By: Capt. Tim Cutting
I love winter fishing. I don’t know if it’s the solitude, the challenge of the elements, or maybe I am just a glutton for punishment. While you may be faced with the occasional skunking this time of year, often, when you crack the code in cold weather, redfish and trout are schooled up and can be downright aggressive.
There are a few things I do differently in the winter that help me trigger bites and find fish. I am guilty of slow fishing or finesse fishing most of the year, but in winter if I think I am going too slow, I go slower. I want the bait to stay in the strike zone as long as possible. I use a combination of slow hops, drags and simple lift-and-drop presentations with my plastic bottom-hugging baits. There are times when I will lighten up my plastics to nearly weightless and go to one of my favorite retrieves, which is a couple sharp twitches and a pause. There are times when I will pause as long as 5 to 10 seconds. One of my favorite baits for this technique is the D.O.A. ¼-ounce shrimp. Allow time for the bait to sink all the way to the bottom. This may take up to 20 seconds in deeper water. All baits sink at different rates depending on current, salinity, profile and weight, so take time to dial in the countdown process, and remember that process!
While I will throw soft plastics most of the time, I still love plugging in the winter. Over the years I have refined my baits to sinking twitch baits like MirrOlures, suspending baits such as the Bomber Long A and a Rapala Countdown in a 9 or 11 size. While my retrieve never varies much on the Bomber, two twitches and a pause, I work the MirrOlures and Rapalas a tad differently. Both the MirrOlures (TT and 52) and Rapalas are countdown lures. After counting down the MirrOlure, I usually impart a slow pull followed by one simple twitch. I will vary the length of the pull at times and the sharpness of the twitch. I have found that slower is better. The Countdown Rapalas are a tad trickier, but I tend to get bigger fish on this bait. I usually mix it up with a slow swim, twitch, pause, swim, twitch repeat.
Depth is relative in different areas, but I have found trout and redfish in waters down to 30 feet. I generally fish in water 6 to 18 feet deep in the winter. I look for isolated deep water such as smaller creeks, canals, industrial docks and deeper bends with debris. I am looking for areas that stay slightly warmer due to protection from the wind or exposure to the sun. Many man-made structures of rip rap, concrete, metal, wood and PVC will often hold heat.
Along with remembering exactly what it was that triggered the bite, location and depth will be critical. More than likely, once you get bit you are going to find a lot more in the same exact spot. For a lot of anglers willing to brave the elements, slow down and cover water, the winter months will be very rewarding.
Capt. Tim Cutting is of Coastal Georgia Inshore Charters. Visit his website at fishthegeorgiacoast.com or call (912) 230-1814.
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