winter fishing - live bait vs artificial bait
The cold winter months have arrived, water temperatures are cold, and our normal bait supply is scarce at best. So what does one use to find fish during the winter months?
Our job as charter captains is to put our clients on fish so live bait it is. My bait of choice? A trusty mud minnow.
There are several ways to fish a mud minnow. Some like to fish a mud minnow under a popping cork, others prefer on a Carolina rig. My personal preference is simply using a jig head.
When I am not on a charter I am all about artifical baits. I love artificial!! It allows me to cover a lot of area unlike live bait fishing.
As often the case, your favorite fishing spots are not producing fish that day so we’re forced to go find fish, this is where artifical baits come in. Again you can cover alot more area when you fish with artifical baits.
Always remember that during the cold winter months to use small baits and fish SLOWWWWWW. I have a few “weapons” that I use when I am hunting fish during the cold winter months. My baits of choice are Yozuri suspend baits, or soft plastic baits. These baits allow me to cover a wide area. When I find the fish there are usually more fish to be had in that spot so I work it hard until they stop chewing.
So in close, it’s all about preference. My preference is artificial, my clients prefer live bait, both produce fish and can be very rewarding.
Until next time
Tight lines!!
Capt Rick
