Winter Fishing
By Don Applegarth
Winter is the time when everything seems to slow down, including
the bites of hungry bass, and makes us often wonder if spring
will ever arrive.
For many anglers nationwide,
this season becomes almost unbearable due to the ice and snow
that prohibit bass fishing completely, but for many of us, it
is still possible to take bass year round, if you learn to adjust
your methods accordingly.
First and foremost is the fact that winter is a dangerous
time to be on the water. It is not something to take lightly,
and dressing warm is not only more comfortable, but it can actually
save your life. Be sure to keep the extremities well insulated
at all times, including your head. That cap you wear during most
of the year is great, but in winter, a good knit hat that will
keep your head warm is much more important, and should always
be worn.
Gloves are also an important consideration, and you should
be certain to have your hands covered at all times as well. I
use some of the neoprene type gloves that resemble a scuba divers
wet suit. They keep my hands warm, and dry all day long, yet
still allow me to feel the bites, and tie knots etc. I make sure
to remove the fingertips of the thumb, and first two fingers
on each hand. That way, you never need to remove the gloves for
any reason, such as tying knots, or changing lures etc.
Locating Bass
During the winter months, bass move out into deep open water
areas on most large reservoirs, and will often school, and follow
baitfish. These fish are easily caught with a spoon, once they
have been located.
The best places to locate these fish are often far away from
the shoreline, along deep creek channels, or secondary points.
Try and find areas that also have some type of cover on them
such as stumps, or standing timber along the breakline.
The baitfish will usually be found holding at depths of 15-20'
here, and the bass are usually holding from 10 - 15' below them.
Many schools of baitfish will be located during the day, but
the ones that have other fish holding below them are the ones
that you need to concentrate your efforts on.
You'll quickly notice that all the schools of baitfish will
be found holding at approximately the same depth throughout the
lake.
Once you have established that depth, you can key on finding
structure at about the same general depth.
I look for a creek channel ledge in about 20-25' of water,
and then follow along the edge of the drop off until a school
of baitfish is found. Bends in the channels are great places,
as are bluffs or rock banks where the channel swings in close
to the steep shoreline.
Standing timber on long tapering points are also excellent
places to search for these bass.
Once you have found the bass, all you need is a good 6 ½
- 7' heavy action rod loaded with 14 - 17 # test, and ¾
- 1 oz. Structure spoon. These are not the same as the spoons
used for trolling or casting, such as a Johnson Silver Minnow,
or a Daredevil. Instead these are heavy pieces of lead, that
will drop quickly, and have a very unique fluttering motion.
The best of these have a solid brass core, such as Hopkins,
or Bass Pro-Shops Strata Spoons. Some have a bucktail, while
others have a bare treble on the rear.
The most important thing about fishing these baits, is the
use of a split ring or a snap to attach the line to them. Many
anglers make the mistake of attaching the line directly to the
bait, or using a snap swivel. Both of these will impede the action
of the spoon, and cause you get a lot fewer strikes.
Once you have found the bass, and positioned the boat atop
them, drop your bait straight down into them. Allowing it to
fall all the way to the bottom (assuming you have located the
bass holding tightly along some type of structure). Engage the
reel, and take out the slack so that you feel the bait with your
rod tip pointed down, about 6" - 12" above the water's
surface.
Now, using a snapping motion, raise the rod's tip upward
to about a 9 or 10 o'clock position and then lower it back watching
the line as you go. You'll want to ensure that the rod tip falls
at the same rate as the line, so it does not interfere with the
action of the bait. The line needs to have a slight bit of slack
in it, but not enough that you can't see it falling. Then repeat,
over and over.
This rising and falling action is an exact duplication of
a dying baitfish during the late fall and winter months. The
spoon flutters helplessly as it falls, and the bass will hit
it hard. You won't feel the hit, until you lift again, then you'll
need to strike hard, and keep constant pressure on the fish.
Spoons are very heavy and can be easily thrown, so you don't
want to allow any slack in your line.
I always make certain that I have lighter wire treble hooks
on my spoons, and use a larger size than what they usually come
with. These are sharper and penetrate quickly.
Whenever you get the spoon snagged (and you will) just lower
your rod tip, allowing a slight bit of slack in the line, and
shake it from side to side. 95% of the time, this will cause
the hooks to pull free, due to the weight of the spoon.
While it might take several hours to locate just the right
spot for jigging spoons, it will be worth the extra effort when
you start to catch fish after fish with them, often as many as
50 or 60 fish in a few minutes. It is possible to catch them
on every drop, in the right spot.
Many types of spoons will work for you, including the ones
I mentioned above (Hopkins, Strata Spoons) and also the following:
Team DUH spoons, Flex-It spoons, Mann-O-Lure, Cordell's C.C.
Spoons, and many others.
Colors are pretty basic for most spoons, and I use chrome,
gold, white, and chartreuse.
These baits seem to work best in clear water, but can also
produce in stained water as well. If you want to change the color
of the spoon, here is a simple way to do that as well.
Take a tube bait, and slide it down over the head of the
spoon, so the tail is over the treble hook, then run the eye
of the spoon through the top of the tube. The tube will conform
to the shape of the spoon (flat) and not impede the action as
it falls. It also allows you to add any attractants if you prefer,
and gives the bait a better feel to the fish when it attacks.
While spoons are not the only baits to use during the winter
months, they are some of the best for locating and catching a
lot of fish. These baits are not as popular as others like worms
and jigs, but should be lures that you have on board, and learn
to use.
I will try and discuss some other baits to use in a future
article on winter fishing, and areas to use them.
I hope the spoon tips will help you with your winter fishing
and allow you to continue your fishing on into the colder months,
with continued success.
Trick'em and Stick'em…
Don |
