But as long as the angler knows how to adapt to this late winter period, it is quite possible to make the most of it. Here are some tips for those who have decided to attack these first sessions with their favorite lures.
Adapt your fishing to the early season conditions
At the end of winter, the water is cold. It is best to avoid streams that may be subject to snowmelt. Fish will need to feed, but their activity period may be limited to a few hours during the day. It is not always helpful to be at the water's edge at daybreak. It is often when the sun begins to warm the waters that the angler will need to be active and focused.
At this time of year, you may want to put more emphasis on the calmer spots. The trout will still be able to find themselves in the nice currents, but holding on to the big veins of water may require a little more energy.
The promising positions will be slowly combed, playing on the aggressiveness of the fish and their predatory instinct. It is often the passage of a lure near their mouth that triggers frank attacksâ?¦
Some techniques that could work for this late winter
There is a wide range of techniques available to lure anglers. The soft lures can remain effective at the beginning of the season. And the lead heads allow to explore efficiently the nice deep chasms, or even the calmer zones where the nice subjects would hold. In this period, an easy prey of 8 cm might not scare the trout.
Swimming fish can also get out of their box. Minnow suspending lures sometimes make the difference, staying almost motionless between two waters. Crankbaits and other sinking lures will also flush out the fish that would be lying in ambush in the depths of the river.
Finally, fishing with a handled minnow is a technique that proves effective at the beginning of the season. Correctly rigged and animated, the rig can decide on pretty wild fish. But also on trout that have just been dumped into the river, if you are fishing on a course that has just been stocked. Aggressive rainbow trout might be less wary than fish born in the river, which see anglers flocking to them within hours.
