2 Cool Fishing Forum banner

Cold Weather Fishing - Archive

571 views 0 replies 1 participant last post by  Administrator 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
January 06, 2016

Cold Weather Fishing

by Capt. Craig Lambert

January is here and the good fishing continues with quality being the norm instead of quantity. That is typical for winter time fishing. If you really want to catch the fish of a lifetime you had better be on the water for the next 2-3 months because this is the time of year that those big specks can be targeted on the muddy shallow flats in and around our entire bay system.

Sky Water Cloud Vertebrate Boat

Just under 8 lbs
This has been an odd fall/winter because the day after every frontal passage for the past 2 months (I have fished everyone of those days) has produced decent fishing. Not sure why but I expect this pattern to continue at least for the next few fronts. Look to fishing frontal passages for best results no matter if it is the day before or the day after but the real key to catching fish right now is wind. No wind equals no fish. I know that goes against what a lot of you think but windy days just catch fish. Period! 5 mph winds are days that I dread while 15 mph is exactly what I am looking for.

Water Boat Sky Cloud Vertebrate

Nice Speck
Wadefishing the shallow flats will only get better as water temperatures continue to lower. Corkies, mirrolures and suspending plugs are all catching fish at this time but don't forget a soft plastic or even a gold spoon of which both have been the demise to many a large trout. Soft mud is tough to wade in but it is where you want to be for the next month or two. The Galveston Bay complex has many areas for the walk-in wader including Mosquito island, San Luis Pass, Sportsmans Rd, Anahuac National wildlife and McCollum Park. These are just a few that have easy access for the wadefishermen or kayaker and have a good possibility for producing cold weather specks.

Water Cloud Sky Vertebrate Smile

Great day of Fishing
Lets talk about leader length for those using live shrimp under a popping cork. During colder months is when you really need to be aware that the fish will sometimes tend to stay down in that lower water column and if you are not fishing those lines deep then you are just not catching fish. You will be amazed at the difference that a 2 ft leader vs a 4 ft leader can make during a day of fishing. Sharp drops in water temperatures, fronts and heavy rain events will typically push them deeper so be aware of your environmental conditions and don't be afraid to throw on a leader that hangs just above the shell. My optimum leader length for this situation is 1 ft above the bay floor. So keep it deep and make sure you have a weight on to hold it down there.

Water Smile Boat White Vertebrate

Awesome Redfish
Take a kid fishing!!
 
See less See more
4
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top