Do-Nothing Fishing
The pros tell us to retrieve more slowly when the water is cold.  “Like, slow it to a crawl across the bottom?” we asked.  “No, that’s too fast,” says Minnesota native Dean Capra of the ProGear by Wrangler® Outdoor Advisory Team.  Capra fishes scented baits, especially in cold water. Dean casts his lure, lets it sink to the bottom, then he doesn’t move it at all for three to five minutes. He just leaves it there, doing nothing. “Let the scent do its work,” says Capra. “If a fish doesn’t hit it after three minutes, reel it in and cast it to a new spot. Then wait.”

Summer Tree Stands

Mark Kayser of Pierre, S.D., a member of the ProGear by Wrangler® Outdoor Advisory Team, uses the summer to prepare for the winter.  Forsake a weekend at the beach in the summer to put up tree stands, said Kayser.  “Even if you don't want to leave your tree stand in the woods for fear of theft, at least prepare the area by clearing limbs for tree stand placement, installing climbing steps, trimming branches to create shooting lanes and creating mock scrape areas. Your intrusion will long be forgotten by deer season and you'll be ready to hunt when the time comes.”

Fish the Edges

“Gamefish like to have the best of both worlds.”  That’s one of the secrets from Texas saltwater fishing star Larry Bozka of the ProGear by Wrangler® Outdoor Advisory Team.  “They’ll hang in the dingy water to ambush bait in the clear water.  They’ll hang on a ledge so they can feed on the flat or retreat to the hole. They’ll hide in the grass to feed on bait in the sand.  Lesson?  Cast to the edges between warm and cold, grass and sand, deep and shallow, dingy and clear.” 

Reality Check