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| Last Updated: Monday, Jan. 11, 2010 |
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Go really slow to tempt sluggish
largemouths during cold weather
largemouths during cold weather
TOP: Debra Hengst, a
professional bass angler
from San Antonio, Texas,
lands a bass that struck
a Strike King Pure
Poison swimming jig on
a cold day.
RIGHT: Mike Iaconelli,
a former Bassmaster
Classic champion from
Runnemede, N.J., shows
off a bass he caught on a
soft plastic worm, an
excellent bait for
tempting cold-water
largemouths.
professional bass angler
from San Antonio, Texas,
lands a bass that struck
a Strike King Pure
Poison swimming jig on
a cold day.
RIGHT: Mike Iaconelli,
a former Bassmaster
Classic champion from
Runnemede, N.J., shows
off a bass he caught on a
soft plastic worm, an
excellent bait for
tempting cold-water
largemouths.
During the winter, fat female bass stage before spawning, but anglers
might need to search extensively to find them. However, one prime spot
could yield several good fish quickly.
“Winter is perhaps the easiest time to search for bass,” said Mark
Menendez, a professional bass angler from Paducah, Ky. “The primary
search is limited to the main lake. Bass will be in shallow areas with deep
water access next to it. Riprap, natural rock points and ends of bluffs are
likely areas to find wintertime bass.”
For tempting cold-water bucketmouths, generally fish slower and deeper
with considerable patience. Finding winter lunkers almost resembles
hunting more than fishing. Search deep holes or creek channels. Before
the spawn, big females often follow creek channels from deep water to the
flats. They also stage near humps, especially those with grass or other
cover.
“Once I locate bass, I can figure out how to catch them,” said Tanya
Kreuzer, a professional bass angler from Mesa, Ariz. “I look for fish on the
graph and drop a bait right on them. Bass always like to hang near humps,
ledges, logs or rock piles in deep water. I look for anything different on the
bottom contour. Creek channels and the deep ends of points or where a
channel hits the main lake are always good places to look for winter bass."
When Kreuzer finds a hump with fish, she probes it thoroughly. Since
cold water often makes bass lethargic, winter fishing frequently involves a
painfully slow, methodical approach. Non-aggressive bass might not chase
fast prey, but they may slurp something passing within easy striking range.
Dragging a Texas-rigged worm or a jig and pork combination slowly over a
hump could bring results. Pause frequently. Pull it over drop-off edges and
let it fall.
“In the winter, when fish are typically more lethargic, bass don’t want
baits that move too much,” Kreuzer said. “Many anglers put too much
movement on the bait. People don’t realize that just a tiny bit of rod
movement can move the bait quite a bit. When the bite gets tough, I often
dead-stick a bait. Leaving the rod as still as possible, I hold the line really
taut and twitch it every once in a while. Occasionally, I pick it off the bottom
and hold it there for a few seconds before letting it drop to the bottom
again. If the fish are biting really finicky, I’ll switch to a drop shot.”
A drop shot simply consists of a hook attached to the line 12 to 36
inches above a weight. Sweeten the hook with a small grub, worm or other
soft-plastic temptation. With the sinker on bottom, shake the line so that the
worm stays in the strike zone and vibrates in a bass’s face.
Around humps or creek channels, anglers can also work deep-diving
crankbaits or slow-roll spinnerbaits. Anglers can also “helicopter” a
spinnerbait by pulling it up and letting it flutter down or “worm” it by letting it
fall to the bottom and periodically lifting it like fishing a Texas-rigged plastic
worm.
“A good technique for the winter is to slow roll a big spinnerbait just off
the bottom,” said Mike Wurm, a bass pro from Hot Springs, Ark. “The colder
the water gets, the slower the bait needs to go. I just want to barely feel the
blade moving. Keep it right near the bottom. Move it too fast and it comes to
the surface.”
Thick hyacinths can also hold bass in the winter because they retain
heat after the sun beats down on them all day. Bass may suspend beneath
the hyacinths. Although many people consider “punching” vegetation a
summer technique, it also works in the winter. To punch through thick
hyacinths, flip heavy jigs, perhaps a 1- to 1.5-ounce chunk of tungsten
attached to a brush hog, craw worm or similar “creature” bait. For yanking
bass from thick cover, use a 7.5-foot rod and a reel filled with quality
braided line such as Power Pro.
“Pay attention to the line,” Wurm said. “Keep in contact with the bait as it
falls. Let it fall slowly. Most of the time, bass hit on the fall. Once you figure
out the depth of the fish, go to that depth and keep it there. Start at the
bottom and jig it up a little. If that doesn’t work, move the bait higher in the
water column and jig it up and down a bit. If that doesn’t produce a bite,
bang it against the underside of the mat. Sometimes, the bass are right
under the mat.”
On cold days, anglers might also find themselves alone on popular
lakes. They can fish in peace with little interference from other boaters and
might just land the lunker of the year – or may a lifetime!
might need to search extensively to find them. However, one prime spot
could yield several good fish quickly.
“Winter is perhaps the easiest time to search for bass,” said Mark
Menendez, a professional bass angler from Paducah, Ky. “The primary
search is limited to the main lake. Bass will be in shallow areas with deep
water access next to it. Riprap, natural rock points and ends of bluffs are
likely areas to find wintertime bass.”
For tempting cold-water bucketmouths, generally fish slower and deeper
with considerable patience. Finding winter lunkers almost resembles
hunting more than fishing. Search deep holes or creek channels. Before
the spawn, big females often follow creek channels from deep water to the
flats. They also stage near humps, especially those with grass or other
cover.
“Once I locate bass, I can figure out how to catch them,” said Tanya
Kreuzer, a professional bass angler from Mesa, Ariz. “I look for fish on the
graph and drop a bait right on them. Bass always like to hang near humps,
ledges, logs or rock piles in deep water. I look for anything different on the
bottom contour. Creek channels and the deep ends of points or where a
channel hits the main lake are always good places to look for winter bass."
When Kreuzer finds a hump with fish, she probes it thoroughly. Since
cold water often makes bass lethargic, winter fishing frequently involves a
painfully slow, methodical approach. Non-aggressive bass might not chase
fast prey, but they may slurp something passing within easy striking range.
Dragging a Texas-rigged worm or a jig and pork combination slowly over a
hump could bring results. Pause frequently. Pull it over drop-off edges and
let it fall.
“In the winter, when fish are typically more lethargic, bass don’t want
baits that move too much,” Kreuzer said. “Many anglers put too much
movement on the bait. People don’t realize that just a tiny bit of rod
movement can move the bait quite a bit. When the bite gets tough, I often
dead-stick a bait. Leaving the rod as still as possible, I hold the line really
taut and twitch it every once in a while. Occasionally, I pick it off the bottom
and hold it there for a few seconds before letting it drop to the bottom
again. If the fish are biting really finicky, I’ll switch to a drop shot.”
A drop shot simply consists of a hook attached to the line 12 to 36
inches above a weight. Sweeten the hook with a small grub, worm or other
soft-plastic temptation. With the sinker on bottom, shake the line so that the
worm stays in the strike zone and vibrates in a bass’s face.
Around humps or creek channels, anglers can also work deep-diving
crankbaits or slow-roll spinnerbaits. Anglers can also “helicopter” a
spinnerbait by pulling it up and letting it flutter down or “worm” it by letting it
fall to the bottom and periodically lifting it like fishing a Texas-rigged plastic
worm.
“A good technique for the winter is to slow roll a big spinnerbait just off
the bottom,” said Mike Wurm, a bass pro from Hot Springs, Ark. “The colder
the water gets, the slower the bait needs to go. I just want to barely feel the
blade moving. Keep it right near the bottom. Move it too fast and it comes to
the surface.”
Thick hyacinths can also hold bass in the winter because they retain
heat after the sun beats down on them all day. Bass may suspend beneath
the hyacinths. Although many people consider “punching” vegetation a
summer technique, it also works in the winter. To punch through thick
hyacinths, flip heavy jigs, perhaps a 1- to 1.5-ounce chunk of tungsten
attached to a brush hog, craw worm or similar “creature” bait. For yanking
bass from thick cover, use a 7.5-foot rod and a reel filled with quality
braided line such as Power Pro.
“Pay attention to the line,” Wurm said. “Keep in contact with the bait as it
falls. Let it fall slowly. Most of the time, bass hit on the fall. Once you figure
out the depth of the fish, go to that depth and keep it there. Start at the
bottom and jig it up a little. If that doesn’t work, move the bait higher in the
water column and jig it up and down a bit. If that doesn’t produce a bite,
bang it against the underside of the mat. Sometimes, the bass are right
under the mat.”
On cold days, anglers might also find themselves alone on popular
lakes. They can fish in peace with little interference from other boaters and
might just land the lunker of the year – or may a lifetime!
