02-05-2007, 11:26 PM
When water temps. hit around 50 degrees the shrimp leave the marshes and head for the warm waters of the Gulf and the cold water temps. slow the metobalism of the trout and they don't move around very much. This is when drift-fishing is best, since the trout won't come to us, we go to the trout. Early morning will find them holding on the bottom in deeper water 7 to 20 ft.(in thermal layer), this is when we titeline ever so slow on the bottom, and as the Sun warms the surface of the water they move shallow, on oyster flats and the edge of drop-off's and shallow open bays(5 to 7 ft. deep), this is when a popping cork does well. Titelining will work also as the fish are more active and will go after them. Winter time is certainly a challenge but just not having to use live bait is a relief, moer fishing and less baiting-up. ATTACHED IS A PICTURE OF A POPPING RIG WE USE.
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