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| Ive been out a few times this year with the night time temps are in the 30's and the next day is only 40's. the only action we get is late afternoon when its at the warmest. But is there something that works for these spring time muskies early morning, mid morning, or noon? Because Saturday's weather looks like that same weather, cold night and cool day. Just curious if anything works for you guys? Thanks. |
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Posts: 2361
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| What do you mean? |
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Posts: 2361
| toothycritter88 - 4/19/2012 10:32 AM
What do you mean?
Even in cold water, with cold nights, clouds and changing frontal weather has a lot to do with your success and can really improve your odds. I fish all winter down here and sometimes with ice on part of the lakes, and it really helps to time your fishing to frontal movements.
ie I ignore new cold front days unless it has been aprox 3 days. Cold and clear just seems to be a real low activity situation. If you can't get clouds, look for at least an increase in humidity, that can be a good predictor too.
If you can fish without a big investment in time or money(gas), by all means fish the cold weather/cold water on negative days(clear), but at least try and be out at dusk(dropping light levels), it will increase your chances even if parts of your body freeze off while spending that last half hour. A good tip shared to me per Marc Grattan down here in KY. |
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Posts: 518
Location: Cave Run Lake KY. | Here on the Cave last month with 25* temps for lows and 65* temps in the afternoon the fish were tight to shore early and moved to about 3' to5' in the afternoon, they are now in the weeds The water was mostly clayed up so we used Green Rattlen shad's and green crankbaits, in clear water, try shad or perch colored baits. we like Bucher, depthraider and shallowraider in the 5" size . Now we are casting musky innovations "shallow invaders. looking for fish in 5'of water in the weeds. GOOD FISHING TO YOU. Marv.
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| Well Saturday it looks to be mostly sunny and upper 40's. I can only be out from 7 to 4ish and its been rainy and cloudy for the last few days except yesterday was warm and windy. today is cloudy,rainy and windy, tomorrow same, friday night same but clearing overnight and clear saturday. We have stained water here. I appreciate the help guys. The only luck I have had so far this year was a day it was 65 and was like 50 over night on a phantom soft tail. but moved fish late in the day on colder days. Ill start fishing tighter to shore with smaller crank baits. Luke |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | firstsixfeet - 4/19/2012 10:51 AM
toothycritter88 - 4/19/2012 10:32 AM
What do you mean?
Even in cold water, with cold nights, clouds and changing frontal weather has a lot to do with your success and can really improve your odds. I fish all winter down here and sometimes with ice on part of the lakes, and it really helps to time your fishing to frontal movements.
ie I ignore new cold front days unless it has been aprox 3 days. Cold and clear just seems to be a real low activity situation. If you can't get clouds, look for at least an increase in humidity, that can be a good predictor too.
If you can fish without a big investment in time or money (gas ), by all means fish the cold weather/cold water on negative days (clear ), but at least try and be out at dusk (dropping light levels ), it will increase your chances even if parts of your body freeze off while spending that last half hour. A good tip shared to me per Marc Grattan down here in KY.
To follow this up what do you do if you are fishing and the weather pattern is what you list as undesireable days to be on the water? For the most part I have the weekend to fish and I'm not staying home just because I don't have clouds or a front moving in. Maybe you're in a tournament and have to make do with the conditions you're given.
Toothycritter, I can't fish for another month in WI so I don't have a lot of experience with your situation. Early in the year and cold fronts can be tough here though too. I've caught fish on days like this casting cranks or other baits that get down a little parallel to deep weedlines. Sometimes the fish seem to sit right on the very edge of the weeds and sit down near the base of them. I've also caught them up shallow if the sun is out. They might be looking for the warmest water they can get. AND sometimes the cold fronts slide them out into open water where the temp stays a little more stable in the basin 10 feet down than anywhere else.
For me it seems to be a look for the fish until something happens deal. It seems to vary for me, and sometimes it does seem like nothing works. I had a tough time last season early in the year until the water warmed a little and the weather smoothed out some.
Tucker |
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Posts: 2361
| Hey, if you gotta fish, fish, but my choice in those weather conditions is to pass and save the gas money.
Fishing in WI is different to than fishing down here, and note that the water temps ChinWhiskers are talking about are probably going to be warmer than what is being fished with your air temps, most of the time. Big difference, and also the lake he is espousing the use of small crankbaits on, has a primary lake wide forage of threadfin shad, a very small shad at maturity, and as a forage probably as small as you see in a musky lake.
You have to differentiate between air temps and water temps, and seasonal activity. I have a choice and make it, but yes in the winter I do fish sunshine IF IT IS STABLE. I fish 6-10 inch baits most of the time, and I actually use my smaller baits in the warmest water, May down here, and all summer into mid to late September up north. Unless you run a small bait right by their nose, I am not of the opinion that they will go far to get one in cold water, or bright clear weather. I choose my baits accordingly. The lipless crankbait works for musky under very specific conditions. and if some of those conditions are met, they probably work anywhere for musky, but I think of them as a shallow water, somewhat murky water to dirty water, bait where you have to buzz them near a fish to get bit. I would not really consider them a cold water bait ever, unless I knew I could present them very close to the fish. If I am unsure where the fish is going to be, or in cover, and have to present something away from the fish because of snags, I want a bigger bait. |
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| if you have not seen the titanic....
lol |
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| Usually when I pick a day to go, Im going regaudless. Unless thunderstorms. But theres a way to catch em during every weather pattern, some easier than others. Its been rainy and is clearing up tomorrow but the temps are about the same. Do you think right off shore/shallow would be the ticket? it seems to be tomorrow high skies. would that push em deeper? or do they want to warm up in the shallows? |
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Location: Hayward, WI | I realize my WI fishing is different than your fishing... maybe. I bet a lot of WI tactics taken to your world would work and vice versa. You can read all the articles out there and generalize all you want, but in the end you just have to experiment.
Take the WI fishing I know. Some guys fish suspended almost exclusively - opener to ice up and do well. Some people look for the warmest water during the early part of the season and fish shallow bays and inside weedlines. Some fish deep weedlines. All these things seem to work for the guys that hit them hard.
Maybe I'm not giving good advice but if I were headed down there, I think I would motor around and look for baitfish. They might be suspended off the first break... who knows? If the water is cold maybe look for the warmest areas you can find. Good chance baitfish will be there too. Right now in WI I'm out fishing panfish in cold water. The water is just starting to warm, and EVERYTHING a musky would eat is starting to come up shallow... looking for the warmest water. Cooling water temps will push them back out to somewhere around the first break. Searching for some stability I imagine.
I think a fish is a fish. They need to eat and breed, and will search for the most preferred water temp they can find where they can eat, breed, or do both. Without knowing much about your area, I think I would check some shallow bays and maybe the first break and a little into the open water outside those bays that fish might be or have just finished spawning in.
That's just my guess. Maybe somebody else familiar with your area will chime in.
Tucker |
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Posts: 688
Location: Northern IL | 88,
1st I'll say fss is giving you good guidelines, so don't be surprised when you go with the intention of "catching", because that's the only time you have and things are slow.
When we started I was like you and fished regardless of weather or water conditions. We too were "told" but being new to fishing there was and is a lot to learn, we felt like we had to experience all the different weather conditions 1st hand, may have over done that some... If I only had all that gas money...
However we began to use these tougher conditions with the a second objective, to learning something new about the lake.
Many times today we use this opportunity to fish a new lakes. Spring time is messed up, there's no other way to say it! Fish can and are caught, it can be a boom because you may catch the fattest fish of the season (pre spawn in IL or south) (Speaking of, Mr. Fss I took a drive around Center Hill this morning, its looking a little low, do you fish there often?) Back to you 88, or it can be bust, tbh its mostly a bust, you'll get use to that.
At this time of the season we only have a couple of positives, 1st we "know" the fish must come shallow to spawn, its the "ONLY" time of the season when we can guaranty "where" (the depth) the fish will be. The second positive is, no pleasure boaters! We for the most part have the lakes all to our selves, we can take the necessary time and focus in on a new lake, area or structure situation and really learn it. So much so that when were through we can say with a great deal of confidence, "when conditions are good, better, more stable, the fish will come from here" and point your finger towards the water, as you pick up your marker buoy that some pleasure boater didn't try and steal, lol!
We may invest a 1/2 day in mapping a small area but once you know it from top to bottom, you'll never forget it.
I've fished our area for many years, not that make any difference, a fish is a fish n,s,e, or w they all react to weather, water, seasonal movements and condition the same, but now add in extremely volatile weather conditions, post frontal condition and the clearest water of the season (natural lake) combined with fish with sex on the brain, to say the least our window of opportunity is tiny. |
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