Scenario 3
Where: Beaver Lake (Arkansas)
Details: December, with wind, cold and
spitting snow
“In early December, I really like those cold, windy, spitting
snow kind of days,” says FLW pro Greg Bohannan. “It’s just
miserable for a lot of people to be outside, but some of my
best days on Beaver Lake and my biggest weights have been
in December on a pre-front with cold wind and nasty weath-
er. Those big ones really like to eat that time of year.”
it’s sunny outside, there’s going to be that period around 11,
12 or 1 o’clock where you’re going to see that window open
up. If it’s sunny and there’s a little warmth, you’ll see a notice-
able difference.
“It [the sun] pulls them out. I think of them just like us: If
it’s cold, blowing and rainy outside, we don’t want to get out
from the covers. If it’s sunny, you kind of poke your head out
of the house. I swear the fish do the same thing.”
On those sunny, mild January days on Rayburn, when fish
are less likely to be buried under grass mats, Castledine rec-
ommends moving baits such as a lipless crankbait or jerkbait
to elicit reaction strikes. If you’re looking for a different kind
of bite, there’s only one option.
“You’ve got to commit with a jig or a Carolina rig or a drop-
shot,” Castledine adds. “You’ve got to go one of two ways: You
either have to go shallow over the grass, or you’ve got to go
deep to 25 or 30 feet. One of the two; there’s no in between.”
Bohannan loves fishing Ozark lakes in December up until
Christmas when the weather usually begins to turn colder for
prolonged periods. But before Christmas, it’s all cranking
nearly all the time for the Arkansas pro.
“I’m usually throwing a crankbait nine times out of 10, or
I’m throwing a jerkbait,” he says. “It’s one of those two things.
The fish are still shallow in December. They’re feeding really
heavy before it gets bitter cold. It’s a great time to fish shallow.
“We get some of our coldest weather in January. If you go
during that time, you have to switch back over to an umbrella
rig, but up until Christmastime, that crankbait bite’s really
pretty good.”
$ QJ JO
J OH HU UV V
D UH H
DU
$ WK
KO OH
O H WH HV V
(
6
63
32
25
5 7 &
&2
20
0
WINTER 2019 I FLWFISHING.COM
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