This has been the first year in about five years that we have had a prolonged period of cold (sub-frezing) temperatures. We are predicted to have more of the same for a while. I haven't been to the lakes, so I am not sure of they have frozen over yet, but I hope that, at least, Nolin, Rough, Barren and Green do freeze-over and stay that way for a month or so.

I have come to the opinion that the longer (more years) our lakes go without a solid freeze-over for at least a month, the worse the fishing gets. Then when we do get a good long freeze-over, the fishing vastly improves the following fishing season.

I think that when we have a good solid freeze-over, it kills off a lot of the weaker things in the Bass's food chain, including small Bass and other small fish that Bass may feed on, all the way down the food chain of bait fish to even the micorscopic vegetation that these other things feed on. When the weaker of these things don't die off in the years without a hard freeze, then there is more in the food chain for the Bass to eat and they get picky about eating the artificials that I am throwing at them. Every year that goes by without a hard freeze just means there is that much for the Bass to eat and fishing gets worse every year. However, when many of these weaker things in the food chain get killed off during a freeze, then the Bass are more likely to eat what I throw at them and the CATCHING improves.

Just curious if anyone else has noticed this and/or what you comments may be.

If nothing else, its something to think about on a cold winter day.

Grumpy