In the bass fishing capital of the world, which is right in our backyards, your opportunity at a trophy bass is waiting. Expectations are high as we ring in the new year and winter season for catching that personal best fish. With cold fronts, pressure changes, and cooler water temperatures, there are plenty of opportunities to get in on the pre spawn action. Those skinny bass that you’ve been catching all year are now feeding to fill their bellies as they prepare to sit on beds to raise new fry. This pre spawn feeding frenzy occurs because in most cases, these fish will not eat again until a few weeks after spawning. My favorite pre spawn technique is the shallow water approach. A topwater frog or weedless jerk bait are my go to baits. However, a wacky rigged worm will also do the trick. In depths over 10 feet, live shad, shiner, and bluegill are proven to be the best bait.
While there is a great deal of good that comes from these cold fronts, too much could be detrimental and can slow the bite down substantially. In South Florida we rarely see water temperatures in the fifties, but on those rare occasions that we do, these bass could display slow, lethargic behavior and even get lockjaw. In these particular situations, you want to find heavily covered areas or shallow water, both with full sun exposure. Heavy floating cover of vegetation absorbs the sun’s heat, warming the surrounding waters and allows for a place to hide. This creates the perfect feeding grounds for bass. Using a small profile bait will get you through the vegetation and give you a chance to make an excellent presentation to a fish. Bounce it off the bottom a few times and the bass will typically eat it on the fall. Anything from a weighted crawdad or a ned rig will work perfectly in this situation.
Most of South Florida is urban style fishing in canals and smaller lakes. If you find yourself fishing these canals, such as the Griffin canal, it is good to cover a lot of area to find where the fish might be stacked up. Unlike in warmer temperatures, it is not uncommon to find fish schooled up together in cold conditions. Bridges are another great place to start as they can hold heat for a decent amount of time and offer great cover. If you want to be hot on the fish all day long, the easiest choice is always live bait in the winter time. If you go the artificial route and aren’t getting bites, try slowing your presentation down. It just might be the factor that changes everything.
Good luck and, as always, tight lines.
Capt. Johnny Stabile
(954) 440-5200
South Florida Fishing Charters
sflfishingcharters.com