The following tips are abridged from an article written by Phillip Gentry in the January 2020 issue of Carolina Sportsman.

Fishing is a year-round sport, but weather, availability of bait, and fish migration and breeding patterns dictate a whole different approach with the changing seasons. Those who think only die-hard anglers fish during the winter are missing out. It’s not even necessary to face Mother Nature head on. With some forethought and planning, fishing can be enjoyable in summer and winter.  Whether you are new or experienced the following tips should be useful.

1. Dress warmly. You’ve already heard and read of this ad nauseum, but it bears repeating. If you stay warm and dry, you’ll be happier and fish longer and catch more fish. Drysuits, dressing in layers, even full-body wetsuits or neoprene waders — whatever you’re comfortable in — put together the ensemble and wear it. Keep a spare set of clothes handy in case the dry part doesn’t work out by the end of the day.
2. Scout in advance. Scouting for fishing? The best freshwater fishing is going to be in deep water; the best saltwater fishing is going to be in shallow water. Find these places on topo maps and charts before fishing. Locate suitable areas and check the wind and weather forecast. Choose your fishing spots accordingly. The sun and deep water adjacent to the shore are your friends.
3. Use braided line. Fish bites in cold water are mushy at best. Using braided line lets you feel them better. If you are concerned about line shyness, use a length of fluorocarbon leader.
4. Remember topwater baits. Sometimes the area of warmest water is that sunbaked layer on the surface. Even in cold water, baitfish are often pushed to the surface by feeding fish, and topwater baits are the best way to get bit. Rarely is blind-casting topwater baits effective like it is in the summer. If something is going on at the surface, you’ll see it first, then cast to it.
5. Fifty is nifty. The magic temperature when fishing in the winter is 50 degrees. In mild winters, water temperatures may not get down to 50 or may not stay less than 50 for very long. In hard winters, 50 comes and goes like a crisp fall day, leaving icicles in it’s path. Both freshwater fish and saltwater fish will feed actively in water warmer than 50 degrees, although it may be for shorter periods of time because their metabolism is slower. Less than 50 degrees, and you need to plan on soliciting a reaction bite. That rarely means a fast and furious presentation, but more likely that annoying “in your face”, “easy to get”, “too good to pass up” appeal. That’s where jigging spoons and drop shots and the like shine. Set up over the fish and put that bait on its nose.
6. Find heated water. As well as live bait works most of the time, both live bait and predator fish become more lethargic at water temperatures less than 50 degrees and probably die at less than 40. While much of this is simply fishing knowledge, the smart angler can take advantage of unique opportunities to find heated water because of access and portability. The extreme upper end of a creek, stream or channel may be much warmer than the impoundment end, and a cut-off slough may warm faster and stay heated longer than a normal tributary arm. The same can be said for shallow saltwater flats that lie upstream behind two or three sand bars that keep the dolphins and power boats at bay.
7. Fish later in the day. Give your fishing area time to warm up. Some of the best winter fishing is mid-day and afternoon after surface water temperatures have risen a few degrees. Avoid the urge to run-and gun in cold water. Most fish will school or school tighter in the winter. The key to catching fish is first locating them, then taking time to work them slowly to entice strikes.
8. Use a depth finder. Unless you’re sight-fishing a shallow flat, most winter fishing is going to be vertical, over deeper water. That requires the use of a depth finder, both to identify baitfish, predator fish and yes, even watch your bait as you vertical fish.
9. Vertical is best. Most of these scenarios work best when vertical fishing for your chosen species. Get on top of the fish. Watch them on your sonar and learn to use a jigging spoon, drop-shot, shaky head, bucktail jig or other heavy, metal bait. These styles of fishing might be slow and boring, but they catch a lot of winter fish.
10. Use Scent. Finally, don’t forget to use scents like Pro-Cure or Dr. Juice on artificial plastics. The baits don’t have to move much to get a bite as long as they smell like something to eat.