By Scott Norton
Waters are so cold and only the hardened anglers are focused on the battle of wits. Most, at this point, have given up for the winter and started preparations for the spring pre spawn. For those who have wondered why an angler would do such a thing and the answer is – many reasons. You are probably going to have the whole lake to yourself and there is zero percent pressure on the fish. Many of the small fish have slowed down but the biggest ones still have to feed. The two things you will find out is that the fish are deep and retrieve must be slow, real slow.
This is the time you won’t catch much but what you do catch is big. The more mass a fish has, the more calories it must consume to maintain itself. If you are looking to get a trophy, now is the time. You won’t have small fish competing over your presentation. These fish are looking for the biggest and easiest meal, if offered the opportunity. They will still bite but they will not use a lot of energy to get it. When you hang into a big fish, they will not put on a big fight and, some compare them to a wet log. You can expect soft bites so keep your line tight or you will loose your chance at a fish of a lifetime.
The baits that come to mind are ones that have little to no action at all. The retrieve and cadence are painfully slow. Sometimes the right speed could take ten minutes or more. Jigs, swimbaits, and spoons are my “go to” baits. Picture your bait crawling the bottom as fast as it takes your fingernails to grow. That’s how slow we’re talking about.
The depth at which you will be looking for bass will be twenty to sixty feet. Some people don’t like to catch them from the forty to sixty foot depth, because it’s hard on the fish. If you decide to fish deep, make sure they get put back in the water as fast as you can because their air bladder will come out of their mouth, making it almost impossible for them to make it back to the bottom. If you decide to do this, educate yourself on how to fizz the fish. In the fizzing process, you take a needle and insert it in the air bladder to release the air. The bladder will blow up like a balloon and they can’t swim. If you are a responsible conservationist you must weigh the risks involved.
Make sure you dress for the weather as the lake can get cold and windy where all the surrounding areas can be calm. I’m seeing good results in the local lakes this year. Lots of great pictures, stories, and memories are being made right now and you can get in on a piece of the action if you choose to do so. Hope this helps for those of you that are on the fence with trying a new way to fish. Be safe and have fun.
Scott Norton is a native of Western North Carolina. Born in Asheville, NC, he is a long time avid hunter, angler, and weekend warrior. He is a member of Southern Raft Supply’s prostaff team representing them in his Jackson Kayak Coosa FD.