March heralds a transitional period on our inshore and offshore waters as the sun reaches the Equator and begins to enter the northern hemisphere. Longer days and stronger sunlight gradually warm these waters, causing many species of fish to migrate and become more aggressive in their feeding.
Researchers remind us that water temperature is the single most important factor governing where the fish will be and how they will behave. Each species of fish has its own temperature limits beyond which it cannot survive very long and its temperature preferences when it is most comfortable. From a practical standpoint, fish seek water temperatures within their comfort zone.
Most fish are so sensitive to temperature that they can detect changes of a fraction of a single degree. Water that is only one or two degrees warmer or colder than surrounding water could be a haven for fish and a hot spot you won’t forget. Even most anglers who are aware of these scientific facts seldom take the time to stick a thermometer in the water or even put a bare hand in it. Once you know the temperature limits and preferences of your favorite species, you won’t waste time probing waters that are too warm or too cold.
Take that thinking one step further. Learn the temperature limits and preferences of the primary forage species in the area. When the bait moves to warmer or cooler water, you can be certain that the predators will follow them. Water temperature either speeds up or slows down the metabolic process. Adjusting to temperature changes is not an instant process. That’s why rapid changes in water temperature often cause fish kills.
There are subtleties in dealing with water temperature. On the offshore grounds, a major current could be warmer or cooler than the surrounding water.
In many cases, you’ll find gyres or eddies swirling off the primary current and these could hold fish while the surrounding water doesn’t. Along parts of the coast, cooler fronts sometimes cause cold-water intrusions in water that was comfortable and the fish have to move. During the spring as fish migrate northward along the coast colder patches of water can delay the movement until the water warms sufficiently. A fish doesn’t know that the colder water only lasts for a short distance, so they don’t try to move through it.
Shallow waters and particularly those with darker bottoms heat up more quickly than surrounding water, but they also are the first to cool as air temperatures drop. A single degree of temperature can mean fish or no fish.
Water temperature also affects a fish’s feeding pattern. Cooler water means it takes longer to digest the food, so fish feed less frequently. It also slows them down in their pursuit of a meal. You don’t want to dance a topwater plug across the surface when water temperatures drop down toward tolerance levels. Fish also won’t chase a bait or lure very far when they are cold. All of this affects presentation. It’s almost a guarantee that if you monitor temperature carefully and deal with it in a positive manner, you’ll catch more fish.
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