TAKEOFF
IN SEASON
seasonal tips and tricks
3 fliPPing
ProduCts to try:
other odds and ends
By Paul Strege and Curtis Niedermier
What to WatCh for this month:
48- TO 58-DEGREE WATER*
Water temperature ranges vary greatly throughout the country in late win-
ter, but when it hits the 48- to 58-degree range, as it often does in January in
Alabama, Scott Canterbury suggests reaching for a subtle, tight-wobbling flat-
sided balsa crankbait.
“the pattern can be good on transitions, but usually that’s later in the
spring,” he says. “Usually it’s just on those channel-swing banks. And they get
on red clay points a lot in January. And roadbeds.”
Canterbury suggests 6- or 8-pound-test line on
a baitcaster, but he will use a spinning rod in
windy conditions.
*Is your favorite lake still frozen in
January? No fear. Apply these tactics
later in the spring when the water
temperature reaches this critical
prespawn range.
1. Brandon mcmillan
Flat Out Tungsten weights
by BassAddictionGear.com
“tungsten weights are notori-
ous for chipping, but these
won’t. that not only saves
time, but it keeps line from
getting frayed inside the
weight. the paint finish is flat,
which gives the bait a more
natural appearance, too.”
matt arey’s lesson learned:
SLoW DoWN iN FLoriDA
JAN. 14: THE BASS FISHING NEW YEAR
it’s a new year for bass fishing, and at flW, the bass drops
on the 2017 season on Jan. 14 with the first t-h Marine
Bass fishing league Gator division event at florida’s lake
okeechobee and the flW college fishing southeastern
conference opener at lake seminole in Georgia.
16
2. mike surman
Witch Doctor Tackle X75
Hydrilla Gorilla Casting Rod
“the rod is specifically built
for heavy mat fishing with 1-
to 2-ounce weights. it fea-
tures a softer tip that allows
you to move the fish for a
rock-solid hookset, and a
backbone for pulling fish
quickly from heavy cover.”
Quaker State pro Matt Arey says he
learned a valuable lesson in fishing for
Florida-strain bass in the early season during
his first major event at Lake okeechobee.
“A cold front came through,” he recalls.
“the biggest lesson i learned in that situation
is if you think you’re fishing slow enough in
Florida in a cold front, you’re not fishing slow
enough. you can’t fish slow enough.”
While some anglers preach a fast, reac-
tion-bite approach in that situation, Arey
relies on a different tact. if he’s located fish
around thick reed heads or mats, Arey’s strat-
egy is to pick apart the area to try and “hit
them in the head” with his bait. More often,
however, he’s targeting hayfields or isolated
reeds where there aren’t any mats that the
fish can lay up under. in those situations, he
relies on an ultra-light texas-rigged worm,
which he dead-sticks.
“it’s not my style to fish super slow,” he
says. “that is one of the hardest things i’ve
had to overcome while fishing down there in
those conditions.”
3. matt greenblatt
Gary Yamamoto Custom
Baits Sanshouo Salamander
“the body is bulky enough
for flipping, and the
appendages are small
enough for slipping through
heavy cover. the body com-
position is great, too. it is a
little stiffer so it resists hook
fouling, but still softer than a
lot of other flipping baits.”
flWfishing.Com i january 2017