Cold Angler Cold Fish

How warm or cold are you? It's a silly question, but how you feel can mirror how fish will react whether active or lethargic. Lethargic fish will make soft strikes and active fish will strike hard. All you have to do is take off your coat to find out.

Timothy Kusherets

This is Ron from the Great State of New York, United States. He's a rod builder who knows the value of understanding how fish behave in cold weather. Note the care he’s taken to bundle up. It’s bitter cold, yet with the right presentation even lethargic fish can be enticed into biting, like this great looking native winter steelie. “Great Job!”.

When you want to know what fish are doing in the water take a look at yourself. Fish and humans don’t have much in common, but there is a “cool” thing about fish that few fishermen know. Did you know that when it gets cold that fish stop moving, especially in rivers, streams, and lakes? Did you also know that people shut down the same way fish do when it gets cold, though to a lesser degree? It’s true. When we get cold we bundle up before heading out the door. As a consequence of falling temperatures the colder it gets the slower we move. The next time you’re out fishing and suddenly the bite goes off after being good, ask yourself if you feel a little colder. If you do, then chances are extremely good the fish felt it before you did and shut down.
Ironically, the same rule applies when temperatures rise. The warmer it gets the more aggressively fish tend to feed. Even salmon, which are known to stop feeding after entering rivers, will snap at offerings as it gets warmer.
This tip works in moderation and anglers should take note that when it gets blistering hot, fish will leave an area entirely and head for deep water.
For this tip to work, stop fishing as fish go off the bite and then continue when the temperature either stabilizes or rises; in either case, you’ll actually be able to anticipate when fish will bite before fish even know they want to, cool huh?

© Timothy Kusherets 2006/08