By Jay Striker Barnett
Fishing in the winter can be tough on anglers, not only dealing with cold outside temperatures, but also having to find fish in cold and unstable water conditions. There are three reliable patterns I choose when fishing in the winter, and they are roadbeds, points, and riprap in that order. They are bass magnets when it’s cold.
Roadbeds are some of the most overlooked places that anglers miss when bass fishing. If anglers would take just a little time locating a bass magnet like a roadbed, they would find that fish are there and many times are big and not pressured. When fishing roadbeds, I try to focus on any irregularity that shows up on my electronics. It may be a rock pile, a ditch with stumps, etc., but if you find something different, you will find fish hanging around it. Bass use roadbeds as a migration route to and from different access areas. Locate roadbeds on a map, and if they are close to a channel or other structure, be sure to fish them. My favorite baits for fishing roadbeds are Rapala deep diving crankbaits and the Fish Head Spin, as they allow me to cover the entire water column effectively. I then back them up using a Carolina Rig with a standard soft plastic.
Main lake points are the second stop on the list as they are another piece of structure that will be holding fish in the winter. When fishing points, I try to locate the points that run a long way out from the bank and into a drop off. This allows me to use many different presentations and gives bass the ability to move up and down the water column easily, I usually start out using deep diving crankbaits if the point is deep, because I want to stay in contact with the bottom as much as possible. Using big baits is also key to fishing wintertime points, because bass need the assurance that the bait it chases is worth the energy spent doing so. Slow rolling big spinnerbaits over points in the winter also get the nod. I trick out my spinnerbait by painting the entire bait white, blades and all.
Riprap holds bass in the winter, and it is the third stop on my list. Riprap exists to retain the earth from moving. However, the added benefit is that it becomes a bass magnet. Riprap holds all of the micro and biological food sources that attract baitfish and provides shelter, so when there is bait, bass won’t be far away. When fishing riprap, I always start on the west side of the lake, because it will warm faster, as the sun rises in the east. I start out throwing a crankbait parallel to the bank and work my way off the bank getting deeper and deeper to locate the active zones. I look for some type of change in the riprap because bass are usually attracted to it, so I try to be sure to hit the corners of the riprap as bass use it as an ambush points.
When fishing in the winter, don’t overlook some of the best bass locations on the lake. Roadbeds, points, and riprap could be the best way to break down a lake in the winter and start catching fish faster. Thanks for taking the time to read and check me out at www.jaystriker.com.