Assuming you play your cards right, winter trout fishing can be fun, productive and, better still, somewhat predictable – as much as any trout fishing can be anyway. As long as you remember to keep an eye on the moon, keep winter fish behavior in mind when you choose a lure or bait, and take a few simple measures to keep your hands warm, then you’ll be fighting your share of trout in no time! Scent probably is a significant factor, but my theory is that even the coldest trout have difficulty passing up natural food if it hits them on the nose. As with fly- and spin-fishing, baits drifted slow and deep through eddies, slow runs and deep pools work best. In case you don't already know, cold water holds dissolved oxygen much better than warm water. There are also differences between the temperature tolerances of older Browns and Rainbows; mainly that Brown Trout adults and juveniles can tolerate higher temperatures than Rainbow Trout adults and juveniles. Most are in sizes 18-22, covering the color gamut of black, olive, red, white, brown and gray. And just to be clear: cold is like really cold, meaning water temperatures below 5-6 deg C or about 41-43 deg F and down to freezing. They … Just pick your days carefully and adjust your strategies according to conditions. For starters, famous rivers lack crowds, and trout haven't been harassed of late. For the iconic brook trout or the lesser known slimy sculpin, year-round water temperatures no warmer than 68° F are critical to their reproduction and survival. Trout prefer mid-temperature ranges where the water isn’t too cold or too warm. Trout feed most actively in water temperatures from 52 to 64 degrees F. When the water is colder or warmer, you’ll need to adapt your strategies to tempt them. In short, trout are cold-blooded. It just doesn't hold water. A third way is to slide a minnow rig through the mouth and out the anus and attach a single or double hook. In general, for most species of trout, the fish are most active when the water ranges from about 50 to 65 degrees. Bait fishermen be sure to check the regulations as restrictions often apply regarding what baits are legal. Not only for trout, but it’s also a perfect time for fishing of all species of clean water. If the regular air temperature is 85 degrees F, even a subtle dip in air temperature by 4 degrees can really spike trout activity. Expansion of Woodland Series targets continues fun, realistic way to practice. You’ll find different types of freshwater trout all over the world. Some fishermen either fail to factor the moon into their fishing, or are just too overwhelmed by it to think much of it, not realizing that lunar cycles have a huge impact on fish activity. Besides, if you believe as I do that any day spent fishing is about as good as it gets, why not... . By cycling through a variety egg and midge patterns invariably the trout, sooner or later, reveal a preference. The concern is with the upper limit at which point the trout become lethargic. Subscriber Services. under warm water conditions as this adds to the stress. Knowing just what makes the trout tick pays dividends in any season, perhaps none more so than winter. Rapidly rising (or falling) waters tend to turn trout feeding activity off, sometimes to the point of making you wonder if there really are trout in the first place. After a fall of testing new 2021 Mathews products on the road as he filmed new episodes for Bowhunter Magazine's television program, editor Curt Wells had an exciting visit with Mark Hayes, Mathews design engineer, as the pair looked at the new V3 27 and V3 31 bows. Savage Renegauge Shotgun Review: A Fast-Shooting, Smooth-Cycling Semiauto, First Look: Savage Arms' Impulse Straight-Pull Rifle, Straight-Wall Rifle Cartridges: Deer Hunting Advantages, New Archery Gear: Easton 6.5 Whiteout Carbon Arrows, Deceive Ducks with Ultra-Realistic Decoys, New for 2021, Rinehart's 1/3-Scale Moose Archery Targets, Take Epic West Fishing Adventure Right Now, Ice Fishing: Set a Steel Trap for Steelheads, 240 Pounds! This means that in cold conditions the trout will tend to be in deeper, warmer water in larger bodies of flowing water. In truth, of course, at my age the smaller sizes are more just for show than serving any real purpose. “The rainbow trout that we put in is a cold-water species,” explained Cross. Hit the creek when the trend is steady or, better still, upward – the faster the better. Thread your bait on the hook in a way that presents the bait in the most natural possible manner. Trout feed better when the temperature is on the upswing (at the lower range) than they do when the water temperature is falling. Sometimes it’s easy to get so caught up in the exciting prospect of reeling in some trout during the winter that we forget to take certain elements into consideration on the river. Another way is to string the minnow through the mouth and out the gills and slip the hook back in near the tail. Not all trout rivers are open to angling during the winter, but most lakes are (although, obviously, many are frozen-over at least part of the winter). Small crayfish, fish eggs (salmon eggs) and insect larvae, both land born and aquatic, are also productive when drifted. Water absorbs light at different rates depending on its wavelength or color. Because fighting current takes more energy (burns more calories) winter trout tend to hold in slower water eddies, slower runs, deep pools and such. This fat rainbow chose to bite on an unusually mild January day. My go-to river rig is a size 14 or 16 egg pattern trailing an even smaller midge; with enough weight on the leader (not legal in some waters so check the regs) to keep the tandem rolling along the bottom. Back in the day, winter trout fishing was illegal in many places. Be aware that water temperatures almost always follow air temperatures but at a slower pace. Here are a few winter trout fishing tips. These days, many trout fisheries remain open year- around, and an ever-growing segment of the angler population is discovering winter fishing. When the weather gets cold that's no reason not to go fishing. Rods of 5 to 6 feet in length should have the sort of quick, sensitive action that allows you to cast lures that weigh 1/16 ounce or less. This enables you to work at your leisure, exposing to the cold only the two fingers you need to get the job done. Trout can be fished from any water with a temperature down to 0 degrees Celsius. Now that we’ve touched upon the fact that, like most fish, trout become increasingly sluggish during the winter, this brings me to my next tip: slow down and think small. Going for trout fishing immediately before a cold front is always a good decision. Metabolisms (thus feeding activity) do slow down as the water temperature falls away from the ideal. Going big and bold in those conditions usually spooks more fish than it attracts. Other fly styles to consider include the venerable Woolly Bugger, Sculpin, Muddler and Leech patterns, various egg styles, the San Juan Worm and even standard nymphs, such as the PT, Hare's Ear, Copper John, various stones, scuds and soft hackles and Prince -- to name just a few. Fish behavior slows down so much in the winter, and the days get shorter. Should the trout show a distinct preference, egg or midge, I usually double-up the hot pattern. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. You’ll want to be on the river when the trout are most active during these months, which means you’ll need to be on the water when the moon is either rising or setting. More visible arrow flight to your intended target. Trout especially thrive in cold water. Stick with slowly drifting or barely crawling your offering of choice, unless the trout dictate otherwise – which, trust me, doesn't happen often in icy water. Here are a few simple, but helpful tips that will give you an edge on the river this winter. Much like ice fishing, you’ll want to downsize your baits and lures and slow down your presentation, in order to give the fish time to strike. Most importantly, it allows the sort of precise casting necessary to adequately cover holding lies in and around brushy cover. Where average-sized trout are the norm, some of the best spin-fishermen I know swear by the smallest lures. During summer when the water is warm, the sun in bright and the water clear we often have the best success with smaller and darker lures, for example a size 8 black wooly bugger, or a small spoon. Winter midges mostly come in sizes 18 to 22. But even where it was legal, most anglers considered the off-season approach folly. Photo by chuckngalerobbins.com. Right? On small stillwaters a floating line could see you right all day, but it pays to take two rods one with a … Useful hooks range from No. Cutthroat Trout. True anglers will find a way to get on the water, no matter what the weather is like, but it’s not as simple as just heading out to the river and floating downstream. They are cold-water fish and need to be caught before the summer-time. For midge fishing, an 8-foot, 4-weight rod fitted with a weight-forward floating line seems about right. Instead of using spawn sacs, I’d switch to mealworms, wax worms, or maggots, and in the case of lures, keep your spoons in the tackle box and utilize smaller inline spinners. In the hands of an expert, minnows (where legal) are deadly and account for many real lunkers. With vast swaths of the country currently in the grips of what seems to be an interminable heat wave, countless cool flowing freestone trout streams have turned into something altogether different. The temperature that a Brook Trout begins to stress at is 65 and the water temperature at which could be lethal to Brook Trout is 70 degrees. From dabblers to divers, there's an Avian-X Topflight decoy for every duck hunter. Trout are often close to shore in 4′ to 5′ of water in the early morning; Mr. Trout has a preference of what depth he likes to hang out at depending on the water temperature, surface temperature, underwater structure, and exposure to the Sun. FLY-FISHING The winter hatch chart is simple: midges and, well, midges. The metabolism of trout speeds up in warm water and slows down in cold water. As the hot sun sets in the west, the waters begin to cool and the fish once again become active and feed! Just don't get your hopes up too high should you find the river rising and/or water temps on the skids. In all cases, attach enough weight to the leader to keep the bait down on or near the bottom. As mentioned above, trout do not have a lower end temperature threshold. S-l-o-w and s-l-o-w-e-r become the operative words. And in most cases, winter trout fishing is not likely to gain equal billing with the long traditions of summer any time soon. It changes at an accelerated rate. That is for subtle temperature drops. Even though we might consider 10-12 deg C or about 50 F quite cold, that's actually a very comfortable temperature for trout, and not nearly cold … Bass, on the other hand, prefer warmer water, with the best time to catch a … Unlike saltwater trouts, freshwater trouts like cold water. Trout motors are revved to the max when water temperatures reach the about 60° F, give or take a degree or two for different species. Initially, it doesn’t make sense for a trout to seek colder water when it is trying to survive during winter months, but consider how much more fluid air is than water. Sometimes the hot pattern is a dry midge, but more often a damp one seems to take trout more consistently. From North America and Europe to Asia, they’re common everywhere. monitoring_string = "68ec033d54c4f3b1ca4aca7f4c1e01ca", Also Read How to Fly Fish for Cold Weather Trout, 6 Tips for Highwater Spring Trout Fishing, 6 Tips for High Water Spring Trout Fishing, How to Fish for Trout in the High Sierras, 3 Things to Remember Fighting Big Bass to the Boat. bass and trout) in small ponds is not recommended.Generally, however, it is ok to mix different species of trout or trout of different sizes. |   Bow fisherman arrows fish of a lifetime on South Texas trip. The author shows why anglers shouldn't let the season scare them away. Undammed freestone streams tend to be much more volatile; however, certain dams that generate electricity fluctuate even more wildly – sometimes on a daily basis. © 2021 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Prepared trout bait and such grocery items as cheese, marshmallow and canned corn are also very effective baits. The lure appears more natural and, because it's moving relatively slowly, it's easier for winter's semi-lethargic trout to pursue and pick up. I'll start with a long, tapered leader -- 10 to15 feet overall and with 3 to 4 feet of 6X tippet, and add a dry/wet tandem to the end. Metabolisms (thus feeding activity) do slow down as the water temperature falls away from the ideal. They also have more streamlined bodies to cut through the cold water. Municipal and "family" fisheries often receive heavy trout plants prior to the winter season. Bear in mind also, stable rivers fish best. This means that as light passes through more and more water, warm colors fade to black while cooler colors fade more slowly. Give a Gift   There are a zillion midge patterns out there, and all are no doubt effective at one time and place or another. Perhaps best of all, you're fishing. Unlike conventional dry/wet tandems, which are normally separated by two. Colors vary, so be prepared with a good selection. 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