prepare can mean the difference between life and death and not just some discomfort.
The second scenario covers cold-moving water. If you think cold water is dangerous, add some current, and it becomes a death trap for those not prepared to be in it.
Fast moving water is extremely powerful and can sweep you off your feet at only a foot deep. For this reason, some additional safety precautions need to be taken into account. I recommend starting with a good pair of five mil neoprene chest waders. The extra coverage of a chest wader can prevent you from being soaked if pushed into deeper water. The downfall of chest waders is they can fill with water if you fall in, and make it nearly impossible to swim. To prevent this from happening, you will need a wading belt. They are tightened around your midsection and prevent water from rushing in if you get dunked. A life preserver isn’t a bad idea for areas deeper than you can stand. If you happen to fall in, you will be able to swim to shore much more easily and prevent a possible drowning scenario.
Once safety measures have been accounted for, it’s on to tackle and additional gear. I recommend, under fas-moving water conditions, that you spool on fresh line and check it often. The current will pull your line through tree limbs and rocks, which often nicks and damages it. For this reason, many choose eight-pound test over six-pound to combat line breakage. Your line is the most important link in the fishing chain. All else goes for nil if your line can’t hold up to the fighting fish.
Although you can catch trout under such conditions using a worm, weight, and hook, the fast-moving water doesn’t leave the bait in the strike zone for long. If you do choose live bait and a hook, I recommend using a much heavier drop-shot type of weight. I catch a lot of flak from other fishermen as to the weight being too big and scaring the fish away. I typically out-fish the heck out of guys that haven’t learned to upsize their sinkers in fast current. Some people just have a hard time breaking tradition. Just because that’s the way dad and grandpa always did it, that doesn’t mean it’s the most effective method. I always advise to just try new methods, what else do you have to lose?
I have found when the current is much too strong for live bait, there are other lures that will work just fine. I prefer spinner type bait like a rooster tail, phoebe, or panther martin for this type of fishing. You can cast across the stream and let the current drag the lure across it and back to your side. You can also let it spin in the current while you allow it to drift downstream. By doing this, you can keep the lure in the strike zone as long as you like. This tends to work better than the drift technique, but they both work better than live bait considering the water speed.
The bottom line is just get out and fish. You are guaranteed to catch nothing from the couch and no matter how bad the conditions, you still have a chance to catch fish if you go. I found the first two weeks of season to be slow last spring. This spring looks to be a carbon copy of last. Stay in the game until the water slows down and you should do pretty well. I had a great season last year despite a slow start. If all else fails, at least the ice will still be on. By using nightcrawlers a foot under the ice on a tip-up, you can limit out pretty quickly on most stocked lakes. Not sure where you will find me, but I guarantee it will be somewhere on the water!
Good wishes and don’t give up when times get tough.