Although the freshwater truce really lasts from late January to mid-March between the closing of the carnivore season and the opening of the trout season, most anglers spend far more time away from the banks. Here's how to make the most of this time!
Spending time with your family
Let's face it, when the season is in full swing, there's a lot to do, and sometimes we're regularly away from home to indulge our passion. At this time of year, it's good to be able to devote more time to your family to compensate for your absence...
Tidying up your equipment
Some people are much tidier than others, but it's good for everyone to put their fishing gear in order from time to time... It helps you to see things more clearly, to sort, tidy and classify, and also to maintain all your equipment. Rods and reels need to be thoroughly rinsed, and mechanical parts inspected and overhauled. As for lures, they often need new hooks for the season...
What's more, this tidying up often allows you to get your hands on a whole host of lures you'd forgotten existed!
Take stock of your needs
As well as sorting out your equipment, it's particularly useful to take advantage of winter to take stock of your needs for the opening season. To avoid unnecessary purchases, take the time to reflect on your actual practices and the items you actually use. It's often a good idea to top up your boxes of consumables such as lead heads and staples, but it's also important to check the condition of your braids and fluorocarbon spools.
Digital prospecting
In winter, walks along the water's edge are rare, but it's always possible to find new spots for the coming season, and sometimes much more than just a stroll along the banks... For example, by exploiting satellite view sites, you can identify many bodies of water you didn't know existed, but also locate new spots on the rivers you usually fish and at sea. It's important to pay particular attention to any visible changes in relief, whether on the bank or underwater, transparency permitting.
In addition, for sea anglers, you can also use bathymetry sites such as Navionics Webapp or the Data shom site, which features sedimentation and current maps, to create a repertoire of spots to test in 2024.
Setting goals
Last but not least, winter is a time for dreaming, questioning and setting new goals. It could be a species, a record or a specific fishing technique. It doesn't matter, the most important thing is to look ahead and find a project that will enable you to spend different time on the water than you did last year. Winter can also be a good time to plan a future fishing trip!
