As the fall of the year winds down and we start to enter winter most fishermen pack away all of their fishing gear and put the idea of fishing on the “back burner” until the warmer weather that comes with spring begins to introduce itself. The truth is that you can catch fish during the cold weather months as long as you realize that the cold weather brings new rules that need to be paid attention to.
In this article I’m going to outline some cold weather trout fishing tips to use if you do head out onto your favorite river or lake (if it’s not frozen) in search of some trout. I’m going to list the 3 of the most important cold weather trout fishing tips that I have learned over the past twenty five years. Truth be told, these 3 cold weather fishing tips will come in handy when fishing for virtually any species of freshwater fish and aren’t necessarily related exclusively to our multi color friends called trout, but the point is that they are all vitally important.
Ever Heard of the Moonrise? – What, you’ve never heard of the moon rise? Well now you have and you need to start using it to your advantage. Not only do most fishermen fail to realize that the moon rises and sets just like the sun, but they also fail to realize that the moon rising and setting relates directly to trout being active. During the cold weather months, trout are much less active than we are used to at other times of the year because the colder water temperatures slow down their metabolism making them feel “sluggish” (for lack of a better term). This means that you want to be on the water fishing when the trout are the most likely to be active and feeding and a great way to figure this out is by being on the water fishing during the hour or two that brackets the moon rising and/or setting. Just do a search for the term “moon rise” and you will be on your way!
Protect Your Hands – Although this “tip” seems like a cop out and self expeditionary, it is nonetheless worth outlining. Keeping your hands warm while fishing is of the utmost importance when engaging in any form of cold weather trout fishing. There is nothing on this earth that can ruin a perfectly enjoyable fishing trip like freezing cold hands which is why protecting your hands is so important. The tip that I use is to wear a pair of fingerless gloves as “liners” and a pair of neoprene gloves over that. This way I can remove the neoprene gloves when I need my fingers and when I don’t need the use of my fingers, my hands stay warm and dry from the neoprene.
Slow Down! – Downsizing and slowing down your presentation is extremely important when fishing in cold weather. When trout fishing in cold weather I prefer to use small live baits such as meal worms or maggots rather than night crawlers or very small trout lures that are retrieved very slowly. Slowing down your presentation is extremely important when fishing for any species of fish in cold weather.
The next time that you head out in search of trout in cold weather, add one or all of these tips to your repertoire. If you do, you will experience much more success, I promise you.
