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  • Winter Fishing is Almost Here

    As the cold weather approaches your lake changes and you must be able to change with it to be successful during the winter months. The important change we all have to make may be in mind set and expectations. The winter on most lakes is just different and there are a few things that can really help making your day during the winter much more successful.


    The first thing is to make sure you don’t miss your bites; getting a bite in the cold of winter can be at a premium and missing it can be a mind blower for the rest of the day on your psyche. It’s just amazing how many people get mindfully discouraged when they miss a bite and rightfully so as the winter elements alone are a challenge. The key is to stay focused and don’t let your mind move to other thoughts as you progress during the day. If you can keep focused on your bait and what it’s doing you have a great chance to feel every bite and movement. I personally concentrate extremely hard on what my bait looks like to a fish during this period; trying to visualize its action keeps me focused on my bait.


    Don’t get in a hurry in the cold of the winter months; your bait does not need to move fast it just needs to be in front of fish long enough to get them to react to it. I know some times the winter has a lot of wind and it pushes you faster than you need to and you pass by the fish. There are some cures for this; the old timers like me utilized a drift sock that slowed your movement with the wind and allowed your bait to present longer in a spot slowing you substantially so your bait stays located better. Today’s electronics tied into the new “Spot Lock” trolling motor can do the work for you and keep you on your favorite area without much work in the winter winds.


    Lastly work vertical baits; winter fish hang or suspend and don’t relocate a lot and vertical baits give you the opportunity to pump them up and down like football jigs, or jigging spoons or finesse type soft plastics. Vertical baits are the key to winter bites if your thoroughly covering and area slowly and vertically fishing it, your bait is staying in the strike zone long enough to entice a bass.