| Winter bass fishing isn't for everyone - just those | | | | sloping banks and a tailspinner on deep flats. "Fish the |
| willing to put up with frigid temperatures and slow | | | | spoon vertically, the blade like you'd fish a jig and the |
| bite in hopes of catching a bass. | | | | tailspinner with a slow, horizontal retrieve just off the |
| Try these approaches this winter. | | | | bottom, a long, stiff rod will give you the |
| 1. TARGET TRANSITIONS: Experienced bass anglers | | | | hook-setting power you need in deep water. |
| know that bass often gravitate to " transitions," | | | | 4. PROBE SHALLOW POCKETS: Pockets are small, |
| places where one type of bank, bottom, depth or | | | | shallow indentations in tributary arms, and they can |
| cover condition shifts to a different type.Bass don't | | | | be great in winter. Baitfish begin stacking up in |
| move around much in waters below 50 degrees and | | | | shallow pockets with a muddy bottom starting in |
| instead like to hang out in a spot that offers them a | | | | November and usually stay there until the water |
| variety of good hunting and concealment options in a | | | | drops below 45 degrees.The best time to fish them |
| compact area. | | | | is on calm, sunny days, that's when you'll often see |
| 2. FISH SMALL PONDS: I catch dozens of bass every | | | | shad flipping on the surface.My favorite big-bass |
| winter by fishing ponds and streams. Plus they | | | | approach is to slow-roll a spinnerbait, reeling just fast |
| receive little fishing pressure, so bass have a chance | | | | enough to keep the blades from churning up the |
| to grow bigger in them.A jig and pig or a spinnerbait | | | | bottom. SLOW RETRIEVE! |
| is my top choices for winter bass: I present both | | | | 5. DEEP WATER TRICK FOR SHALLOW |
| baits with short underhand pitches tight to wood or | | | | CRANKBAITS: I like to take a small, minnow-imitating |
| rock cover. The bass strike zone shrinks in cold | | | | floating crankbaits with chrome or gold finish for this |
| water. | | | | approach. I use a soft-action rod, I slide a 1-ounce |
| 3. HEAVY METAL: When bass are holding from 18 to | | | | egg sinker onto 14lb main line, then place a bead and |
| 35 feet, which they are in winter on clear, rocky | | | | swivel below the sinker and add a 3=foot leader of |
| lakes. A metal spoon/blade or tailspinner is the most | | | | 8lb mono filament with a floating minnow lure on the |
| efficient way to catch them. These lures sink into | | | | end.This setup allows you to fish a hard bait 30-40 |
| the strikezone quickly, and when worked properly, | | | | feet deep. Cast to deep rock piles or ledges, let the |
| emit the flash and vibration of living baitfish.I like | | | | sinker hit bottom, twitch the rod tip, pause and |
| jigging a spoon for bass suspended in deep water | | | | twitch again. The crankbait will flash and suspend, |
| "hallows" ( v-shaped creek arms ), a blade bait on | | | | imitating a dying baitfish. |