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Slow down and change tactics for some cool action

Posted Jan 17, 2012 by Tribune Sports

Updated Jan 17, 2012 at 06:21 PM

BY RAY MARKHAM

Winter weather can make for tough unproductive fishing if you don’t change the way you present lures to fish. That fast warm-weather presentation you made when water temperatures were in the 70s will drive aggressive fish nuts, eliciting reaction strikes from fish that may be 10 or more feet away from the lure. But as water temperatures fall into the low 60s fish become lethargic, less aggressive, and the zone at which they will chase a bait down to eat it decreases. That “strike zone” shrinks as water temps drop, so getting your lure closer to fish is important.

What fish feed on varies. Some fish feed by bait size, silhouette, shape of lure, sound, taste, or even smell. Smell may be down the list of priorities for fish when it comes to feeding, but when conditions get really tough, a scented lure or bait with some smell can enhance the bite. Lures like those from DOA, Berkley Gulp!, Trigger-X, Power Bait, and others that have built-in scent can turn a tough bite into a good one at times based on their scent alone. But lure shape, size, sound and presentation can all trump scent when put in the strike zone.

The technique called “Dead Sticking” – when a lure or bait is allowed to sit motionless, usually on the bottom, without action – can be highly productive on slow days when there is some current that takes the scent trail throughout the water column. Finding an area where water flows on slower days in a habitat that holds fish, regardless of how cold the water is, can be the secret to unlocking those jaws on a tough bluebird day after a cold snap. Try dead sticking.

When your bite cools, it’s time to check your tactics. Bait size, a slower presentation within the strike zone, shape, silhouette, and even scent can play a part in catching fish.

Capt. Ray Markham of Backwater Promotions runs the Flat Back II out of Terra Ceia and can be reached for charter at (941) 723-2655.