We still have several weeks to go before winter officially begins, but changes are already occurring on area lakes as both air temperatures and water temperatures have begun their annual winter plunge.

Many anglers hang up their fishing gear around Labor Day and forget all about fishing until the first warm days of spring. Many of those anglers who continue fishing after Labor Day and enjoy the fall fishing season will also opt out of fishing during the coldest months of the season. To do so will result in a missed opportunity for some great wintertime fishing on Lakes Sinclair and Oconee.

We have seen the coldest temperatures of the fall season this week, and consequently it has felt more like winter than fall. This week’s nighttime temperatures in the 20s have really caused a drop in water temperatures and have sent them in a direction that signifies winter fishing is fast approaching. Winter fishing will occur on area lakes when water temperatures finally drop to the mid-50s and then settle in to the wintertime temperatures of 40 to 54 degrees. The current fall season has seen fish of several species in shallow water feeding on shad as they prepare for the long winter season by gorging and fattening up. Throughout the winter season, some fish will remain shallow and others will visit shallow water during warm winter days but for the most part anglers will need to venture into deeper water if they want to catch winter fish consistently.

When water temperatures drop below 55 degrees crappie, largemouth bass and hybrid/striped bass will group together in large schools and move to deep water. Deep water in winter could be anywhere from 10 to 35 feet depending on the conditions during any specific day. Wind, sunlight, cold fronts (barometric pressure), air temperatures and most importantly location of baitfish will all have an impact on the location of all the game fish species.

Even though the metabolism of all fish will be slowed down by the cold water temperatures, game fish will still continue feeding throughout the winter. The key is being able to find the fish and present a lure that looks appetizing enough for the fish to use some of their stored energy. They may not chase a lure very far but an angler who can properly place a lure close to their mouths will catch fish. Locating shad is very important in winter. Anglers who find a large school of shad at a good winter depth can be sure that some type of game fish will be close by possibly ready to feed.

The metabolism of baitfish like shad is also slowed during the winter and that sluggishness can add up to an easy tasty meal for the game fish. Shad will also die off during the coldest part of winter and that also makes them easy pickings for game fish. Shad will even move to relatively shallow water during the winter months after a couple of relatively mild or warm days. Always check shallow water around lake points on warm winter days. That is a favorite location for shad and the game fish look there for an easy meal. Regardless of what the calendar defines as the winter season, when will the winter “fishing” season actually arrive? It could come as early as mid-December or as late as early January. It all depends on the water temperature.

Last year’s relatively mild winter resulted in the game fish never moving into a good consistent wintertime pattern. Last winter, the fish remained scattered from shallow water areas to deep water areas. You might not like cold winter weather but that is exactly what it takes to create a good winter fishing pattern. The fact that both baitfish and game fish stack up or group up in large schools is what makes wintertime fishing so good. However wintertime fishing can also be boom or bust. Winter weather can create great fishing, but it can also create lousy fishing, and both good and bad fishing can occur on consecutive days.

I have caught winter fish on lousy weather days but I have had better success on good weather days. I like to fish for winter fish after 2 to 3 days of stable weather. It does not have to be a warm day, but a warm winter day sure makes the body feel better. I like relatively sunny days with little wind when looking for deep wintertime fish. That is just a personal preference because the fish will bite on a cloudy windy day. One of my best winter fishing days occurred several years ago and it happened in less than ideal weather conditions. The day started cold, cloudy and calm and I had fished a good part of the day and the fish just were not biting. About 2 p.m. the wind began to blow and as I moved across a point my depth finder lit up with shad and game fish. In less than 30 minutes, my fishing partner and I loaded the boat with largemouth and hybrid bass. The windy conditions had blown the shad up on top of that point and the game fish moved right in to feed. Since that day, I have repeated that feat several times so always be aware that the wind can be an aide in finding and catching wintertime fish.

In the coming weeks, I will offer some suggestions for catching wintertime fish, some lures to use and lake locations to try. Wintertime fishing can be great for those anglers with a little patience and who do not mind a little cold weather. Try it and I think you might like the results. Good fishing and see you next week.