When winter bites, many anglers hang up the rods and wait for warmer days. But for those prepared to adapt, the colder months offer some of the most rewarding fishing of the year. Here are some winter fishing tricks to keep you landing fish when the mercury drops!

Slow it down

Fish are cold-blooded, and as water temperatures drop, so does their metabolism. This means slower movements and more calculated feeding. If you’re working a softbait or metal jig, dial it back with more subtle actions, longer pauses, and slower retrieves. 

By the same token, patience is a virtue when winter fishing with bait. It may take some time before the fish start biting, so try not to move spots too hastily. 

Berley can really help bring in lazy fish and trigger them into feeding mode. If you’re fishing with ledger or dropper rigs on the bottom, it pays to put your berley near the seafloor, whereas if you’re straylining in shallow water with lightly on non-weighted rigs, running the berley from the surface will be effective. Incorporating occasional larger morsels (chum) into your steady trail of berley can help draw in bigger fish.

Downsize 

With less plankton in the water, winter often brings clearer water, which can make fish line shy. When you combine that with slower feeding, finesse becomes very important, whether you’re bait or lure fishing. Think small lures, light leaders, and sneaky bait presentation! 

Fresh is best

With slower winter metabolisms, you need to make offerings as attractive as possible for fish. Freshly-caught bait will generally catch more fish and stay on the hook longer than frozen products, making catching your own with sabiki rigs a worthwhile (and cost-effective) exercise. 

Go shallow or go deep for snapper – not in between 

While it’s true that many snapper move out of harbours and estuaries over the winter months and into deeper water (50-plus metres), a fair proportion of fish tuck up in the shallows around kelp-covered reefs and rocky shorelines. These fish make prime targets for rockfishers who use berley and straylined baits, or boat anglers using the same technique or casting softbaits into the wash.   

Straylining allows your bait to drift naturally with the current, creating a lifelike presentation that entices snapper to strike. Position your vessel so that wind and tide align, so you can fish baits astern, and leave your rig unweighted if you can. Prominent headlands, reef gaps, or drop-offs where currents funnel food are ideal spots – snapper hang out around such areas, conserving energy while waiting for easy meals. 

In these same shallow, reefy locations, casting softbaits on lightly weighted jigheads into nooks and crannies is a very exciting way to catch snapper. Just be prepared for one helluva scrap if you hook into a big moocher – it will try its best to cut you off on any gnarly country it can find! Using large softbaits, like 7” jerk shads, will yield the largest fish, although smaller softbait lures will generally catch more fish and attract a greater variety of species. If the fishing is slow, it pays to experiment with different colour schemes.

If, however, you want to target the schools of snapper that move deeper in search of stable ocean conditions, winter is a good time to set up long drifts with slowjigs and heavily-weighted softbaits, or anchor up and fish with baited ledger rigs, in water deeper than 50m. In locations such as the Hauraki Gulf and off the west coast of the North Island, these winter school fish will commonly be found grazing over flat, sandy seafloors. There is also regular and sometimes intense gannet workup action through winter, usually in the same general areas where these grazing snapper feed.    

Target a different species

Winter is a great time to target a few different species that move inshore during the cooler months. Gurnard are a winter favourite, especially in harbours and over sandy bottoms out from beaches and bays. Target these tasty fish from the shore or from a boat with ledger rigs baited with small fish or shellfish baits fished right on the bottom.

John dory hang around reefs over winter and although they can be caught with lures such as softbaits, they are suckers for a livebait deployed close to the bottom. Other tasty, cold-water reef dwellers include tarakihi and blue cod – both best targeted with baited ledger rigs fished on the bottom. Trevally also make their presence felt as the water cools, and although they can be hard to specifically target in many areas, they have a preference for berley, light leaders, and small baits or lures. 

Winter fishing in New Zealand might not offer balmy skies and t-shirts, but it rewards those willing to brave the chill. With a little know-how, the right gear, and some Jarvis Walker essentials in your kit, winter can easily become your favourite fishing season.

For all your fishing tackle and boating equipment, visit jarviswalker.co.nz

- NZ Fishing News