Winter 2018
®
fishing
WINTER WARMING TR wi E th N An D dre S w Upshaw
page 20
Story by Dan O’Sullivan
Toledo bend Reservoir the site of the biggest bass of
Upshaw’s career
S
ometimes winter fishing can be a real drag.
Cold, wet weather, deep water, light line, light
bites and frozen toes and fingers really do not mesh well all the time. However, as difficult as winter
fishing can be, there are flashes of moments that make
knowledgeable anglers flock to the water. For FLW Tour
pro Andrew Upshaw, from Tulsa, Okla., those periods
when his area is given a brief, but intense warming
trend are magic.
Upshaw said the winter months can actually be some of his favorite times to fish.
“I love those times when the air temperatures go from the 50’s to the 70’s, in winter,” he said. “These are the times when I feel like I can really take advantage of the nature of bass, and truly catch big ones.”
He said an understanding of what happens during these periods is important.
“I’ve found that making a small adjustment and making the right presentations is key,” he said. “The response of the bass is subtle, but if you understand it, and make the right adjustments, it can be really good fishing.”
BIG BASS GO FIRST
What many anglers fail to understand is that the biggest of the females tend to be the first to move toward the spawn. Over the years, Upshaw learned his craft on the big bass waters of East Texas and this is where he first observed this happened.
The biggest bass of his career came during a winter warming