Is it September or December?

On more than one occasion this week I found myself forgetting it was December. When the air is 70+ degrees and you’re peeling off jackets and shirts, no wonder. Whatever you do, don’t tell the fish it’s supposed to be cold… They are lively as ever, and as long as this comfortable weather continues, we should continue to have some great fishing. I’m hoping for a repeat of last winter, when January and February fishing was steady and comfortable.

Yesterday I noted water temps around 62-63 degrees in the big creeks. That’s up almost 10 degrees from the cold snap a few weeks ago. From a fishing perspective, this is great news. Fish are cold blooded animals, meaning their metabolism (and overall activity) slows down as their environment cools. When the water warms, they get more active. Active fish are hungry fish. Hungry fish are more likely to go out of their way to take your bait, and they’ll put up a better fight when hooked.