Page 46 - Lady Bass Digital Magazine Winter 2022-1_Neat

Winter Bass Fishing- Need To Knows

We are going to cover a lot of territory here. Some of it will line up with other articles or videos that you may have
looked at. Some information will not line up. Sometimes reading articles is like the information in fishing reports…
specifically vague. Ultimately, take in the information and utilize what works for you and what you are comfortable with
trying or implementing.

There are key areas where bass will set up for the winter. Most of the bodies of water in my area are considered lowland
reservoirs. As such, everything in this article will have that frame of reference.

One of the first places I will look for bass in the winter are along secondary
points.

Look for secondary points that have a creek channel swinging close on one side
and an adjacent flatter section on the opposite side. The transition between the
steeper section and the flatter section that creates a key section when bass will set
up during the winter.

One of the choices of baits for secondary points are suspending jerk baits. Jerk
baits work because when the water temperatures drop, baitfish can be stunned
or die off. The suspending jerk bait sits in the water column and imitates these
stunned or dying baitfish. When selecting a jerkbait, start with one that dives 3’-
5’. Cast the bait up into the key area. Reel it down to depth and then begin your
cadence. The time of the pause between jerks is impacted by the water tempera-
ture and the temperament of the bass. Pauses can be as short as 2 seconds or up to 5-10 seconds.

If offshore fishing is more your thing or something you want to learn to do, here are some pieces of information that can
help. These areas can be found on almost every body of water. Drains or Ditches A ditch or drain is a creek channel that
runs between two pieces of water. Bass will set up in the middle of the drain or ditch and swim up and down it follow-
ing baitfish. You will often find standing timber, brush piles, and rock piles along the edges that provide perfect ambush
points for bass. It is critical to follow the bass as they follow the baitfish.

Some ditches and drains are obvious and most any angler can find them. The less obvious ditches will set you apart from
other anglers also fishing offshore. It is important to understand that on lowland reservoirs where the ditches may only
be 4’-5’ or as deep as 15’ with rises to 2’-3’on the edges. Where the bass set up is determined by your water clarity. If the
visibility is a foot or less, they could be in the 3’-5’ range, but if your water clarity is 2’ or so, they could set up in the 15’
depths.

Follow the ditches from deeper to shallower to isolate where the bass are
holding. If there is cover on or near the ditches, these will be key hiding and
ambush points.

We’ve already talked about using jerk baits on secondary points, but these
also apply when fishing offshore ditches and drains. Two other baits of choice
when fishing ditches include a finesse swim bait and a jig. All of this depends
on lake conditions, water clarity and the type of cover in the area.

For the finesse swimbait, use a 2.75”-3” paddle tail swim bait on a 3/8 ounce or ¼ ounce jig head. Swim this right
through the middle of the suspended bass from 5’ to 20’ feet in depth. The setup for the finesse swim bait is lighter fluo-

46 Lady Bass Anglers Association
Winter Bass Fishing- Need To Knows