Off-season fishing tips

For those of us in cold enough climates, wintertime can still elicit the thrill of catching fish by dropping down into holes through the ice. For others, the temperatures may not become low enough to completely cut us off from our hobby. For me however, and I imagine many others, the region I call home rarely gets cold enough for an extended period of time to allow me to ice fish, nor is it anywhere near warm enough to be enjoyable or even reach the winterized fish. It's still nice to get out on sunny days but the frozen fingers, iced over guides, and unresponsive bass that hold deep out of casting distance make the trips difficult. If you find yourself unable to fish during the winter months, take the following steps to be sure you're ready for that spring spawn season.

Map Reconnaissance

   Break out your Fishbrain app, bring up your favorite map tool, and plug your local lakes into a search engine paired with the words topographical map. Use your free time in the offseason to really hone in on where you should be fishing come springtime. Locate new bodies of water that could elicit new adventures for yourself and your friends. Take note of the underwater contours of your favorite spots to further identify where the fish should be seasonally. Utilizing maps prior to spring will allow you to identify locations in streams and rivers that are likely to hold fish. These methods, applied to large ponds and lakes, will also dictate the course that bass will take in preparation for springtime spawn. Moving from the depths once the waters begin to reach the 50’s bass will stage on mid-level ridges outside of spawning flats prior to moving into them. Look for edges of channels, ridges, and “plateaus” that lead to large flat expanses in the 3-10 foot range. Locating these staging areas and spawning locations could lead to some of the best bass fishing of the year.

Skill Building

   There is no substitute for time on the water. When that's not possible, watch someone else do it. The amount of instructional videos, blogs, and articles available to you is astounding. This is the time to watch the experts demonstrate skills and techniques you may not be familiar with. Use this time to learn how to Carolina rig, to properly employ a football jig, how to walk the dog. Listen to the experts talk about where they're fishing that day and what environmental factors lead them to choose that location. 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water and your ability to find that 10% will always be crucial in finding hook up success. 

Reset Your Gear

    Now's the time to clean your tackle boxes, re-organize them, fix bent hooks, clear rust, and start to inventory what you have and what you’d like to have come springtime. Make a list. Re-supply your hooks and soft plastics, Replace all those lures lost to the depths, and pick up some new stuff to get ready for trout and the coveted spring bass spawn. Check your line, check your leaders, and lube up your reels if necessary. Keep in mind all of your permits, licenses and other logistical paperwork that allows you to legally fish may expire with the new year.