Fishing tip of the week

Fishing Tip of the Week

Wednesday, 18 October 2023 12:45

Winter Mistakes

by Mike Gerry

As we progress past the fall into winter there are some key issues that stick out to me as mistakes that can be easily made ,if you don’t keep focused on the task at hand. Although here in the south we don’t get nearly all the cold weather other parts of the country get, we
still experience the slow down until we start feeling some warming near February.
The first piece of advice I can give you is to not let the elements of the cold or wind control your emotions. Dress warm and be mentally tough so you can maintain a consistent fishing style, speed and mental awareness while you are on the water. The most important piece of
advice is to slow down your presentation so you can present the bait correctly. Bass need more time to react in cold water and moving your bait quickly takes it out of the strike zone. Bass reacts with more caution and less aggressiveness in the cold so entice them with a
slowed presentation in the cold of the winter.

Be sure to keep your emotions in check. The human reaction to getting a bite or catching a fish in the cold is to speed up your presentation. You won’t even realize it and suddenly you’re moving your bait out of the strike zone quickly. The emotion can change you for a period of time and all of sudden you become aware of the pure fact you’re moving too quickly as you wonder why you didn’t get another bite. Emotions can be everything when it comes to the next bite. Keep them in check and you will reap the benefits.

Lastly don’t get caught in the shade, the sun is your friend in the winter, keep yourself focused on the sunny part of the lake as the sun warms the water, gathers the fish up in groups and keeps them competing. If you start your day on the sunny side of the area your

fishing, as the sun moves up, you can focus away from the sun advancing to the other side of the pocket and move with it to keep improving your sun exposed position. Let the sun be
your friend!
Captain Mike