Winter Time Stuff

[Bill Babler]

Was going to write a Winter Bass Fishing article, but just never could get around to putting it all together. Instead just some ramblings about fishing from now till Spring.

Sitting here in my big chair, with the tomcat on my lap, the outside temp, is reading 27 and the wind is bending the trees and making the wind chimes ring their cold tune.

Three brave soles in sprinting bass boats have gone by Clevenger headed up Long Creek this morning. They must be a lot madder at the fish than I.

My gosh, the upcomming opportunities are going to be really special this year. With huge carryovers of all pan fish, from a very restricted season last year, we should see one of the best Spring Seasons, we have had in years. For now, as we wait for the warm winds of Late March, here is what were up too.

The River arms and we all know their names, are running quite a bit cooler than the main lake. Fishing up the rivers have been, and will continue to be good till they get great. Bill and I have been getting out about 3 days a week. I have also been on Bull Several time, and will probably hit it pretty hard this late Winter and Spring. Love to catch those big crappie and walleye.

Jigs worked very slowly in transition locations, and bluffends are still producing in 15 to 30 ft. of water. The bite is more of a sponge type heavy drag on the line rather than a nip/nip. If you have one guy throwing a stickbait the guy in the back can drag a jig. You should not be suprised that the jig dragger will probably out catch the stick jerker.

A couple of years ago, on a very nice late Winter day, my wife wanted to go. She loves to fish a rig and that is about all she will throw. She just likes to drag in around and watch the birds and stuff, noting to straining, like a bunch of casting. I got her going sitting on the back seat and proceeded to toss my custom made Hughes rogue. She kicked my Butt big time in 42 degree water, dragging her favorite the green pumpkin fish dr.

Stickbaits are very good, on any wind if you can find a chop. Bass are also in the cedars and the stick is taking some very nice fish, in these locations. We had a couple out of cedars last week up to 7 pounds. There is still a touch of a wart bite, but it has all but stopped for me, we have put it up. Still did hear of a very nice set of fish being caught last week out of Shell Knob on a wart, thrown right up on windy banks. Same guys had a few on a blade in the same locations, just cranking fast enough to make the blades turning.

Main lake and major coves and creeks are holding some very nice suspended fish. All the bass species, and some whiskered kitties as well. Spoon fish have been as shallow as 35 and as deep as 80. All depths inbetween are holding fish, and it seems the most aggressive are suspended in the 35 to 50 ft. range, in the mid-cove channels over greater depths. Dropshot, is by far beating the spoon. Chomper 4 inch purple/brown Lam. is doing extremely well on the deeper fish.

Days in the 50's with sun and wind are very good days to throw the rogue. Cloudy days are better for the deeper fish. It seems from what we have been finding, the deep bite is a very early bite, and then tapers off. The bank bite remains from strong, to decent all day. If you really want to catch a bunch of fish right now, Crawlers or Shiners fished to the deep fish will out produce anything. Be careful with the fish, get them back down to depth pretty quickly when you release them. Take your time bringing them up, and then let them go, without any fanfair.

Some good locatons for the deeper fish are Campers, Aunts Creek, Buttermilk, Big and Little Indian, Jaque branch, Jakes branch, Clevenger, Sportsmans, Kennel Branch, Mill Creek, Baxter, Big and Little Indian, Big Creek, Basin Hollow, Roaring River, Rock Creek Cedar Creek Owl Creek. And various humps and channel swings all over the main lake. Those spots should keep ya busy till April, along with the bank fishing. I might have accidently left out a few, but we fish, and catch deep fish, in everything that I listed.

Here are a few photo's of what we have been up to for the last couple of weeks;

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Have a pic of a really nice 7 pounder on a stickbait, but we just could not get it to come up.

Good luck out there.

[Phil Lilley]

Wow... pictures!!!

[techo]

The picture of the graph should win a photo contest! Any balls of shad around there, or just chasing your bait?

[Jason Essary]

wonderful report. Thanks a million. Now I have to go fishing....

[Bill Babler]

There was a ball of shad that had just gone out of the frame. We dropped two spoons, and had bottom streakers to both spoons, as you can see. I had the front spoon, and Bill the Back. His fish hooked up, but mine went back to the bottom. Next time I will try and photograph the bite and the fight to the surface. It will take several photos, but it should be fun. Don't know why I haven't done it before.

[Rolan Duffield]

Thanks for the great reports Bill. You really write very interresting articles and a special thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. And we appreciate your efforts.

Rolan

[motoman]

Great read, and cool pix Bill! Makes me anticipate my next trip down, even more.............sigh............