Inshore Fishing: Winter Targets

As we move into winter, many anglers are inclined to hang up their rods until the following spring. In some parts of the country, this is understandable. Red cod, barracouta, and spiny dogs (and other ground sharks) become prolific in some areas, and flooded rivers pour debris and silt-laden fresh water into the sea. All this, coupled with coasts exposed to rough prevailing weather conditions, can mean months at a time when it is not exactly inviting to fish.

Occasionally, we are blessed with crisp, cold, still winter mornings on a winter weekend, but if you want to get on the water on a semi-regular basis, the trick is to fish the weather windows. In winter, these windows can be short – louvres if you like – sometimes consisting of brief lulls of four or five hours between systems. Early mornings are often the best, sometimes with still conditions at dawn and the forecast wind only picking up mid-morning. If you live handy to your fishing grounds, you can launch at first light and be home with a feed by 10 or 11am as conditions deteriorate.