Fishing Successful in the Early Winter Months
In the cold winter months, fishing can become a little more difficult, though this can be remedied through using the proper baits and lures. Using the proper technique, in combination with the right equipment , can allow you to be just as successful as in the summer.
Using a spinner bait is a good idea for this time of year, particularly if you are in three to seven feet of water. Bright colors such as orange, white, and chartreuse produce best in murky water conditions, and translucent colors such as light gray generate best in clear water.
Spinner baits most commonly produce best when fished around cover like logs, stumps, lily pads, salad bars, and downed trees. Jigs and pigs work well, too.
Black and blue is the best color for this lure in off colored water. Considering off colored water is about the only one you will find this time of year, with all the rain and snow.
Black and brown are excellent choices as well. Most anglers tie on this bait during a cold front when the bass have buried themselves in cover.
Many anglers use it as the last resort bait when they can’t get anything with any other lure. Make sure to fish this bait slowly this time of the year.
Flip or pitch between five to fifteen feet around dense cover such as thick weeds, logs, and downed trees. Once it settles to the bottom, utilize the rattle (always have a rattle on your jig) by lightly shaking the jig to make fish aware of its presence.
Hop the jig four to five times, delaying about five seconds between movements and pitch again. Work it into stump roots, and drop it so it penetrates into thick weeds.
Once you feel the lure brush against cover, shake the rod tip to exploit your rattle to attract curiosity from a nearby bass. This will help you to attract what you are looking for.
Floating rapalas produce great results as well. After all, the bass are in the shallows looking for an easy meal to start the winter.
They do not want to chase a meal too far where they begin to tire. Rather they prefer an easy-to-eat bait such as a dying minnow.
A rainbow trout colored Rapala twitched next to dying lily pads is a great way to catch a fish. Make a cast next to cover or towards the shoreline, twitch it underwater, and allow it to float to the surface.
Make about five twitches, and then bring it in like a crank bait, jerking it underwater back to the boat. Do not set the hook very hard, as it is easy to jerk too quickly and take the bait right out of the mouth.
Wait until the splash is gone to assure yourself a solid hook set. Now bring in your catch.
A seven-inch power work is another effective method. This is a great weapon to have in your arsenal this time of year.
The most common size is a 6-inch worm, yet a 4-inch can be just as effective. Cast out to structure, and let it settle to the bottom.
Hop it slowly just as you would a jig. In-between hops, shake the rod tip to allow the brass and glass combination to make noise and possibly attract a fish from nearby dense cover.
Keep your rod tip high to detect light bites, and be ready to set the hook at any moment. It is also extremely effective under docks, and around logs and various underwater structure and cover.
Make sure you always use glass with brass weights. Vary the size of your brass weights depending on the size of worm and depth of water you are fishing.
Last, try a rat-l-trap. This lure is ideal this time of year as well, mainly for big bass.
It is extremely noisy and attracts bass from a distant cover and structure. It’s best when used in depths ranging from six inches, up to ten feet in depth.
Retrieve it just fast enough to stay a little above the weedline, or bottom. Give it sudden twitches for maximum sound.
After all, just because the water may be a little icy, does not mean that you can’t still enjoy your favorite pastime. Make the necessary adjustments, and enjoy success!
Tom Selwick has been a backwoods fishing guide along the South Holston River in Tennessee and in the eastern United States for over 25 years. He has written hundreds of articles about South Holston River Fly Fishing and fly fishing in general.
Contact Info:
Tom Selwick
TomSelwick09@gmail.com
http://www.trophywaterguideservice.com
