1/9/06

I hope that everyone is settling into the new year.
We have had some beautiful days in the last few weeks which has been both positive and negative fishing wise. I will start with the negative. The clear water that I wrote of at the beginning of winter is not as pronounced as it should be at this point. The good news in that though has been that finding and sighting fish hasn’t been a problem the last few weeks. These warm days have helped to keep the fish pretty active, which has been great for the bite and for the water being turbulent enough to pick out schools from a distance.
The best news comes in what I feel we are going to see progress from the rest of winter. If the weather continues in the pattern we have had to this point, which is what most meteorologists are predicting, then we should have wonderful fishing, though differing a little from day to day. When we have stretches of colder weather then we will have clearer water and slightly tighter schools meaning that locating large schools of fish to sight cast to will be the ticket. When we have stints of warmer weather, like we are now, then the fish will be more active with that warmer water and a little more aggressive to pick up your favorite artificial or fly pattern. This slightly warmer water in the winter will make the fish a little spookier though and more apt to blow out and not return. So move slowly and quietly, presentations don’t need to be overly delicate but less aggressive than we worked them in fall.
When the weather is at least bearable outside, the winter is really some of the best fishing for reds you will do all year. So get out on the water and take advantage of the nice weather we are having this winter as well as the fact that most people put away their rods this time of year.

Until next Tide,
Capt. Tuck Scott