[Salmonid]

Does anyone else hate fishing in the month of March?? Its my worst month of the whole year since we get those warming up days where it might be in the high 40's or even 50's and youll think, the fish have got to be "ON" but they never seem to be. Its a big optical illusion where the fish are still in Winter Mode but we are moving into Spring mode a few weeks before the fish do. Later this week for example, high 40's and even mid 50's for 4 days straight, sure sounds good on paper but wait, someone forgot to mention the absolutely coldest water of the entire year is upon us with snow melt. Go figure... What the heck, Illusion or not, Ill be hitting the GMR later this week even if its 10 feet highoooh: Just never know when the illusion is real or not.

Anyone else find March a frustrating month to fish?? ( and not just for cats but smallies, trout, panfish, you name it...)

Salmonid

 

[tbull]

I have found that the blue bite is on just as much now as December or January. I dont pay as much attention to outside temps as much as water temperature, since ultimatley thats the deciding factor. It can be frustrating though when you see the warm weather, and want to start transitioning to the Flatheads some, but the water doesn't temp doesnt budge. Its been a very weird past couple of March's. Last year it warmed up so quick that I missed the Flathead spawn completley on some of the big lakes. I dont really fish for anything else so I cant have much input on other species. All I can say is I am sick of this weather, and of the high water. Forecast for the Ohio is 40ft by Friday, which has to be wrong because there is no way they figured in all the snow melt.:angry:

 

[tcba1987]

yep..........this is a frustrating time of year for all fishing ...............WE are always ready to get out the first couple of warm days that we get and the fish are just not feeling the affects of a few warm days. i always find that if we get 7-10 days of good warm weather ALL fish start to get active and cooperate alittle better for me !! dont get me wrong ill be out fishing somewhere for some kind of fish BY friday !! :cool2:

 

[katkiller77]

i hate march one day 50 degree and the next day a blizzard aka saturday those changes with fronts the high and lower pressures and the affecting the water temperature will affect the feed pattern of the fish and also affect what they are eating that day. I hate march rick:angry:

 

[s_man]

Travis, you are right on about the water temp VS the air temp lol. I have sat out in 30+ degree air temps at night in april and may, when the water temp was a tad over 50 degrees. All the fish care about is water temps. Another big plus when the air temps hover near freezing: Not many other Flathead fishermen out on the water lol.

 

[flathunter]

Thats one reason why I dont start fishing untill april..I dont fish untill the grass needs mowed and the dandelions are up...It's just not worth it to me.

 

[neocats]

Up until this year, Febrauary and March had been the only to months that I had not caught catfish. I caught a nice channel ice fishing back on February 2nd. Can't even ice fish now. I don't trust the ice. My favorite pond is still iced over, but I plan on hitting it as soon as there is open water.

 

[BassMassey]

Is all that snow up there melting yet? I bet the rivers and creeks will be raging. I grew up in central ohio and don't ever remember that much snowfall accumulate with one storm. Must have been a site to see..

 

[neocats]

Is all that snow up there melting yet? I bet the rivers and creeks will be raging. I grew up in central ohio and don't ever remember that much snowfall accumulate with one storm. Must have been a site to see..

14-20"in about 36 hours. Best storm I've seen since around 1978. I think that was the year the big blizzard hit.

 

[katkiller77]

i am waiting until we get 2 or 3 days in the 50 to venture again to my favorite haunts to fish. let the water warm enough to where the fish we begin there preseason spawn. If i can not get me a nice channel, i have several nice spinners and crank baits to fish for the saugeye rick

 

[loanwizard]

14-20"in about 36 hours. Best storm I've seen since around 1978. I think that was the year the big blizzard hit.

We had that one April 1 of 85 or 86 I believe when we had 20 1/2 inches in one event, then there was the Blizzard of 78. We stacked snow taller than me... I was 12!

Isn't this the time to hit flooded fields and timber whis is warmer than the snow melted channel for channel cats.

I typically fish 1-2 days in March then start hitting the lake heavy in April til the river warms up. However, with gas at $3459 per gallon, I may stick close to home and channel cat the river til the Flatties come alive.