I wonder what kind of season we'll have with all the cold weather we've had

[Patriot]

I'd imagine that the cold weather will kill off a lot of bait.

Plus they're saying that the summer heat will be just as extreme as the winter cold has been.

I hate getting up early just to catch a few fish that I'm only going to throw back. Guess I'll get a helluva tan this summer.

What are your thoughts on the subject?

[vetting]

The cold weather shouldnt have any impact on bait.  The water isnt really colder than normal when you are talking about where the bait fish hide out in the winter.  Its just a matter if we have a normal Spring this year and no unseasonable cold snaps that messes with the bait migrations/spawning. 

 

Im no expert - but just my thoughts on the matter.

[skipper19]

I think we are going to have a lot of water. A lot of water with runoff that will be cold for a good while into early summer. That runoff will also be muddy and will help to warm the shallows quicker which might lead to some better brown trout cover. There is a lot of snow cover all over the mid west northern states bordering all the lakes.

The only die off I would hope to see would be the sea fleas. Bait forage will likely be later than usual arriving to the Niagara, but I don't think there will be a big die off, due to the fact of the depth of the lake and the alewife can survive at most any depth that suits their comfort. Smelt are lovers of the cold water anyway. Prepare to fish in colored water due to a lot of runoff and current. June will be tough fishing when transitions become a factor for very cold water on top to exchange with bottom layers. Strong current from the river this summer with all the flow from the other lakes will influence the transitions greatly with east winds. Should be challenging I would guess with hit and miss days until Mid summer. That's what I think anyways...for what its worth?

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[Legacy]

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

The alewives should be fine as long as we have a normal arrival of Spring, they went into the winter with alot of heat energy in the lake. The gobies, however, should have taken a beating boding well for Brownie anglers.

Generally, hard winters create classic Spring fishing with an intense frenzied bite, the question is when. 

[jimski2]

I strongly believe in surface water temperatures in the spring. Locating 42 degree F. waters  is where the action begins.Watch the charts of surface temperature changes and the metabolism change turns on the feeding.

[Yankee Troller]

There is always something to catch out there, so whatever happens because of this weather beats the nothing I'm doing right now! I'll troll around and play with new toys and lures for all I care! LOL

[Has Been]

Too soon to judge what will be. Could get warm & rain a lot. Allways shoreline browns or lakers deep. Take what the lake gives you. THe fish are there somewhere. Every   spring for as long as I have been doing this is different from the year before. Part of the fun.

[Patriot]

 Every   spring for as long as I have been doing this is different from the year before. Part of the fun.

 

And thats a good thing for tackle manufactureres. They'd go out of business if every year was the same. But then again, we all loose tackle to fish and the bottom of the lake.

 

All I know is "I'm Done, turn me over" and give me Spring & 60 degree temps! I'm out of Walleye and almost out of venision