Читать книгу Fishing For Dummies - Greg Schwipps - Страница 83

This one is simple: Fish whenever you can. I often fish at night because in the Midwest U.S., flathead catfish pursue baitfish then, and the waters are never crowded with other anglers. Flatheads almost stop eating when the water cools to 50 degrees in the fall, but other species of fish feed all winter long and can be caught from open water or through the ice. At any moment, year-round, some fish are biting somewhere. Go experiment until you catch them.

Of course, some times are better than others. Low-light periods of dawn and dusk encourage most fish to feed. Spring and fall, often marked by heavy rainfall and wild temperature swings, can make for unpredictable fishing. (Although it can be as good as it is bad!) The spawning season (time for breeding, eggs, and nesting) of each species of fish will definitely affect the angling for that species. While spawning, some fish are nearly impossible to catch, whereas others become emboldened. There are ethical issues to consider when fishing for spawning fish, as well. Do you really want to remove or even disrupt the biggest fish in the body of water while they are busy creating the future’s big fish?

All fish are affected by lunar cycles, too. Traditionally, the three days on either side of a new or full moon make for better fishing. (Although it will alter night fishing and daytime fishing differently. Some anglers swear by fishing a full moon — others feel like it’s impossible to catch fish at night then.) Lunar cycles also change the tides, as a full moon marks an especially high and low tide (a.k.a. a spring tide even though it can occur all year).

In rivers, a steady rise of the water level can excite fish. A sharp fall can shut them down. A big rain can raise a lake or pond level and activate fish.

There’s a lot of opinion out there about the right time to fish. The bottom line: Fish when you can. Let’s face it — your work and family schedule will dictate your fishing time, anyway. But if you begin to notice a pattern, like a new moon triggers a hot dawn bite on your favorite smallmouth stream, you may need to schedule some mental health days.