Weekend Fishing Forecast
Richard writing the Blog today. Thanks Richard. Glad you survived the arctic temps this week!
Here we are in the middle of January. As I’m writing this fishing report, air temps are struggling to get above zero let alone the freezing mark.
The Mo is currently 34 degrees and running at 5700cfs but it’s supposed to drop to 4,400cfs by late Saturday Afternoon. These last few days have been far too cold for most anglers to hit the water; however, the weekend forecast looks pretty rad for a January weekend.
When
With day time air temps predicted to float between 34 and 45 degrees the fishing could be awesome if you know where the fish hang out this time of year.
If you decide to come out and get a piece of the winter action this weekend, you should be targeting deep slow water. This is true if you are venturing out as a wade angler or out of drift boat. Even on nicer days, the water is still very cold.
Where
It is important to remind yourself the fish are not in the same water they reside in normally. They congregate to areas that have the best combination of depth, flow, food, and oxygen. Typically, if you find one fish in a hole, there will be other fish sharing the same winter water.
How
There are several tactics one may utilize while targeting winter trout on the Missouri. One of the most effective methods for winter trout fishing is the tried and true nymph rig. Since the fish are deep, we’ve got to get deep. I would start off with one of Rio’s 9’ 3x Powerflex Plus tapered leaders. Using a 2mm tippet ring coming off my leader I’ll attach about 18” of Rio’s 3x Fluoroflex to my top fly. From there I’ll drop it down to 4x and hang another 18” of tippet to my second fly. To get down quickly, I’m also going to pinch on a on BB sized split shot right above that tippet ring.
Fly selection this time of year should include just about any scud, sow bug, or midge pattern, with pink being a prime color. When you post up on your first deep hole, set your indicator about six feet from your split shot and adjust accordingly if you are not deep enough.
Trout Spey
If you want to get it done with a spey rod this weekend, you will need to target the same water. I would start with an aggressive tip like Rio’s Light iMOW 2.5’ INT/ 7.5’ T-8 or even a full 10’ of T-8. The last few times I’ve been out, I’ve had success with small leach patterns and just about anything that looks like a small fish. So basically, Fruit Roll Ups an Skiddish Smolts.
Streamer Anglers
Streamer fishing from the boat can also be fun this time of year, but you definitely need to adjust your tactics. Again, you need to fish deep slow water. Part of fishing deep slow water is actually getting a streamer down to the strike zone. An aggressive sinking line like Scientific Anglers Sonar Titan Int/S3/S5 is a great choice for reaching big lethargic trout. If you are able to get a streamer down and work it along slowly, you will be rewarded with some river nice ones for sure.
Missouri River Winter Action
Take advantage of the Winter fishing. You will learn a ton about your fishery and become a better angler all at the same time. Plus, it’s always nice to break up the monotony of winter by catching a few fish.
The shop is open 7 days a week 8-5. Shuttles are no problem, and we’ve even got the best coffee in an 80-mile radius. Stop in this weekend and we’ll get you squared away and on the water.
