3 Steps To Stop Fishing Dead Zones In Winter

Stop fishing dead zones in winter!!!

Contrary to popular belief, winter is an EXCELLENT time of year to hit the water and get tight lines.

Learn how you can put yourself in a position to catch schooling redfish and gator trout this winter in the video below!!

Stop Fishing Dead Zones In Winter [VIDEO]

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Winter does present some great opportunities to target big fish, however, you’ve got to be sure you’re picking the right spots to fish.

The 90/10 rule is in FULL effect during the wintertime.

That is when 90% of the feeding fish are in 10% of the water.

So it’s critical to avoid those dead zones and pinpoint exactly where the fish are.

Wind changes, lower tides, and cold temperatures force fish into specific zones.

The features highlighted below are what you should look for in a wintertime fishing spot.

1. Wind

Wind is absolutely key in the wintertime.

As the wind blows over the surface of the water, it cools the water beneath it so you need to choose spots that are wind-protected.

What we tend to notice is we experience North and Northeast winds most often in the wintertime when a cold front comes through.

This helps us find out where the fish are going to hold.

These principles also hold true from Texas to Louisiana and around Florida through the Carolinas.

Another thing to make note of is how the fish are feeding on the bait presented to them.

Bait in these areas will get pushed out of creeks by the wind.

Furthermore, this is why we also tend to see lots of low tides in the winter because all that water is getting pushed out.

So you generally end up fishing in water that is 1-2 feet lower than other times of the year.

2. Depth Changes

If you aren’t an Insider Member yet, I highly recommend joining the Club so you can gain access to Smart Fishing Spots.

It is our All-In-One Fishing App designed to help you plan and document everything about your fishing trips.

The features within this app are incredibly useful, especially during the wintertime.

The Marine Chart helps you see what the depths are in any area.

I particularly like to look for big flats near intracoastal channels that are wind protected and at the ideal depth.

You want to find an area that drops off at a minimum of 5-10 feet.

These deeper zones provide escapes for predatory fish when the temperature decreases.

Fish like redfish want to hunt in the shallowest water they can find.

So they will get up into as low as 1 foot of water if possible but they need deeper water to retreat to when colder temperatures roll through.

Then the fish can hunker down in stable temperatures until it warms again.

You want to find areas that fish can hunt in during the warmer parts of winter but also in close proximity to areas where they can hold during the cooler parts of the winter.

3. Oyster Bars

Oyster bars act almost as space heaters for fish in the wintertime.

They also indicate a great spot to fish really during any time of the year.

There is warmth, the presence of bait, and odds are depth changes close by.

Oysters mostly pop up in areas with good current flow.

Using Smart Fishing Spots, you can see ALL of the oyster bars in any area.

All you have to do is click the “Oyster Bars” button and they’ll pop up in green or grey depending on your region.

As you can see in the video, at the outflow points of each creek and river there are clusters of oyster bars.

When it comes to fishing after a strong cold front, the trends should shift a bit warmer.

The fish will want to push up shallow but still have the comfort of retreating to an oyster bar.

As I mentioned before, the oyster bars act as space heaters during a warming trend because the sun is beating down on them all day and the oysters absorb the heat from the sunlight.

The hard structure holds heat and provides shelter for fish to cling close to.

Bait will also congregate around these oyster bars as well to stay as warm as possible.

Conclusion

We’re looking for several factors of warmth where fish can stage to hunt, have quick and easy access to meals, and find comfort in preservation mode.

North winds, depth changes, and oyster bars are going to be the three major components of quality wintertime fishing spots.

No more fishing in those dead zones.

Smart Fishing Spots makes it that much easier and faster to find and catch more fish this winter!!

What questions do you have about finding good fishing spots in the winter?

Let me know if you enjoyed this video down in the comments!!

Finding The Fish Help

In order to help make sure that you are targeting the right areas based on the latest feeding trends and upcoming weather forecasts, make sure to use the following 3 resources because they will save you a ton of time.

1. Weekend Game Plans (updated weekly)

These regional game plans will show you exactly what types of spots to target in under 10 minutes… just click the video to start, and you’ll be informed on what to do on your next trip.

Weekend Game Plan Lessons

2. Smart Fishing Spots Platform (updated every 15 minutes)

This exclusive software literally shows you where the most fish are likely to be feeding based on exactly when you’ll be fishing. It factors in the tides, wind, and weather to help you quickly see which areas to target throughout the day.

Smart Fishing Spots App

3. Community Reports (live feed)

The Insider Community platform is what you can use to see what is biting near you, and you can get to know other members who fish in your area. Plus, you can use it to keep a log of your catches so you can use past trips to help predict future catches.

Community Platform