How well you detect a “winter bite” may depend upon your “sixth sense.” When the water is cold and the fish are lethargic, may be the only way you know a fish has picked up you lure is your “sixth sense.” You may sense “something is just not right” or you “lose contact” with the lure or the lure/line is not “where it should be.” When this happens you should set the hook.
When fishing in cold water, you must slow down the presentation, maybe even down to a simple jiggle. So slow it may be tormenting. So how do you deal with a tormenting retrieve mentally? Do you pack up and go home to a warm fire or do you find a way to entice that one big bite like AndyG is looking for. This is where the love of fishing and finding the patience to bring that quality fish into the boat comes into play. You have to work on keeping your interest and confidence high. No one does this better than Elwood. He always does the right things with the right equipment and stays with the program. This kind of dedication is what puts more and bigger fish in the boat.
Sometimes fish will be aggressive while other times they can pick up your lure without a hit they have it in their mouth. So how do you go about hooking up with these cold-water difficult-to-detect bites? One is to use only a “gentle shaking” or “gentle jiggle” without any distance recovered. This may be SLOW and PAINFUL to you, but this is what it may take to entice that one big fish to bite. A sudden disruption in the jiggle or a slight “thump” may be the only way you know. And again, it may only be that “sixth sense” kicking in to set the hook without any physical indication.
One last consideration to help you slow your presentation down is to keep your rod tip high and jiggle the lure with your wrist only. When keeping your rod tip high, it limits the movement of the lure. Allow the lure to only move when it becomes unstuck after whatever pressure it takes while jiggling to release it, and then start the process over again. Do not be afraid to “pause” the juggle for various lengths of time…the slower the bite the long the pause. You must keep your eyes glued for any movement of your line.
Remember, you are not totally “left out in the cold” so to speak when you winter fish. You have your graph and your past knowledge that fish are or have visited the spot you picked to fish that day. Also buy the very best cold-weather gear possible to keep you warm. If you are warm, you can concentrate on fishing and not how cold your body is, and your confidence will stay high.
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