Winter fishing can be like that. There are times, especially after a warming trend, fish will be where you least expect them. And it sounds as if you fished one of the areas that I have learned to fish in the winter after a warming trend.
I just goes against everthing we have heard and have been taught to fish areas of shallow water, relatively speaking, in the winter. But we just came out of some brutly cold weather. Predetor fish most likely didn't feed at all during that time. We have broke that cold spell and temps have came up a slight few degrees for a few days now. Fish will move to shallower areas to feed and enjoy a little sun. I don't think they are ready to go back to their summer homes, but I don't think they are far off either.
I think the week of warmer weather we experienced the previous week was a contributor as to why you were not catching fish in your honey holes. I think they have moved to close by shallows as I have found them in those areas in weather patterns like this. Now like you guy's did, I, out of instinct, always hit the holes first. And fish them hard. But if I just can't find them there, then I kinda of switch to a summer pattern, and hit areas you don't associate with winter fishing.
That is a good looking fish too!