Precise winter temperature help

[Nick]

Been doing the winter stream smallie thing since '82 and a few pretty hard and fast rules have evolved for me over that span. In the Ozarks, I fish 2-3 days per week unless extreme conditions prevail. I'm no fool.

Water temps are the  most important factor in my success or failure. The second most important factor is water color, and the third variable that must be controlled is current which I'll save for another day.

For example, this December our water temps fell from 42 to 37 degrees. Guiding one day during the 42 degree water yielded 21 good smallies with 15 form 15-20  inches. Five days later the water temps dropped to 37 degrees and the river level fell about 4 inches.  On that day we only managed 4 bites all day. That five degree drop really put the brakes on the bite, and the increased water visibility didn't help as it had cleared about one more foot for a total of 8 feet vis.

I have seen river temps through the years pretty well dictate the bite. I have no idea how to catch smallies  below 40 unless I'm fishing an underwater spring. I can go lighter, smaller  and slower, but it doesn't really matter to the fish. Their activity diminshes. Conversely, give me 42-46 degree water with the right visibility, and I can catch them pretty well on demand. It's like night and day in terms of catching.

Just putting these truths out that it's taken decades to learn for reference for any smallie chasers here in the middle latitudes.  Any other views certainly appreciated. (By the way our Ozark strain of smallies don't quite act or look like the strain found north from Minnesota through the Great Lakes and New England so I don't know how those fish behave within the bounds of lower temps.

[whittler]

Float-n-Fly Nick. Although I have never had great sucess with this technique in a lake it has been killer for me in the river.

[River Rat316]

Our bite pretty much shuts down at 37-38 degrees. I think they still feed, they have to, they are not like lake fish, they still have some level of current to deal with no matter where they are, I just think their feeding windows are very small, like 15-30 minutes a day and thats it. Above those temps they are fishable but below those temps it gets very tough! FnF or whatever you want to fish, water temps below 37-38 the fish aren't gonna go!

[Nick]

I've often wondered, River Rat, about your Mississippi RIver smallies in those low temps. We actually have slower holes in the Ozarks than you have in MN.  Your currents tend to be more even throughout whereas we have absolute dead waters at times.  Even so, the bite just stops when it's super cold. Once I tried it at 31 degree water temps, and what a mistake that was. Nearly got imprisoned by a huge drift of ice.

There's nothing a float'n fly can do that a tiny jig fished on spinning tackle can't do in our streams, Whittler. Good to hear from you by the way!  Because our bottom contours change abruptly, and we have so much wood cover, the floatin fly is just a very limited tool. We do so much better with out jigs contacting bottom. Conventionally fished, we can adjust the depth immediately as called for.  That arcing back motion of the float'n fly just isn't that good of a tool down here. Can you catch them at 37 or 38 degrres with your fly?

[whittler]

Nick, the last time I was in the river was Dec.16 and there was some skim ice along the edges. The river I fish the most is quite different than your rivers or the Mississippi, 4ft. is deep water at normal pool, with rock or limestome as the main bottom, not a lot of wood. I do not move a whole lot or fish long streches but stay pretty much around a couple of edddies and let the current do the presentation. Rarely use more than a couple feet of line from the float to the jig and let any wave or current provide any action to the jig. I use primarly a 1/6oz. marabou jig, all my bait is in a small plastic bag in my shirt pocket and I only carry two colors, black and white. Hoping to get back to the river on wed.  Water temps should be low thirty with air temps in the 20deg range.

I don't mind fishing in cold weather but I''l be damned if I will chop a hole to do it.

[Nick]

Whittler, your stream sounds far differnt from the ones I'm used to.How long do you let the jig stay suspended without recasting?

We go from a few inches deep to 18 feet deep in stretches. And often our dropoffs plunge nearly vertically. What is the visibility there?  Ours ranges to about 8-10 feet normally in winter. We have a warm front on the way...Goodie!

[whittler]

Nick, the White river, which I fish the most, is a fairly shallow stream. I have fished it most of my life from near it's start to Indianapolis and have not found anything close to 18ft. The White is fairly clear with a mild current and a lot of gravel and rock. The area I fish in the winter is only about a quarter of a mile long and the deepest water is about 5-6ft.

Most of the time I make a cast up stream and then just let the jig drift in the current keeping the jig just on the edge of any current breaks, repeat as necessary. The bite is very soft, usually the float just slowly goes down, it is very much like fishing a jerk bait in cold water just be slow and patient.

Its 12 degrees this morning but they predict 40 by Thursday with sunshine, doesn't get any better than that.

[Nick]

Go get 'em and let me know how you do!

[nashontheriver]

whittler, great info. i'm on the white as well. near yorktown/muncie. do you think the warmup near the end of the week will be enough to get the FnF bite going again? I haven't had any luck since the snow this month.

[whittler]

Nash, if the sun shines today and Wed. then Thursday they should go. My best times have been between 2pm and 5pm. Riverrat is correct the bite will usually take place in a very narrow window of time.

[nashontheriver]

i'm going to try it today around 2. its not quite as warm as expected, and i sure don't see any sun out there. i wonder if the earthquake woke 'em up? let us know how you do if you go whittler

[nashontheriver]

just got back from lunch hour fishing. no bite. wish i could've stayed out longer. maybe tomorrow.

[whittler]

How does it go, " the best laid plans" I did not get a chance to go yesterday, instead spent fishing hours in the doctors office.

Today sounds like it will be raining but may have to hit it anyway, have not caught my December bass yet, and running close to being out of time.

[River Rat316]

I've often wondered, River Rat, about your Mississippi RIver smallies in those low temps. We actually have slower holes in the Ozarks than you have in MN. Your currents tend to be more even throughout whereas we have absolute dead waters at times. Even so, the bite just stops when it's super cold. Once I tried it at 31 degree water temps, and what a mistake that was. Nearly got imprisoned by a huge drift of ice.

\I have the advantage of a power plant dumping hot water in about 12 miles upstream, so my water stays above that 37-38 degree mark almost all year, compared to when my dad was a kid they used to ice skate the river in this area. If I get really itchy I just go within a couple miles of the discharge and they are usually pretty active no matter what the weather ion the winter. I think that power plant  is the whole reason for the excellent smallie fishery in my area

[Nick]

Some of us dodged the bad storms today, and the streams got some very warm rain. Looks like the bite will return for 2011 for a week or so!

I can't imagine how good that section below the power plant could be above Elk River. Dress warmly!