A
s the Football season comes to an
end, Basketball starts to heat up, and
duck season wraps up, most people
seem content sitting around the living room watching their favorite sport or fishing
channel waiting for mother nature to provide
more favorable conditions in which to enjoy the
great outdoors. What many avid bass anglers
already know, that the rest are slowly learning is
you may be missing out on some of the best big
fish opportunities of the whole year. Most people
believe that as the water temperature drops
from the 50’s into the 40’s bass get lock-jaw and
quit eating. Now on some fisheries and in some
situations i would be hard pressed to argue. trying
to consistently catch a limit of quality bass from
Clearlake or the delta during this time of year is
indeed quite a challenge. So focus on the right
species of bass in the right bodies of water and you
significantly increase your odds for success.
Most of the “Trophy” bass waters here in Northern California are dominantly inhabited by the Florida strain of largemouth bass. Florida strain are genetically geared to eat a lot and grow fast, thus their trophy potential. But as water temp’s drop out of the 60’s, or when there are sudden changes in the water temperature, they are also the first ones to go park themselves in the thickest bush or next to the biggest bolder and hunker down to wait out more “favorable” conditions. This is the reason us bass anglers should be focusing our attention on spotted bass fisheries. Thank God for spotted bass. This is a species that is very dominant
Issue 5 December 2011
in the lakes and reservoirs of Northern California, and this is the reason we should not spend too much time indoors getting cabin fever. They are active year around and can provide great angling opportunities regardless of the temperature reading. in the winter is when you will also see some of the largest spotted bass of the year weighed in. i don’t know why, unless they are just switching from trout as the main forage to crawdads this time of year due to the lesser effort that is required to catch them. also, in the winter you don’t have to contend with the smaller, usually more aggressive undersized spots. Those 8 to 12 inch bass that are so prevalent the rest of the year seem almost non existent this time of year.
Spotted bass fishing in the winter involves some very basic skills and some simple strategies. First, don’t ever think you are fishing too shallow. especially on those warm afternoons or when a storm is blowing in. if it’s bringing rain warmer than the surface temperature of the lake you are fishing
then frequently the bass will move right on the
bank. This is a time of year that you may have to
literally put your bait on the bank and drag it into
the water, the fish are so shallow. also, don’t be
afraid to throw reaction baits. a Super Spook
first thing
in the
morning in
december
and January
could be an
excellent
way to
start your
day with a
“kicker” bass
in the livewell.
But if the top
water doesn’t
produce, don’t
give up on a
reaction bite just
yet. if there is color
to the water or a lot
of overcast or wind,
then a spinnerbait
with some
chartreuse is hard to beat. if
the water and skies are clear, then
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