Don't Let Frost Stop You From Fishing For Winter Steelhead
Posted on: 9 March 2015
The Great Lakes' winter steelhead fishing season usually begins in late November, when the fish begin entering the lakes' tributaries. If you have a boat, however, you can get a headstart on the season by fishing the lakes' waters near these tributaries. You just need a plan for dealing with the cold weather, specifically the frost it will create on your boat's windshield. Here's how to extend your winter steelhead season into early November by taking care of any frost that might form on your boat's windshield.
The Winter Steelhead Season
As New York State's Department of Environmental Conversation notes, steelhead prefer water temperatures between 48 and 58°F. For anglers who don't have a boat and fly fish from shore, this limits the winter steelhead season to late November through January. These weeks are when streams and rivers that can be fished from shore are the within the steelhead's preferred temperature range.
With a boat, though, you can extend the winter steelhead season into early November. In the first few weeks of November, steelhead are making their way towards the Great Lakes' tributaries. As they come in closer to shore, you have a chance to take your boat out and catch them on their way.
In most years, there is not significant ice pack on the Great Lakes in early November, even though there may be several cold days. As long as you dress warmly and have a plan for taking care of any ice on your boat's windshield, you should be able to enjoy a few weeks of fishing for steelhead in early November -- before others even cast their first line.
Preventing Frost on Your Boat's Windshield
There are three measures you can take to prevent frost on your boat's windshield from causing a problem. To make sure frost doesn't interfere with your fishing plans, you'll need to use all three.
Cardboard wrapped in a garbage bag will prevent ice from building up on your boat's windshield overnight. This is both the least expensive and most effective way of preventing frost from accumulating while your boat is sitting on a trailer or at a dock. Simply:
- cut out cardboard pieces to cover your boat windshield
- tie each cardboard piece in a garbage bag
- place the cardboard piece on your boat's windshield when not using it
When you're ready to use the boat, just take your cardboard pieces off of its windshield. Ice may build up on them, but the pieces will be easy to remove, and you can just slide the ice on them into the lake. The plastic bags will keep the cardboard from becoming wet.
Although cardboard is effective, you can't use it while boating. To prevent frost from forming while boating, you'll need a defroster. A defroster will make sure your windshield stays warm so that ice doesn't form when waves splash it. Most defrosters run off of a boat's electrical system, so you'll want a strong battery, as well.
Spray-on de-icer, which is available for both car and boat windshields, gives you a safety net while out on the water. Should your defroster fail or lose power, a can of spray-on deicer will ensure that you can see out you boat's windshield on the way back to shore. You should have a can on hand in case there's an emergency.
If you own a boat, don't limit your winter steelhead season to just late November through January. Extend it into early November by taking these measures to address any frost issues, and go out on the Great Lakes during early November to catch steelhead on their way to the lakes' tributaries.
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