[BCdogs14]

so it is beginning to be that time of year. when the weather gets colder, the days shorter and if you're lucky, that funny fluffy white stuff begins falling from the sky.

It is also the time of year a lot of anglers start mothballing the ol' tackle box and rod, in favor of shotguns and those weird orange hats. It is the time of year I get to hear people question my manhood for NOT hunting, and suggesting I am in some way a hypocrite for fishing but not hunting. When in fact my objection to hunting is more so based on the Ron White theory of "It's really early, it's really cold, and I don't wanna go!"

SO

The question I pose to my fellow angler type peoples....

What are your plans to maintain sanity these coming cold months? Pike fishing ?(which I have vowed to get into this year) Flying south of the equator? (ole'!!) Flying to California? (mm, home) Not fishing? (booo!!!!)

Let's hear it. What are the plans? Because if you are anything like me, you start twitching when you can't fish.....

 

[zooker]

running and gunning all winter bass and striper fishing.. this is what i do every winter..

zooker

 

[BCdogs14]

details and locations, my friend....

some of us may want in on that action!!!

 

[zooker]

depends on which lake i fish high rock or badin.. but the action is good on both till deep into january and early febuary.. then it slows down... high rock is a crank bait lake. wiggle warts, x-rap,and flukes worked slow normally work in the deep freeze.. in badin for some odd reason a firetiger crankbait,fluke and jerk baits are what will make them hit..

now for inland stripers if you can find the birds hittin the water hard.. a sassy shad on a 3/8oz shad jig head tossed into the frey will catch you numerus stripers..
the key to catch stripers is speed move in slow and consant -don't stop- using the troller at a set speed it will allow you to work the school hard..

zooker

 

[Topsail Angler]

No mothballs here. Jan - Mar means look for the pretty days and hunt stripers in the river, flounder on the offshore ledges and grouper, black bass, etc. on the reefs. Also an occasional speck or puppy drum inshore just to keep the rod bent.

Winter is a lot slower but around here a hard core angler can fish year round!

 

[Bread Man 1]

Wintertime don't slow me down.

 

[tcfisherman]

as Some Of The Others Said Stripers And Reds Will Still Be Around, But Thats When The Hunting Comes In, Youmay Have To Bundle Up, But There Are Fish To Be Hunted Down. There Is All So Fshing Schools, Research Fishing On The Internet, Cleaning Reels, Mantiance On The Ole Boat, Remember When Not Fishing Release The Drags On All Reels, Thats My .02 Cents That Keep A Retired Old Man Happy,

 

[striperjunkie]

winter what winter. the weather only slows me down when im backing the boat down to the water and slide down the ramp cause the ramp was covered in ice. i striper fish all year long. jan-dec never stops.when you get into feb and the water gets into the low 40's goto norman and fish the hot holes.down from the 150 bridge. the water there will still be in the mid 60's and the stripers will be turning on just about everyday. other than that just about any lake is good fishing until the water temp get into the mid to low 40's

 

[Dave B.]

I've been known to do both....

 

[fojoloy]

My old bones don't take the cold weather like they used to so I am going to slow down and stay warm. I've gotta take the boat out of the water( been in harbor since march) knock the barnacles off and get it ready to go again. Plenty of maintenance to do on it. Tie a few flies, clean up and repair some reels, deal with the tackle monkey and stay out of trouble, somewhat if possible.

 

[Dave B.]

I'm with ya Forrest... not fun having to wash down the deck with pond water to loosen the ice on the deck!!

 

[sundrop]

Stripers year round. Cats bite until the water drops to 50-54 degrees and they can be caught in the Cape Fear. Crappie/Stripers in deep water in Jordan. The cold has slowed me down because I'm not used to fishing in it. I thought it was over come Nov but I have learned otherwise!! Notice the Guide services offer fishing most anytime in NC and they don't stay popular if they can't put you on fish. So that means they can be caught!

 

[UCONNRULZ]

We're supposed to put the boat away...........why?

 

[backlash]

I feel like the fishin is just gettin good!!! It was 34 degrees when I left the ramp at Southport a couple of weeks ago. Now for those Stripers.

 

[704gary]

I only live 25 miles from BPS, winter is a good
time to replace what was lost in the last season.
Tell your wife you love her, and send her in the
mall. She's happy and can buy more than you lost.
Gary

 

[StriperSniper]

Stripers can be caught on almost any lake from November through January and then like striperjunkie said: go to Norman in February.

 

[Coach D]

Been told the crappie fishing is pretty good on most lakes that time of year to. Not sure. Have never tried but plan on it this year.

 

[kayak ken]

To my fellow kayakers,
If you fish through the winter months can you give me tips on what you wear to keep warm? Kayaken

 

[lefty]

Biggest thing is, expect to get dunked. You cannot plan those things -- that's why they're called "accidents". You don't get to choose when or where, either, so dress for the water first.

The deluxe answer is a drysuit. Kotokat makes one that's well respected among paddlers, and costs between $400 and $500. The next best answer seems to be breathable waders and a dry top, but you have to account for the seam between the two. I spoke to a group of very active wintertime yak-fishers in Va Beach last February, and was told by several that they (personally) had dunked in such an outfit, with their wading belt and PFD reinforcing the overlap between the two, and had no water get in. You can get these pieces for $200-$250 if you shop carefully enough.

The remaining choice is a wetsuit. It's designed to keep you warm while you're in the water, but the downside is, you're not planning to stay in the water. Once you get out, now you're wet in the air, which is not what the wetsuit is designed to accomplish. If you're willing to scrub the fishing trip and turn it into a rescue mission as soon as you dunk, this might be a choice you're willing to make. NRS makes some good wetsuits for $100 to $150. If you can score a coupon to Provision Company, you can place your order through them.

 

[kayak ken]

Thanks Lefty,
I was afraid the answer to keeping warm and dry would be quite expensive. Thanks for your insight. Kayaken