Don't Break Wind

I've written before about weather's affect on fishing, and there's no denying that it has an effect.  However, I honestly don't think there's any weather situation that completely kills your fishing chances, except severe weather.  I think it's more a matter of using the weather to your advantage.

If you look at today's forecast for my area, which element is most important?

I'll give you a clue.  It's not the temperature.  It's winter.  It's cool if you're lucky and cold if you're not.

I think the single most important element is wind.  I'm not talking about wind speed either.  If you waited for a low wind day in West Texas, you might only fish a couple of days a year.

What's important is wind *direction.*  It's especially important on playa lakes to set up on the side that will put the wind to your back.  It should be blowing in the same direction you cast.  So in the example above, I would set up on the southwest side of the playa lake.

This does a few things for you.  First, you're able to cast much, much further than you would even on a calm day.  The wind carries the line and literally does some of the work for you.  

Casting distance on playas is critical in the winter, because the deepest part is usually toward the middle.  That's also where the water is warmest.  Thus it's where you'll find the fish.

Setting up with your back to the wind does another critical thing for you.  It keeps you warm.  Wind blowing over land is always warmer than wind coming off ice cold water.  This is true even of a north wind.

Last but not least, setting up with the wind to your back maximizes the effect of your chumming.  Especially on smaller bodies of water like playa lakes, the wind moves the water a lot. Observe the top of the lake and watch the ripples.  If you're set up at the right place, they should be moving away from you.  Thus when you "ring the dinner bell" by pouring that sweetcorn juice into the water, it is almost immediately dispersed out toward the center of the lake, and that's what you want.

Today's catch was a small carp.  It probably weighed in at a couple pounds, but I didn't check.  I caught it on corn just thirty or so feet off shore.

Here's a shot of it on my tackle box to give you an idea of length.

As usual, the fish was released unharmed.  Check your rules and regs to make sure sweetcorn's legal in your area.  Remember to cast with the wind instead of trying to slice through or "break" it.  What did you think I was referring to??

Tight lines!

Carry a Big Stick

It was Theodore Roosevelt in 1900 that wrote, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."  That phrase applies to many things in life, and winter fishing might just be one of them.

Playa lakes or other large ponds, particularly when man-made, don't offer a lot of surprises.  Sure there may be a couple of small holes or depressions here and there on the bottom.  For the most part, the depth gradually increases as you approach the middle.

In the winter, most catfish in a playa or a pond are going to be in the center area.  That's where the water is deepest and therefore warmest.  If you have a boat, accessing this area is straightforward.

However, I don't have a boat.  Many playas and ponds aren't even large enough to accommodate them.  During the winter, you need a rod and reel that will allow you to cast as far toward the center as possible.

I recommend using a thicker, longer rod for this endeavor.  There are various brands, including Ugly Stik and Cat Stik.  They vary in heights from 6'6" to 7'7".  If you frequent smaller bodies of water, I think the shorter rod is perfect.  See below.

It's a heavier pole, so you need a larger reel with sturdier line.  I like the Zebco 733.  See below.

It comes pre-spooled with 20 lbs test line, which is perfect.  Just remember to increase your weight and use a slip sinker rig to achieve maximum casting distance. 

Allbeit a small success, I still caught a catfish.

On a side note, I also landed a 2.89 lbs carp with corn about 20 feet from the bank.  Hopefully that's a sign of more active carp feeding in the days and weeks to come!

Tight lines!

Fishing and the Farmer's Almanac

You may notice that it's been a while since my last post.  Rest assured that there have been trips, just not a lot of success.  As I've mentioned before, bites in the winter tend to slow way down.

In this part of Texas, winter weather is a roller coaster.  It might be in the 30's for a high and the 70's for a high in the same week.  The bizarre thing is that I've hit the lake on some of those 70 degree days with an arsenal of baits ... and nothing.

By contrast, the 3.5 lbs bass I caught last month was on a 46 degree day.  I was discussing some of this with a fellow fisherman at work.  He mentioned that he was going to try it this weekend.

That surprised me because our forecast was cold and rainy.  At that point, my friend mentioned the Farmer's Almanac.  The almanac forecasts good fishing days for 2015, and he said this weekend's fishing forecast was good.

I was intrigued.  Like most everything else, the Farmer's Almanac is online.  I took a look, and I learned a lot.  The almanac's forecast takes into account moon phases and tides, both of which affect fish feeding activity.  That's even true inland, away from the sea.

So my daughter and I gave it a shot.  It was in the 40's and sunny, but the windchill was in the 30's.  Once the bait was set, we stayed in the car and watched the poles.  I cracked a window so that she could blow bubbles.

The baits were worms and chicken livers, both of which I was able to get at Walmart.

What happened next surprised me.  The fish started biting almost immediately.  They were all bullhead catfish, and most were small.  Here are the two larger ones.

I can now say that I'm a believer in the Farmer's Almanac.  I think it's especially helpful in winter when fishing becomes more difficult and you need every advantage.

On a warm day during any part of the year OTHER than winter, would I do something else because the almanac says it's a bad fishing day?  Not a chance!

Tight lines!