If you think the weather’s confusing, so are the fish

In the Lowcountry, winter weather is highly variable. One day, it is 70 degrees and sunny. Then the next day is cold and rainy. This can be confusing to both anglers and fish. Well, at least it is confusing to me. However, over time, I have developed a few rules of thumb that help me to catch fish consistently in highly variable weather conditions. 

Rule No. 1: Fish where the fish are. 

It helps to have a fish-finding and stock-trading dog like Brody. In the event that you do not have such a dog, see Rule No. 2. 

Rule No. 2: On warm days, look for fish in shallow water.  

While the air temperature is warm, the water temperature will still be cold. But the sun warms the shallows pretty quickly. It is not unusual to see the water temperature rise by two to three degrees. Sometimes even more. Baitfish and predators will seek out and congregate in these warmer pockets of water. It can be like fishing in the proverbial barrel. 

Rule No. 3: After several days of cold weather, it is a good bet that trout will be stacked up in deeper water.  

Trout are sensitive to changes in temperature and barometric pressure. When the water temperature drops, trout seek warmth in deeper water. Look for them in creek channels and deep holes in the bottom. When you find them, again, you are literally fishing in a barrel. 

Hopefully, these rules of thumb will help you catch more fish. It has been a while since my last community fishing class. So, I am thinking about holding another class in the next month or so.  

The class is free. 

If you are interested in attending, please send me an email at captgregp@gmail.com. You can help me focus the class on what you want to learn. Let me know if you want content on inshore or offshore fishing. Your questions are welcome. Please include those as well. 

If there is sufficient interest, I will circle back with the location, date, and time of the class.