Thursday Tips: Start a Little Later

 

Unless you're specifically targeting low-light species like walleyes or brown trout, there's simply no reason to be on the water at first light this early in the year. Even during those occasional spring-like days that February normally brings to the southern part of the country, the fish become more active as the day progresses, once the sun has time to do a little warming. Even for the low-light species, the last light of the afternoon/evening tends to be better than the first part of the morning.

A good strategy this time of year typically is to get on the water around mid-morning and to spend a couple of hours figuring out how the fish are positioned what they want to eat. With such a plan, you'll often have something figured out by the time the day's best fishing is heating up, but you won't find yourself weary and ready to go home in the middle of the afternoon.

If the morning is cold, start the day focusing on the deep ends of point, the crowns of downed trees along extra steep banks, the bottom of channel ledges, etc. As the day progresses, work your way shallower along the same structure. If the sun is shining brightly, focus on shallow flats that might warm a bit in the sun, especially flats that are adjascent to channel drops.

Always watch your temperature gauge while you fish this time of year. Certain spots get warmer than others due to sun exposure, wind direction, water color and other factors that are sometimes hard to gauge. If you come to an area where the surface temperature is even a couple of degrees warmer than the rest of the place you've been, hit that area hard. Fish are likely to be nearby and active.