By Tammy Parris
Cooler weather doesn’t mean the fishing slows down. Fair weather anglers usually trade the waterways for the woods when it’s hunting season. Winter anglers tend to catch more fish because the freshwater species tend to group up. Due to Christmas break and bad weather, we didn’t go on our monthly trip, but that doesn’t mean the fishing stopped. Swainglers kept the waters busy during break when they weren’t in the woods.
A few of the anglers were willing to share their favorite wintertime fishing secrets:
Lance: Nightcrawlers in the Tuckasegee River for Walleye. Kade: A-Rig with white twisters for bass on Fontana Lake. DJ: Yellow Spinner in the Tuckasegee River for trout. Daniel: Dry fly in Santeetlah for trout. Michael: Single hook spinner off the main street bridge in Bryson City for trout. Brooke: Bobby Garland lures in Fontana Lake for Crappie. Conner: White spinner for bass on Fontana Lake. Payton: Ice Jig for Walleye on Fontana Lake. Levi: Homemade doll fly for bass on Tuckasegee River. Nicholas: Jerk bait or hollow body swimbait for bass on Fontana Lake. JT: underspin drop shot shakey head and jerk bait for bass in his pond. Max: Spinner for bass at Fontana Lake. Dakota: Rooster tail for crappie on Fontana. Brady: Shakey head for bass on Fontana. Brothers, Ben & Zach: Red Worms for trout in the Nantahala River. Austin: Island Park for trout with single hook rooster tail. Stefan: Rooster tail for trout on Sawmill Creek. Ms. Parris: Bobby Garland Crappie baits on Fontana for Crappie.
Fishing during the colder months offers unique benefits. Wintertime offers a more low-key and peaceful time on the lake, river or creek. Go see for yourself, just remember to layer up and stay warm!
Tammy Parris is the Leader of The Swainglers fishing club at Swain County High School in Bryson City, North Carolina. They fish once a month of the school year during club time. Contact her at tparris@swainmail.org for more information or to support this popular club.