By Britt Stoudenmire
January is one of the coldest months of the year in the Blue Ridge, but it certainlydoesn’t mean that the fishing is “cold.” With water temperatures that rarely drop into the low-30’s, muskies will feed quite consistently during the winter period and become more aggressive as the days begin to lengthen.
During this time, follows are often translated into eats as fish maximize every opportunity for a meal. Remember to execute “figure-8’s” at the end of every retrieve making wide sweeps with the rod during the bends of the “figure-8.” Big fish in the 40”+ range are like large cargo boats and can not turn quickly. I often watch clients make short, abrupt turns which will cause a fish to loose interest very quickly and drop off the bait or fly. Big sweeps varying the depth of the bait or fly up and down in the water column while keeping your presentation deep at the boat so that the fish doesn’t see you are crucial. Executed correctly, fish will eat quickly or stay with a bait for minutes at a time before eating.
I can remember back to the winter of 2013, and the James River had been slightly iced over and very cold during the two to three polar vortexes that we had had. Although not a common winter pattern, ice out presents a feeding window for muskies that can bring extremely hot action. I had taken my neighbor and long time fishing buddy out for a trip, and we had a limited amount of time to fish a longer section, so we were covering ground very quickly. I had casted up onto a sheet of ice in a big, deep eddy pocket that normally holds winter fish. I brought the bait off the ice and noticed a fish charging it immediately as I retrieved the bait closer to the boat. I mentioned it to my neighbor as he kept fishing, and I began to “figure-8.” The fish stayed with it for turn after turn disappearing at times and then reappearing. Every time that I could see it in the emerald green water, it looked hotter and hotter. After several minutes and several more casts by my neighbor, the fish ate and I struck him. My neighbor could not believe it as he grabbed the net and helped me land the short-lined fish that was crashing violently around the boat.
I have watched many of my clients land their first musky on a “figure-8,” and after doing so, I am sure they’ll “always” do again because the excitement of landing a fish on such a short string is something you won’t forget and don’t want to miss an opportunity at.
The author, Britt Stoudenmire, and his wife Leigh, have been outfitting anglers for fifteen years on the New River in Virginia. They offer both guided fishing trips (newriveroutdoorco.com) and waterfront lodging (walkercreekretreat.com). 540-921-7438.