By Rodney Smith

As the days grow shorter and the average daily temperatures decline, there are a few simple additions and changes that you can make to your winter tackle arsenal that will help you become a better-prepared angler.

Downsizing your lure selection is a necessary first step. As water temperatures drop, fish turn their attention toward smaller baits. With less rain falling in the winter months, most inshore waters tend to stay much clearer. For this reason, experienced anglers often downsize their leader selection as well. A fluorocarbon leader may be a better choice under these conditions. Many species of fish tend to be less aggressive surface strikers in cooler weather. For this reason, slowing down your retrieve will certainly hedge your bet in the coming months. As the yellowfin tuna fade away with the coming of the winter months, their cousins, blackfin tuna, become more abundant. Blackfin typically eat smaller, trolled baits on monofilament leaders.

Sailfish heading south ahead of colder weather are often not as large as the sails we see in the spring and summer, so downsize your lures and baits to attract their attention. They also prefer monofilament leader over wire. But with a heavy influx of Spanish and king mackerel, you should also have an assortment of wire leaders available for these toothy critters. If the offshore water temperatures between shore and 10 miles off the coast stay between 70 and 75 degrees, there’s a good chance that cobia and tripletail will be migrating through your area. For this reason, keep a selection of small- to mid-size white or chartreuse jigs in your tackle box. Also, include a few artificial shrimp – tripletail love them!

Now is the time to get prepared for the cooler months ahead. Following these steps will help you be better prepared for the changes that the cooler weather brings. Learn more about winterizing your tackle box by going to your local tackle shop and getting the staff’s personal insights on lures, rigs and baits to use during the winter months in your area.