Chris Jenkins is an angler who writes for the OnLine Fishermen. Snow and cold might be here, but bass fishing is not over. Here are a few tips from Chris which might help you land the big one in the cold.
“As with any season though, you have to assess the situation and have a game plan. The bass’ metabolism has slowed dramatically and the digestive process takes much longer under the present conditions. In fact, bass cease to grow when the water temperature drops below fifty degrees. The good news is that they will still eat, but less frequently and prefer smaller meals.
Knowing that, I am going to present them with an easy meal to catch and an easy meal to digest. A Carolina rigged Berkley 4” Gulp sinking minnow, 3” Gulp Fry, or the 6” Gulp Float minnow are prime examples. The bites can be very subtle and far a few between at times but once they latch onto a Gulp product there as good as hooked. The Yum Craw Papi, Wooly Bug, Wooly Hawgcraw, and Yum Dinger are also baits that have proven effective for me time and time again. When you have a high pressure system parked over you and blue bird skies beaming down, these baits along with tubes and grubs will be your best bet. I know when I set out on any given winter day I may get skunked so I keep my expectations down to earth. I also know that I have caught some real heavy weights when most people are snuggled up under their electric blanket as well. So what better lure to target a behemoth with than a jig I say? A ¾ ounce Stanley Platinum jig will be tied on before I leave the house and I will couple it with a pork trailer which stays more pliable than plastic in cold water. Lastly, I have to mention a Lake Fork 6” Ring Fry. I can’t explain it but this simple piece of plastic attracts some healthy fish in extreme conditions whether it is August or January.”…..Chris Jenkins
