# Winter tactics



## mr.fish (Feb 1, 2008)

Its winter, so its the hardest time of year to find a good wintering hole for fish or should I say hungry fish. Its been pretty cold the last week, and who knows where the fish could be this time of year.

To make a long story short, we recieved a hole mess of rain today with slightly warmer than average temps. I just checked my local river discharge gauge, and the flow rate is still on the rise. With the water getting up near flood stage, I will have an advantage. My theory is that as the water is rising even higher, the flow is getting even stronger. With such conditions, the fish should want to find some sort of shelter, and stack up in the slack areas, and feeder creeks out of the main current. I'm heading out sometime around 4am saturday to pound all my favorite holes in such conditions. Full report to come.


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## Jim (Feb 1, 2008)

Killer man! good luck!


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## slim357 (Feb 1, 2008)

good luck


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## little anth (Feb 1, 2008)

tight lines man :wink:


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## jkbirocz (Feb 2, 2008)

I'll be waiting for the fish pics...I know better than to think you'll be skunked


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## mtnman (Feb 2, 2008)

Good luck dude. you might do pretty good because the fishing around here is alaways better when the water is rising. we also fish the slack waters and do very well. the fish hide there to stay out of the strong current and the slower water attract bait fish and thats always a good thing. have a good time.


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## dampeoples (Feb 2, 2008)

If it's warming up there like it is here, they should be on the banks with the new rain, to see what new forage there is, and the hiding spots are great choices too, they're lazy fish


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## mr.fish (Feb 2, 2008)

I wish I had more to report, but the river I was fishing was actually to flooded. When i first jumped in the water, I took a quick temp check. I thought the warmer rain would have brought the temp up more, but I guess not. The water temp was 33 degrees. I didn't expect much being that the water temp didn't rise, and the water level was still rising. My wading and casting spots were very limited. However, I did manage 2 smallies by early afternoon. Both fish hit chartuese tubes. Those holes I hit today, should be bettter in a day or two, and just in time for me to start a new work week.


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## mtnman (Feb 2, 2008)

Thats a nice little smallie. It has beautiful markings! Job well done


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## Jim (Feb 2, 2008)

Good job man!

Quick question...What are youu sing to take the temp of the water?


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## mr.fish (Feb 2, 2008)

Its a water thermometer I picked up at a pet shop. It reads from 20 to 110 degrees.


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## jkbirocz (Feb 2, 2008)

Nice Work Mike, I new you wouldn't end up empty handed. Do you have the same thermometer as I have, digital with a 3ft wire probe. 





My girlfriend has tons of them for her turtle tank and bird. They work great and last forever on the original battery. They are also only $6 or $7


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## dampeoples (Feb 2, 2008)

I assume you are bank fishing? I thought that was a weird question, I though all graphs had them nowadays!


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## Popeye (Feb 2, 2008)

I want a thermometer with a 75' cord. That's about as far down as I have put my down rigger.


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## alumacraftjoe (Feb 3, 2008)

Beautiful Brown Fish!


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## mr.fish (Feb 4, 2008)

jkbirocz said:


> Nice Work Mike, I new you wouldn't end up empty handed. Do you have the same thermometer as I have, digital with a 3ft wire probe.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I don't have that one. My thermometer looks like minature scale. Its hard to explain. Works well though


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