When it comes to driving automobiles, speed kills. Same with catching fish in the chill waters of early spring.
Whether you’re currently dealing with bass and walleye along the Front Range or trout on mountain lakes when the ice breaks not much more than a month from now, slow and steady wins the race.
The key, of course, is metabolism. Fish move, and feed, in direct proportion to the temperature of their environment. Early in the season, fish likely will feed only once each day – generally at a time or place where the water is warmest. Often, a couple of degrees make all the difference.
Nothing illustrates this quite so vividly as an outing last weekend on a gravel pond along the South Platte River in Adams County, where ice had departed barely a week before.
The time was 2 p.m., with air temperature at 65 degrees and a warm sun playing hide-and-seek behind waves of thin clouds. “We’ll have to work really slow,” advised Troy Coburn, a tournament angler from Aurora for whom catching bass is close to religion.
Purely from curiosity, a visitor already had chosen a method that meets this purpose better than most: Measuring a tube jig or twister beneath a bobber is an effective way to negotiate beds of shallow vegetation, a prominent feature of this shallow lake. It also seemed a logical way to slow things down.
Almost on cue, a modest-size bass grabbed a 3-inch-long tube jig, then another and another. Meanwhile, Coburn found little success with a variety of crankbaits and jerkbaits, even though he did his best to steady the retrieve.
Then things changed. Given a couple more hours for sun percolation and a west wind to pile warmer surface water against our shoreline, bass magically came alive. Using plugs with short bills designed to run shallow and vibrate with a slow retrieve, Coburn and his companions began catching much larger fish.
What had been a light, almost hesitant bite suddenly turned aggressive. Bass up to 4 pounds slammed lures with midsummer enthusiasm – all from a temperature jog of a couple degrees. At the same time, these freshly inspired fish generally lost interest in the tube jig.
This same syndrome applies in varying degrees to virtually every fish that swims. Walleye enthusiasts will do well to slow their action during the pre-spawn bite over the next couple weeks, particularly those fishing from boats.
At this early date, even the slowest trolling speed may prove too fast to attract consistent action. Instead, try bouncing a jig deliberately along bottom, either drifting or casting. Once water temperature moves into the 50s, fish will be more willing to accept rapid movement.
Similar strategies apply to ice-out conditions on mountain lakes. Even though trout are better adapted to colder water, they’re governed by similar metabolic rules. They feed less and aren’t likely to chase after fast-moving lures. Savvy fly fishermen know to slow their retrieve dramatically at this time and increasingly lean toward indicators to minimize the motion of their presentations. Anglers who choose spinning rods can achieve the same result using a small bobber with a weighted fly or miniature jig.
Whatever the season, all species of fish will, at various times, prefer a slower retrieve for reasons that may not be apparent. When the bite slows at highway speeds, be prepared to take your foot off the gas pedal.
Charlie Meyers can be reached at 303-820-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
