W S I P N T O E R T TI S ME
Story & Photos
BY JEN EDGAR
jerk & drag for
two lures for spotted bass
Berkley Skinny Cutter
L
ocating spotted bass in the winter can be
tricky, often times because you’re hav-
ing to fish a bit slower in the cold water to
search for the tournament worthy ones that are willing to bite. I’d like to discuss a few tips
and tricks to help you narrow down some fishable
locations.
It is encouraging to know that bigger spotted
bass are usually the more aggressive fish, even in the
dead of winter. The bigger fish are usually eating first
thing in the morning. Which is why I try to catch a
kicker first, then spend the rest of the day catching a
limit. Main lake areas have been known to hold bigger
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spotted bass compared to river arms. However, if the main lake bite is smaller I will head up one of the river arms.
In winter, fish won’t move as fast from shallow to deep as we would like to think. Try locating in between structure from shallow to deeper water to fish when the sun comes out and the shallow bite is dying off. When fishing a lake like Shasta or Oroville structure comes in the form of irregularities, such as transition changes, rock piles, saddles, etc. Those natural structures are where you are going to find fish. Transition changes in the bank structure will hold bait and are good ambush points for spots. For
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