By our own: Troy Jens:
 From
fishing my entire life, to guiding for almost 30 years, I have learned a
lot about big bass. To be successful in the winter, there are a few
general guidelines to follow, but many anglers miss the bite because
their thinking is entrenched in a seasonal rut. The hunt for big bass is
much different from catching little fish. Big bass can almost be
considered a different species al together, and big bass tend to make
their own rules, especially in the winter months.
Lake Guntersville is one of the premier wintertime fisheries in the
Country. On this lake, you can toss your standard cold-water mentality
aside, big bass on this lake love to bite shallow in the winter, and
when they are active, you certainly do not need to slow down much to
catch them. The key is to be among them during their active periods, and
often times that is when the timing and weather is well outside of our
own comfort zone.
So many anglers will try to target fish during the warmest part of
the day, but in the winter season, this does not always pan out. The
fish do not care how warm it is above the surface of the water, unless
the air temperatures create a marked upswing in water temperature, the
fish could care less about the sunshine. To the fish, they only know how
warm the water is. Being on the water when you feel better wont make the
fish bite.
During the winter months, even on those occasions when I have ice
fished up North, big fish seem to bite early and late, even more so they
do in the summer months. It is sort of a strange phenomenon. Part of the
reason for this is that due to the colder water, they expend less energy
during the day, and they feed much less during daytime hours. They are
not triggered to replenish energy, and those active periods of feeding
often come during the coldest part of the day, not the warmest.
I spent a lot of time trying to make fish bite deep on Guntersville
during the winter months, and I really struggled. The revelation came
when I began to fish the shallow humps and ledges near spawning grounds.
I quickly discovered that during active periods, especially early, late
and during periods of generally nasty winter weather, big bass would
knock the paint off big rattle baits and spinner baits. With water
temperatures down in the low 40s, my best days have been working 3 to 8
feet with a rattle bait, and usually they hit it best at summertime
speeds. I learned that big fish are not all that affected in terms how
they feed during cold periods; it is more the frequency of when they
feed that is the issue. During the active periods of the day, big bass
also do not play around when the water is cold. They are predatorily
focused they mean to eat and they do not miss what they are after. They
often take the baits very deep and head first, knocking slack in the
line. I have often found them feeding in groups, and in some cases
catching numerous fish over the 6 pound mark in a single pass. Some of
the biggest best 5 catches I have ever experienced have been at daybreak
or just before dark in Jan and Feb throwing a rattle bait wide open over
a 5-foot hump.
Some of the other best days I have experienced on Guntersville and
other lakes have been during periods of cold, nasty weather. While it
may be nice to bask in the warm sunshine, big bass still like rain, snow
and ice forming in the rod guides. I have never believed that as a
general rule fish eat out of hunger. I believe that their tiny little
brains do not have the capacity to contain that emotional aspect of
eating. Humans are different; we are emotional about our food, sometimes
religious. Nevertheless, we cannot animalize ourselves by trying to
place our own understanding in the brain of a critter. Hunger may
trigger me to go get a burger, but bass feed when triggered by other
factors, and often they will eat whether they are hungry or not. In the
winter months, you cannot easily trigger a strike, you cannot play on
the aggression of a fish, and you simply have to be there when they are
triggered to eat.
Usually bass will all (for the most part) be active or inactive at
the same time, reacting collectively to the factors that trigger them to
move.
Unfortunately, for us, the main bite in the winter comes when we would
rather be somewhere a lot warmer, and the bite is often not a very long
event. For an angler to take advantage of the best feeding period’s
means preparing yourself mentally and physically to deal with the cold.
Launching before daylight in January means making sure all your gear is
in order. Safety becomes more important, and having a good game plan is
critical.
Big bass do not like to travel from their regular haunts. If you are
missing the big winter bite, adjust your timing and leave the old box of
thinking behind. However, practice safety out there. Do not fish alone;
make sure others know where you are, where you plan to fish and when you
plan to be in. Dress appropriately, and stay fed and hydrated. Keep all
your safety gear in order, anything can happen out there and in the
cold, the consequences are greatly magnified. Make sure you have a
ladder or rope in the boat to get back in if you fall out, and never
take your life vest off.
Good Luck, great fishing and Gods blessing.
Troy Jens
Web Content Manager
Professional Anglers Association
email -anglingalabama@gmail.com
For more great bass fishing information visit Troy @
www.anglingalabama.com
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