ANGLER TIPS | Jack Wollitz

Anglers' expectations diminish in December as the cold winds whip out of the gray sky and wash whitecaps across our lakes.
A bare handful of fishermen venture out, teased into squeezing one more trip into a season that soon will be iced over. I was among them last Saturday at Mosquito Creek Reservoir.
Crappie were my focus as I stopped at the bait shop for minnows and maggots. But by the end of the day, my reward was reinforcement of a fishing fundamental.
At the state park marina, I unloaded two rods rigged with slip bobber set-ups, one over a small wire hook. The other had a tiny panfish spoon tied to the end of the line. I walked to the end of a breakwall, taking note of the fact there was plenty of space.
December fishing is not typically a crowded activity. That's fine with me, but I had hoped to see at least a few other anglers, providing a hint that the fish were within a cast or two of the rocks.
So, with back braced to the wind, I tossed out my rigs and watched for the floats to tell me a fish was interested in my bait. I waited. And I waited.
An hour passed while the bright chartreuse quills danced on the ripples. The wind swirled and my lines billowed.
The westerly breeze created a current through the cut in the marina's breakwalls and the floats rode the moving water. But then they changed direction, defying the wind. They had found an eddy.
The fish had found the same break in the current and in the next hour I landed six colorful sunfish, a frisky yellow perch and a pair of 14-inch largemouth bass.
A few bluegills, bass and perch aren't exactly cause for celebration. But last Saturday's visit to Mosquito underscored a valuable lesson in fishing tactics.
That lesson is to play the current. Fish use it to their advantage when they are hungry -- even in 40-degree water in December.
Anglers who learn to understand the relationship of current to their fishes' behavior will dramatically improve their fishing success -- regardless of the season.
jwwollitz@aol.com