Forecast- Nov 27 - Dec 3.  Highlands Today Headline - Cold weather means alter techniques  

For the last week in November, anglers could see the last of the fall weather season, as winter weather makes its way south to our great fishing state. Over the next two days, anglers will have to adjust as fish start to migrate to winter spawning and feeding areas.

Fish migrate into winter patterns as temperatures drop into the sixties more consistently. The cooler the water, the more oxygen the water holds, and the faster the fish digest food. However, the colder the water becomes, the slower the fish moves due to slower metabolism speeds produced in coldblooded animals. The fish swims slower, reacts slower, and travels shorter distances daily, albeit, digestion is operating at faster speeds now than last month or the month before. In fact, digestion speeds have not been at the present speed since the water temperatures were the same degree-range that we have today—approximately last April/May.

Therefore as temperatures drop this week anglers will need to slow down their bait presentation to match the speed of the fish, which is slow and getting slower, matching the declining temperatures. Along with a slower bait speed, anglers also need to increase the size of the bait to match the increased appetite of fish in pre-spawn, and post-spawn modes—Crappie, and Bass are in these modes presently..

The bait size is important for bass anglers this time of year because bass are attempting to bulk-up and add strength for spawning, and the ten-day or more fasting period that accompanies it. The larger females battle for feeding area supremacy, the males battle over spawning area structures with which to protect and raise their fry. All of this work requires extra food, so bass look for the largest meals they can find. After all, when a fish waits in ambush, they want to make the feeding-effort pay off to the fullest by engulfing the largest meal possible in one grand attack.

The cold weather should really heat-up the fishing bite for crappie and bass anglers this week. Fish will slow down in the cold, but eat large meals, as fast as digestion will allow. They stay close to structure and hunt in smaller areas, which they fervently protect. They’ll rush to attack one potential meal but abandoned the attack in favor of a bigger potential meal approaching an ambush point. It’s a game of “He who eats the most wins.”

So don’t think just because you’re cold that fishing will be cold too--not even close to being correct. Instead think, the colder it gets, the closer to cover the fish will be, and the hotter the fish’s response will be to your bait.

The best time for fishing today will be from 12-noon to 3 p.m. The peak period should be from 1-2 p.m. and achieve a one-in-ten scale rating of 6 and perhaps lower if the wind is as strong as predicted in the 15-20 mph range. If this happens to be the case, and if the wind dies down in the afternoon to fishable levels (15 mph or less), you might want to fish in the evening hours when wave-action subsides as the front approaches, and therefore the second best time of day arrives and becomes the best time to fish.

The next best time to fish is from 5-8 p.m. with a peak period from 5:30-6:30 and a rating of 4-6—all depends on the weather (This will be a good fishing time ONLY if the midday bite was bad due to weather, otherwise this bite will be very poor. As it looks at the time of writing this article, this should be the best bite of the day).

The early morning bite should be “ok” today and not be affected by the approaching weather. If this is the case, expect the bite from 6-9 a.m. and the peak period occurring during the sunrise, ending when the sun is in full view. The rating should hold at 5 today, but decline tomorrow as fish adjust to temperature decline. This feeding period probably won’t pick-up to respectable feeding rates until the new temperature daily-range normalizes after the midweek.   

Looking ahead to the second half of this week and the beginning of December, anglers should prepare for winter fishing conditions (70-degree highs and upper-40 lows) and the first-quarter lunar phase that starts on Friday.

Today and tomorrow, fishing should be best in the evening and then change on Thursday to mornings. The worst time to fish is from 1-4 a.m. when the rating hits the daily low of three.  

Fishing Flash

Lake Istokpoga’s level is currently at 39.46’ above sea level, with three gates open .3 feet (4 inches) for the past week to maintain a level below the maximum high-pool of 39.5’.

The FWC Lake Istokpoga fall hydrilla treatment event of 1856 total acres will start tomorrow, November 29-30. Maps will at the boat ramp kiosks and can be downloaded online at Istokpoga.info.

An FWC Istokpoga Crappie Fishing Rodeo will be held on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the route 98 Istokpoga County Park boat ramp. Friends of Istokpoga Inc. are hosting the event. All Crappie anglers are invited to assist the FWC in a Crappie (specks) Tagging Study starting with registration from 6-8 a.m. A Free BBQ Lunch and free prize drawings start at noon. All anglers must bring their own boats (with functioning live wells) as well as their own bait and tackle. For more info contact Bill Pouder at the FWC, 863-648-3805