By Scott Norton
We are looking at another transition very soon. The water is as cold as it will be for the rest of the season, and we are going to have some warm days very soon that will kick this transition into full speed. We will still have threats of winter weather, but as soon as there is a week of a warming trend, bass will start their migration to the spawning areas.
In places where there is wood and rock, the sun will heat these areas up and fish will move in to get away from colder waters. This is where thinking ahead will help you. Find where these areas are and spend time and try to find a pattern. Once you can say they are here or not, then find what they want to eat and replicate that to the rest of the lake.
Baits to use will be spinner baits, A-rigs, jigs, flutter spoons, jerk baits, blade baits, and crank baits are what you want on deck. This should cover what the mood of the day is. Remember those bass are going to be slow so you do not need heavy line or aggressive baits; if you find clear water you need to downsize your line. If you catch one, it will feel like you have hooked a wet log. They will not fight much, so thin line is a must. If you have muddy water from run off then you do not have to worry about down-sized line. You will need darker color and maybe a chartreuse color mixed in so they can see the bait.
You are now coming up on a new season, so check your hooks for weakness and sharpness. Your line is another weakness as well, so check for too much memory and fraying. These will kill your chances of landing big fish. If you do not have fraying line, I can bet you will have tight coils in your line from memory. A trick you can use is to stretch enough line out you would need for a long cast and pull on it and stretch it a little to straighten out the coils. If you find fraying line you will need to cut that section out and hope you have enough line left on your reel. You will still need to replace your line for the new season anyways. If you are on a budget, you can use line conditioners to give longer life to your line. Not as good as replacing it, but that is for you to decide.
Try and plan your trips on warm days or on weeks where you have a warming trend. This will increase your odds of good timing. Some of these plans involve being at a good place at a good time. Try and plan on getting rid of anything that can cause you issues because this is the time of year for catching giants and you do not want just a fish story to tell.
Scott Norton is a Western North Carolina native. Born in Asheville, N.C., he is a long-time hunter, angler and weekend warrior.