Seven Must-Have Lures for Winter Fishing in the Lagoons
The DOA Shrimp- a must-have lure.
By Thanksgiving the water in our local lagoons is getting cold. All the migratory fish species are long gone. Until Christmas the days are still getting shorter. And even after the days begin to get longer, we still have long nights. During these long nights the water cools by radiation. Cold fronts come through and make it darn cold sometimes. The water gets as clear as it will be all year.
Our resident fish- redfish, seatrout, and black drum- are still here. They still have to eat. They behave differently than they do in the summer though. That includes what they eat and when they eat it. Let’s take a look at their winter behavior, and how it affects what lures we need to carry in our tackle box.
First thing, a basic physiological difference exists between fish and mammals, We are warm-blooded. We maintain a constant body temperature. To do that we must eat regularly.
Fish are cold-blooded. Their body temperature is about the same as the temperature of the water. The optimum water temperature for redfish and seatrout (and probably black drum too) is between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. During the winter water temperatures in the lagoons can drop into the 40s.
The rate of biochemical reactions is enormously affected by temperature. The cold water temperature greatly slows the metabolism of our finned friends.
You may have heard that snakes, or alligators, only have to eat once a month or so during cold spells. Like fish, reptiles are cold-blooded. It seems reasonable to assume that, like reptiles, fish don’t need to eat as often during winter as during the warm months.
It also seems reasonable to assume that they like smaller meals when the water is cool, too. My own observations bear this out.
Due to my duties as a fishing guide I have to fillet fish during all months of the year. I check the stomach contents of every fish I fillet. During the summer they have larger food items in their stomachs, including pinfish, mullet, and other, similar larger baitfish.
During the winter there are many fewer baitfish and many more shrimp. Many of the shrimp are quite small, an inch or so in length. Shrimp of the size you might use for bait are a rather unusual find.
In redfish stomachs crabs seem to be found in equal quantities regardless of season or water temperature. My guess is this speaks to their fondness for crabs.
Another item to consider is how water temperature changes during the day. The water will ordinarily be coldest at sunrise. It has cooled by radiation all night. Assuming the sun shines, the temperature will increase all day and it will be warmest at sunset. If no wind blows this is a good time to be fishing.
I final item to consider is the manatee grass that carpets the lagoon’s floor here. This plant’s thin, spaghetti-like blades catch on anything that gets dragged through the water. Lures with treble hooks, especially multiple treble hooks, are frequently rendered useless here because of this grass. The only plugs I have success with here are surface baits. For all sub-surface work I like single hook artificials, rigged weedless if at all possible.
So, since the fish eat fewer, smaller meals during the winter, our offerings should be more petite as well. Let’s look at Seven Must-Have Lures for Winter Fishing that better match the winter’s hatch.
The three inch DOA Shrimp has to be considered near the top in any list of winter baits. They’re good for reds, trout, and black drum. These baits come in a bewildering array of colors, of which I carry five- clear with gold glitter, chartreuse with silver glitter, clear smoke, avocado green, and the glow shrimp. Pick any colors you have confidence in. You want a light colored one, a dark colored one, a neutral colored one, and an attractor (like the glow shrimp).
Fish these shrimp slowly by themselves or under a popping cork such as a Cajun Thunder. DOA markets them already rigged with the cork, calling the rig the “Deadly Combo.” This really is truth in advertising.
While fishing the shrimp, or any other artificial bait or fly, when possible carefully observe the response of the fish to your bait. If you make good presentations and are not getting the bite, switch to a darker color or a smaller bait, or both.
Jerk baits are exceedingly useful flats fishing lures at any time of year. In the summer I like big, meaty ones. For winter fishing, the little four inch ones are much more likely to be eaten. Rig them weedless on a 2/0 or 3/0 hook.
Since they weigh less, these little jerk baits can’t be thrown as far as the bigger ones. You can add weight by inserting a small nail or some bead chain eyes into the bait, or by pinching a shot in front of the line tie. Or you can switch to a lighter line, which will always cast farther. Or maybe even do both!
I find three inch shad tails, rigged weedless like a jerk bait, very useful for winter fishing. Proper hook size is 1/0 or 2/0. Again, the fish want smaller mouthfuls and a three inch shad tail is mud minnow small. Again, you need a lighter line to toss them. I like subdued colors for these, and use them exclusively for sight fishing.
Although we catch some nice trout and even black drum on them from time to time, spoons are really a redfish bait. I still like quarter ounce Johnson Minnows in either gold or silver, but during the winter months I always have a few of the one-eighth ounce size, too. Some days they just work better than the bigger ones.
These can be used successfully for sight fishing for singles and schools. They also excel for blind casting. You can cast them a long way. You reel them fairly quickly. So you can cover a lot of water with one. The Johnson Minnow has been in continuous production for almost 100 years. I would consider it a “must have” bait.
A one-eighth ounce jighead rigged with a soft plastic tail can be the deadliest of baits. For years I liked the RipTide weedless jig. Sadly, these are no longer made. Other weedless jigheads exist, however. Tru Tungsten makes one, as does Owner. One-eighth ounce is plenty as far as weight goes.
The tail should be short, no more than three inches. I prefer dark colors, brown or gray, for this lure. Again, pick a color in which you have confidence.
Like the Johnson Minnow, this lure can be used for both sight fishing and blind casting. Like the Johnson Minnow, jigs have been around a long time. Like the Johnson Minnow I consider these jigs to be a “must have” bait.
Lastly, carrying some surface baits is a good idea for those times when good, or horrible, conditions demand. You’ll find all kinds of good ones on the market, walk-the-dog types like Heddon’s Zara Spook, propeller types like Smithwick’s Devil’s Horse, and other, more recent designs. I like Storm’s Chug Bug, a popping plug, and the shallow running DOA Bait Buster, a soft plastic mullet imitation.
The popper works well when conditions don’t allow sight fishing. The plug makes lots of noise and calls the fish to it. Redfish will hit it but it is especially deadly on trout.
The Bait Buster is more subtle, and does its best work on warmer, calmer days. When there’s too much floating grass to use a plug the single hook Bait Buster oftentimes still works.
The way you work a lure, like your fingerprints or your voice, is unique to you. No one else can quite duplicate it. While my favorites list may become your favorites list too, it is quite likely that there will be some modification as you find those baits that work best for you. Use this piece as a guide, a starting point, in your search for your own personal list.
I hope you enjoy your favorites search as much as I’ve enjoyed mine!
John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com
All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2012. All rights are reserved.
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