TAKEOFF
IN SEASON
seasonal tips and tricks
other odds and ends
By Paul Strege
pro ChoICe:
favorIte WInter
fIsherIes
WInter sWImbaItIng
By the time early winter arrives, bass have completed their seasonal
migrations, often settling into deep-water schools. One of the most popular
methods anglers use to catch them is vertical jigging. When schools move, however,
they can be difficult to relocate with a vertical presentation. Paducah, Ky., pro Terry
Bolton tracks them down with a 4-inch Zoom Swimmer rigged on a 1/2-ounce VMC
SBJ Swimbait Jig.
“When the school moves or stops biting, I’ll back off of the area and slowly run the
swimbait through it,” he says. “It is more effective and easier to control horizontally than
jigging spoons or Rapala Jigging Raps. The big key is to fish the Swimmer very, very slowly.”
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WARMING TRENDS
Deep isn’t the only winter approach.
“On New Year’s Day a few years ago, I went out on the
Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway and found a bunch of big fish
up shallow and ready to bite,” recalls Forrest Wood Cup champ
Justin Atkins. “It had been very cold, but a three-day stretch of
decent weather had warmed up the water and really turned on
the fish. It was an awesome bite.”
Since then, Atkins has tested the shallow bite on other waters
and found that success depends primarily upon temperature trends – warming
trends being ideal – and identifying those locations that warm fastest.
“On Tennessee River system lakes, the best areas are shallow pea gravel
banks. On other river systems like the Tombigbee, they’ll get up on spawning
flats with lily pad roots or any type of little grass.”
set an ICe bass reCord
Located in Hayward, Wis., the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame (freshwater-fish-
ing.org) maintains many sets of angling records, including for ice fishing. For those
looking to establish a new national mark through the ice this winter, here are the
bass records to beat:
ICE FISHING,
ICE FISHING,
ROD AND REEL,
ROD AND REEL,
LARGEMOUTH
KEPT DIVISION
RELEASED DIVISION
SMALLMOUTH
18
9 pounds, 2 ounces
Jan. 16, 1996
Farm pond, Illinois 22 inches
Jan. 30, 2000
Erickson Lake, Wisconsin
5 pounds, 11 ounces
Jan. 8, 1989
Nokomis Pond, Maine 19 inches
Feb. 12, 1998
Lake Superior, Wisconsin
1. bryan thrift
Lake Norman, N.C.
“The lake has a ton of fish in
it, and there are two power
plants on opposite ends of
the lake that warm the water
with their discharges and
provide good winter
opportunities.”
2. scott suggs
Lake Hamilton, Ark.
“By winter, the boat traffic
has dropped way off, and
the fish aren’t nearly as pres-
sured as they are at other
times of the year.”
3. Jason reyes
Smith Lake, Ala.
“I’ve always liked it for the
big spotted bass, and when
you find schools in early
winter, you can count on
them to be there the
entire season.”
flWfIshIng.Com I november-deCember 2017