Grant Pentiricci How-To

Why should Anglers take note of the Winter Solstice?

by Grant Pentiricci December 30, 2012

If you are like me you were probably not very surprised that the world didn’t end on December 23rd as the Mayan calendar predicted. I think the Mayan calendar actually was calculating the end of the planting season or something like that , but that’s all debatable…

Since the world didn’t end, I’m pretty confident that Bass season will be starting for us Canadians in Southern Ontario again in July. Till then we have to find other ways to satisfy our thirst for fishing. I like to prepare my tackle in January and February. The coming of the Toronto Boat Show, Toronto Sportsman Show and Toronto Fishing Show  all serve to whip my angling friends and I into a frothy frenzy.  After attending all three sportsmen shows, we can’t wait to hit the water.

(Photo source: alaskadispatch.com)

This need to start fishing pushes us to fish for northern pike in the spring. As soon as we can, we open our fishing every year with a spring pike trip up in northern Ontario.

The winter solace marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. This year the winter solace was on December 21st. It usually falls on the 21st or 22nd of December. Every day after the 21st you will notice that the days will begin to get longer and believe it of not, the fish take note of the change in daylight length. This gradual lengthening of daylight will also bring gradual increases in water temperature. The changes will drive bass, pike and musky  into pre-spawn mode and their instinct to begin bulking up and get ready to spawn will kick in.

In some southern US states the ability to identify the onset of pre-spawn behavior in bass will call for changes in fishing presentations and tactics. These changes will allow an angler to be very successful.

In Canada we need to be aware of this as well-although not for the same reasons. Take comfort in the fact that we are over the hump! Slowly the days will begin to get longer, the water will gradually warm up and fish in Canada are getting ready to spawn.

Just 166 days until the 2013 bass season starts in Ontario (Zone 17)… not that I’m counting or anything…