Winter trout

Late fall and early winter are hot season for sea trout angling. Trouts tend to stay near shores, in shallow waters where is enought shelter and food for them. When water is really cold, like now in december, trouts mainly avoid waves and hard wind. They like more easier conditions and try to find shelter.

Sea trout favors at this time of year mainly rocky shores with healthy bottom. Shores can be shallow far away. Often long bank/reef is good place to fish. There you can try both sides and find out do the trouts lay on the wind side or do they like more calm conditions. If you have group of islands or rocks in front of the shore, which blocks the biggest waves and worst wind  away, you are on the right track. Besides this look for small fishes. If you find them, you have bigger odds to find the trouts allso from there. Now and then it pays off to find gap, even small, between islands and rocks. If conditions and streams are right these may gather several feeding trouts. And remember; there are not too shallow shores for sea trout.

Reel in slowly, really slowly. Cast precise casts. In extremely cold conditions trout does not necesserily reach for long rushes after near by going lure. Try the potential hiding places precisely; behind the rocks, small creeks and pits. One of the key things is to present the lure slowly. But just to retrieve slowly does not do enough. Generally you should allso spice up your presenting with stops, as long stops as possible. That is why your lure should sink as slowly as possible, like Wake's Shallow Spoon. Another good spoon model is such wich you can easily lead to surface level to avoid stones and grass. Wake's Soft Spoon in smaller size is one of those types lures.

Every angler has it's own opinion on what is good color for lure. But here are some colors which can be found from various true fishermen's boxes: pink-white, natural small fish,  bright/neon yellow, purple-pearly white and red-black.

Often rods for sea trout angling are from 7' to 10' long quite flexible models. With too heavy actioned rod you will loose many trouts. As reel fits both spinning- and casting reel fine. Important is that you won't get your line tangled and brake works smoothly. What it comes to fishing lines, both are used; braided- and monofilament line. Braided line is often quite thin, 0.15mm-0.20mm.  Monofilament lines are often between 0.28mm-0.35mm. If you use braided line, good tip is to use flexible wire trace of monofilament line, length of one to two rod lengths. With this you will get some elasticity if trout hits in short line. And it often saves your lures when fishing on rocky shores. To help your fishing it is good to use hi-visibility line so that you easily can see where your line goes.

Good conditions for sea trout angling is cloudy without too heavy wind. If it is snowing, be glad; it is excellent weather for winter trout!
Trouts are often more easily to found under the wind, but the wind and waves should not be too hard and heavy. Water level is crucial. When water level is sinking, trouts often turn passive. But when water level turns to rise, you should be out there angling trout!

Open sea during winter time is glorious. Often you can be all by your self without any other person. But sea trouts may bother your peace...