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Effective Decision Making in Early Spring Bass Tournaments

Posted by Walker Smith on Wed, Mar 27, 2013 @ 08:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Jacob Wheeler Casting for Bass
                         Photos courtesy of Jacob Wheeler/FLW

Decision making can make or break your tournament success, according to Jacob Wheeler

By Walker Smith

It happens to the best of us—you get the rare chance to go fishing during the workweek and absolutely wreck the bass. A limit easily weighing 25 pounds is enough to make you jump into Saturday’s derby with every expectation of winning. When tournament time rolls around, however, your fish have moved and you’re left scratching your head and scrambling to catch a modest limit.

Early spring bass tournaments give anglers the opportunity to catch a lot of big bass, but as the bass frequently change throughout this time of year, 2012 Forrest Wood Cup Champion Jacob Wheeler is a big believer in quick thinking and effective decision making.

Get a feel for the lake

When deciding whether to milk an area or adopt a run and gun strategy, Wheeler carefully considers the type of lake he’s fishing. While some lakes are conducive to weeding through 2-pounders to get to the bigger, more tournament-worthy fish, other fisheries are wired differently.

“I’ve found that the Tennessee Valley Authority lakes such as Kentucky Lake and Guntersville are the types of fisheries where it’s okay to sift through smaller fish,” Wheeler said. “The bass in those lakes school by the thousands, with both big and small bass schooling together. On smaller reservoirs, however, you won’t always find many big bass mingling with the peanuts.”

Throughout the spring, Wheeler cautions anglers against getting too hard headed after a solid practice period. Prespawn bass can be easy to pattern, but with so many ways to catch them—shallow, deep, on bed, etc.—he prefers to keep a very open mind regardless of his success in practice.

“In early spring bass tournaments in particular, you always hear about guys whacking ‘em in practice and then weighing in 8 pounds each day of the tournament,” Wheeler said. “That happens because they got too caught up in what the fish were doing a couple days ago and weren’t flexible. These fish move around constantly, so I always want to have my eggs in different baskets instead of solely committing to one area.”

Let the fish clue you in

So you’ve found a good group of fish in practice, but now what? How do you know whether or not to take a chance and grind it out for 5 solid bites on tournament day? Wheeler lets his fish do the “talking”.

“It’s basic—to an extent,” Wheeler said. “If you’re finding fish in the mouth of a spawning flat, more than likely those schools of fish will keep coming toward you. If I’m catching fish that are very pale, that immediately tells me the fish are coming to me from deeper water and will continue to do so.”

When bass are pale in color, it usually means they’ve just moved up from their deep, wintertime homes to begin staging for the spawn. As they sit in deep water throughout the colder months, the decrease in light penetration at deeper depths causes them to lose pigment.

“Big, white-colored bass are an awesome sign during the prespawn,” Wheeler said. “Take that as the fish telling you, ‘Hey man, I’m ready to chow down’!”

Conversely, dark green bass are a telltale sign of “resident” fish, or fish that have been shallow long enough to gain more pigment from the sunlight.

“If I’m catching really dark-colored bass in practice, I’m more apt to use a run and gun strategy,” Wheeler said. “Those bass have been shallow for a while, which means there may not be fresh schools pulling up on a regular basis. When the area isn’t replenishing, it’s going to be tough to rely on it for consistent big bites—especially in a multi-day event.”

Should I stay or should I go?

Tournament strengths and weaknesses vary from angler to angler, but Wheeler acknowledges his level of discomfort when staying in one area for an extended period of time.

“It’s really tough for me to stay put in one area,” Wheeler said. “Plenty of guys like to do that, and I can, too if I’m absolutely certain there’s a bunch of big ones around, but it scares me to stay too long. I’ll give it 20 or 30 minutes and I’m out. I’ll go rotate through some other areas and come back in a couple of hours.”

At the most recent FLW Tour event on Smith Lake, Wheeler had multiple patterns that were consistently productive, but he let the conditions dictate his game plan. His most solid bites came when he threw a jerkbait, but it would quickly fall apart without lowlight conditions or wind. Whenever the sun got high and the water was calm, his decision making ability played a major factor.

“I had to decide whether or not I should force the bite or abandon ship and make an adjustment,” Wheeler said. “Ultimately, I decided it would be best to get my bait in front of as many active fish as I could, so I went to stained, shallow water and filled my limit in 30 minutes on a Rapala No. 5 Shad Rap.”

A time efficient tournament strategy


Every lake is different, but one thing usually holds true once the bass invade prespawn areas—they won’t move far. For this reason, Wheeler has adopted a generic prespawn tournament strategy that has produced for him all over the country.  

“If I got a bunch of good bites in an area during practice, I’ll generally give it about 45 minutes before I start plotting my next move,” Wheeler said. “After 45 minutes without any good bites, I’ll try to find them in adjacent shallow water areas for 15 minutes. If I still haven’t found them, I’ll slide out and target nearby break lines for about 15 minutes. If they don’t show themselves by then, I’m gone.”

“Gone” is a relative term in this case. Even after the most brutal cold fronts, bass usually won’t vacate their prespawn areas and head back to their deep, winter dwellings. Wheeler will fast-idle a surrounding 300-yard area while keeping a close eye on his electronics. Many times he’s found his previous school of bass in areas adjacent to their original hangouts. When that happens, it’s game on.

“I never panic when my prespawn fish don’t show themselves right away,” Wheeler said. “Just idle around and you’ll find them. When you finally locate them, they’ll probably bite the same baits you were catching them on during practice, so stay calm.”

Timing is everything

When prespawn bass get on shallow water structure, such as flats, it doesn’t always mean they live there all day, every day. If you notice yourself getting flurries of bites in short spurts, there’s a definite reason behind it—you’ve run across them during a short feeding window.

“If I know there’s big fish in or around a typical prespawn area, I never leave the area without coming back to check on it periodically,” Wheeler said. “If you don’t catch them on your first rotation, it simply means they’re not actively feeding. During this time of year, you can hit an area and not get any bites and then come back in an hour and catch a 20-pound sack. That’s the beauty of the prespawn.”

As you shake off the last of Old Man Winter and the bass start getting ready to spawn, don’t let their nomadic prespawn behavior get the best of you. If you can spend a couple of days getting a feel for the lake, pay attention to the bass’ color and adopt a time-friendly tournament strategy, you might find yourself cashing in some hefty checks this spring.

































































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Spring Bass | Adapting to Changes in Prespawn Water Temperature

Posted by Walker Smith on Mon, Mar 25, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Davy Hite Prespawn Bass

It’s important to look beyond the current water temperature, according to Davy Hite

By Walker Smith

Spring bass fishing presents anglers with the opportunity to catch some of the biggest bass of the year. As the bass begin to vacate their deep, wintertime homes in search of shallower water throughout the prespawn, Phoenix Boats pro Davy Hite studies one element more so than others—water temperature.

Some of us have fancy machines on our boats that figure that stuff out for us, so it should be simple enough, right? Unfortunately, it’s not as cut-and-dry as hopping in your boat, checking your graph and going fishing. Throughout the prespawn, Hite places more merit on past and future water temperature than he does current temperatures.

Bass aren’t like us

Whenever we hit the lake on a chilly morning, we usually don’t think much about it—a quick search through your boat to find an extra jacket is all it takes to keep your core body temperature at the important 98.6-degree mark. It’s important to understand, however, that the body temperature of cold blooded bass fluctuates, making them especially susceptible to small changes in temperature.

“A lot of people overlook the correlation between water temperature and bass behavior,” Hite said. “We should never forget that bass are cold blooded, making water temperature a huge factor in how lethargic or aggressive they might be.”

Bass are always adjusting to the water temperature, which makes past and future water temperatures more relevant to them than the current conditions. For this reason, Hite doesn’t let current temperatures dictate how he goes about finding large concentrations of bass.

“If you’re making a game plan solely based on the current water temperature without researching the previous conditions, you’re making a big mistake,” Hite said. “I always want to make sure I know the past and future forecasts for the lake I’m fishing.”

Falling water temperatures

You were wearing them out last week—60 degree water, sunshine and a nice breeze helped you catch a sack full of big largemouth. This weekend is much different however. After a mild cold snap rolls through your favorite lake, you’re now dealing with 55 degree temperatures, cranky bass and an empty livewell. 5 degrees can’t make that much of a difference, can it? Hite begs to differ.

“Prespawn water temperatures in the 55-degree range sound great, but it can make for some tough fishing if the fish were previously acclimated to 60 degree water,” Hite said. “In these conditions, I like to look for shallow water with adjacent deep water and focus on the break lines.”

In falling prespawn water temperatures, bass won’t move too far from their preferred shallow dwellings, but they will slide back into deeper water and suspend until they’re adjusted to the current conditions. Hite relies on a Rapala Husky Jerk or a Trigger X Drop Dead Minnow to target these fickle bass.

“I want to use baits that can get down to the middle of the water column and stay in the strike zone for as long as possible,” Hite said. “If you parallel the break lines with slow falling or suspending baits, you can catch those fish that were previously shallow.”

Rising water temperatures


Prespawn warming trends can turn into outrageous fishing days. As the water continues to warm, you can expect bass to utilize shallow cover and become much easier to catch.

“When the water temperature is on the rise, I’ll still target the same shallow water areas near deep water, except now I will really focus on shallow cover, whether it’s blowdowns, stumps or docks,” Hite said. “If that sun comes out and really starts to warm up the water, look for big bass chomping at the bit to feed.”

If Hite notices a warming trend in the immediate forecast, he breaks out his secret weapon—a paper map. On this map, he’ll search for inside and outside creek channel bends. After locating several promising areas, he’ll get on the water and scour the areas for the best available shallow cover. When he runs across shallow cover with deep water nearby, he breaks out his favorite prespawn bait—a Buckeye Lures Mop Jig.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that a Mop Jig is the best prespawn big fish bait I’ve ever thrown,” Hite said. “I think the longer, thicker living rubber is a big deal to these aggressive prespawn bass. Whether you’re fishing in a slight breeze or current, the jig just sits down there and waves around right in their face. It’s absolutely deadly.”

Early spring bass fishing is phenomenal if you can get in the habit of paying attention to past and future conditions. Knowing where the water temperature has been and where it’s going can give you a big competitive advantage as the bass move throughout the water column to adjust to changing water temperatures.










































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Spawning Bass | 6 Tips for Better Sight Fishing

Posted by Walker Smith on Wed, Mar 20, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Bobby Lane Bed Fishing Bass

Bobby Lane shares his tips for getting the most out of the bass spawn

By Walker Smith

Catching spawning bass is something that many anglers look forward to throughout the entire year. Sure, catching them on crankbaits, big worms and spinnerbaits is fun, but it doesn’t get much better than watching a fat-bellied female inhale your bait. In some parts of the country, this yearly phenomenon is already underway.

Phoenix Boats pro Bobby Lane has spent his entire life honing his bed fishing skills in the shallow waters of Florida and has been able to apply his skillset all over the United States. If there’s somebody we all could learn from about bed fishing, Lane is the man to talk to. His 6 tips will help you catch more spawning bass this year.

Check back often

It happens to tournament anglers all the time—you spend your entire practice locating dozens of big bass sitting on their beds and when tournament day finally rolls around, your sweet spots are a barren wasteland of empty beds. Lane never lets these instances fluster him because he knows the fish will be back.

“I see so many anglers getting spun out when the beds they’ve found the previous day are empty,” Lane said. “It’s absolutely essential to come back to these empty beds around the noon or one o’clock hour. More times than not, I’ve really dominated in tournaments when the fish don’t move up until late in the day.”

Empty bass beds don’t always mean the bass have totally abandoned them. Sometimes a slight weather change can pull them off, so don’t throw away your game plan. Chances are, the bass haven’t moved very far. Instead, they’re just waiting for the right moment to pull up. The only way you’ll know is if you keep checking back as the day progresses.

Have patience

We’ve all seen the television shows that make bed fishing look like the best thing since sliced bread. It’s definitely a load of fun, but you can’t expect to load the boat with 20 pounds in a matter of minutes.

“Patience is the first and foremost thing you have to remember,” Lane said. “You’re coming into a bass’ home, so they’re naturally going to act very peculiar. If somebody comes into your home messing with your house, you’re dang sure going to raise a brow and act a little funny, too.”

When you approach a bass bed and notice the big female darting away, don’t take that as your cue to leave and continue your search elsewhere. More than likely, a few small adjustments are all that’s needed to catch the weary bass.

“If a bass leaves the bed I’m fishing, I take that as a sign that I need to reposition my boat and approach it from a different angle,” Lane said. “I’ll slowly back off, give the fish a little while to relax and try again—it’s a chess game.”

Patience also pays off when you’re looking for the bona fide giant bass. Although it’s tempting to scour the 1- to 3-foot depth range, you’ll often find the bigger bass in deeper water.

“Don’t just do what’s easiest and fish the most accessible areas for the most visible fish,” Lane said. “A lot of huge females will bed in the 6- to 10-foot range and it takes a lot of patience and hard work to find those fish. If you keep at it, you’ll be rewarded in the long run.”

Be stealthy


Spawning bass are particularly paranoid and skittish, making them easily spooked by even the slightest disturbance. When targeting these bass, it’s important to go the extra mile to be as quiet as possible.

“I never, and I mean never, put my trolling motor over 50 percent when I’m fishing for spawning bass,” said Lane. “This is when a push pole is an absolute must-have. Half of the guys in the Elite event at St. Johns River had one because they allow you to get much closer to the fish.”

Working a push pole all day is no easy task, however. It takes a lot of effort to push a heavy bass boat around, so it’s good practice to stay in shape throughout the spawning season.

Watch the fish, not your bait

Keen observation skills are never more important in bass fishing than during the spawn. Paying close attention to the bass’ behavior can make all the difference in catching the bass of a lifetime.

“Every bass is different and you’ve got to understand each fish you’re targeting—they’ll all react in different ways,” Lane said. “Never get fixated on your bait hopping up and down in the bed. You’ll be able to catch some buck bass doing this, but you’ve got to really watch the big females. Work your bait different ways and learn which movements really make her blood boil.”

In order to better read the fish, always watch for two behaviors—flaring fins and tight circles. When a bass has absolutely “had it” with your antics, you’ll start to see them swim in very tight circles around your bait with both their fins and gills flared. If you notice this behavior, you’re doing the right things to provoke an aggressive strike.

Fine tune your tackle

It’s possible to get by with subpar tackle throughout other times of the year, but during the spawn, Lane makes sure to use the highest quality gear he can get his hands on. In his mind, it all starts with quality fishing line.

“I use 65-pound Spiderwire Ultracast Ultimate Braid with a double Palomar knot in every bed fishing situation,” Lane said. “I don’t care if I’m in crystal clear water—I’ll still use big braid. The fish couldn’t care less about your line—they just want your bait out of their bed.  When you get a bite with heavy braid, your chances of landing those fish are as close to 100 percent as you can get.”

When it comes to his rod selection, he utilizes different rod lengths and actions depending on the size of the fish he’s looking at. For bass in the 3- to 5-pound range, he opts for a 7-foot, 1-inch heavy-action or a 7-foot, 4-inch medium-heavy Abu Garcia Veritas Casting Rod. If he’s targeting bass above 5-pounds, he breaks out the big guns—a 7-foot, 11-inch heavy-action Abu Garcia Veritas Casting Rod.

“Matching your rod with the size of the fish you’re after is a big deal,” Lane said. “If you set the hook on a 3-pounder with a rod that’s too stiff, you run the risk of either pulling the hook through their lip or sending it sailing over your boat. When stuff like that happens, you’re going to lose a lot of valuable fish.”

A high-speed reel can be a lifesaver when fishing for spawning bass. Although you’ll usually be fishing in close quarters with the fish, you need to be prepared for anything.

“I use a left-handed 7.1:1 Abu Garcia REVO STX Generation 3 Casting Reel,” Lane said. “It happens all the time—you set the hook on a bed fish and it runs straight at the boat. You’ve got to have a reel that’s fast enough to give you a chance at catching up with her.”

Try different baits


Small changes in bait selection can prove invaluable throughout the spawning period. What one fish bites, another one may ignore, so keeping an open mind will give you a better chance of fooling more big bass.

“I like a 4-inch Berkley Havoc Bobby Lane’s Craw Fatty,” Lane said. “We designed it to be a killer bed fishing bait and it has caught a ton of big bass for me. You still have to switch things up sometimes depending on the mood of the fish, so I also like to flip a Berkley Havoc Rocket Craw to give them a different look. If your fishing highly pressured waters, I’d even try a swimbait. It sounds odd, but the results can be amazing.”

Catching spawning bass is one of the most exciting techniques in bass fishing, and although it can be a bit frustrating at times, it gives you a great opportunity to catch enormous bass. If you stay patient and stealthy, understand the bass’ behavior and keep an open mind, you can have the time of your life this spring.









































































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Fishing Brush Piles

Posted by Jason Sealock on Mon, Mar 18, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Cliff Pace unhooking bass from fishing wood

Find big bass ambush points fishing wood cover sunk by anglers

By Jason Sealock

Every angler values some sort of cover when it comes to bass fishing. Some of the easiest cover anglers can make themselves includes brush piles. But sometimes finding already sunk brush can be the key to big catches throughout the year. Understanding the nuances of fishing brush and fishing wood as opposed to rock and grass once you've found it often equals big success when bass fishing.

We talked recently with Bassmaster Classic champion Cliff Pace on how he finds good brush and then how he goes about making brush work for him in his bass fishing situations. He shared some great insight that all bass anglers should take to heart when targeting brush on any lake.

The right area makes the brush right

Bass get in brush piles to hide from their prey and sometimes around them because of their prey. But the bass won't be there if the area isn't conducive for them.

"For any brush pile to be a good one it's got to be in the right area," Pace said. I look for brush piles within my pattern. If I'm fishing main lake points, I will look for brush around those points. Usually I like the brush piles on a good clean hard bottom because that's what the bass likes."

Pace looks for three things for a brush pile to be right:

  • At the right depth
  • Within a pattern
  • A good hard bottom
Not all brush is good brush

Bass won't occupy every brush pile on a lake. In fact, they inhabit a very small percentage of the brush piles on a lake.

"About 25 percent of the brush I find actually holds bass," Pace said. "So be prepared to find a whole bunch of likely fishing wood that doesn't hold any bass."

That's what he likes about brush pile fishing though. They aren't just everywhere and the bass aren’t in all of them. So that means when you find a handful of good ones, they will generally always be good ones. And the harder you work to find the right ones, the better your fishing will be when they are in that pattern that the brush is in.


Some lakes produce better brush bass

"Typically I like a lake that doesn't have a lot of natural cover for fishing brush piles," Pace said. "If there is grass, and rocks and a lot of manmade structures, brush piles might not be as good as they are on a lake void of a lot of that cover. As they come out of their spawning areas."

But he will look for brush in his area on all the lakes he fishes. It's worthwhile to spend the time for what could potentially be a key bite or two if the fishing gets tough.

Keep in mind that brush can be big hardwood trees piled up or single bushy trees or other pieces of wood that forms an object in the water that baitfish relate to and bass use to ambush.

Technology eliminates guess work

Structure Scan has really made finding brush so much easier for anglers.

"It's really almost not fair anymore," Pace said. "Instead of guess what the pile looked like and if it had fish near it, you can see how many limbs it has and how many bass are on it with these new Lowrance electronics."

Pace will spend a lot of time idling an area looking for brush in out-of-the-way places. Instead of simply focusing right on the tip of a point, he idled the bank leading up to it, the curve out of the point, down the side of the point, then up the other side and around into the cove. He'll make big egg shaped passes around the area looking for brush on the outskirts of the fish holding areas. He often finds the brush that is off to the side of a key spot is the better brush because most folks overlook it.

Once he finds brush he hops up on the deck and makes a few casts until he hits the cover. Then he will immediately get a line up with something on the nearest bank so he can eliminate the guess work when he returns to fish a productive pile.

Fish thoroughly and repetitively

It takes a different array of lures to fish brush versus rock and grass to an extent. The baits that work best often depend on the mood of the bass or season. Pace shared four of his favorites for targeting brush:

 When the fish are in the brush, he will work a jig or a worm up and over every branch slowly, trying to make as much contact with the cover as he can on one cast. Many bites will occur just as the lure comes up and over a branch and starts falling again. So it's important to be a line watcher and feel for the bites as it the lure falls through the cover.

If the fish are aggressive, especially in warmer summer months, he will go for a reaction bite by crashing a crankbait into limbs and the top of trees he's fishing. It takes some practice but you can actually get good at worming a crankbait through the brush with your rod and triggering some big fish to bite.

And before he leaves any brush pile he always makes a few casts to it with a spinnerbait. He feels like it's one of the best ways to trigger an aggressive bass to bite around brush. It's been a go to big fish producer for years for him in the warmer months.

It's worth your time to explore your lake and rule out the unproductive brush piles and find those handful of fish producers to always have in your back pocket on a tough day or when you don't have time to run around and find bass, knowing a handful of good brush piles can be a fishing day saver. Fishing brush takes patience but the rewards can be huge in bass fishing.


























































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Shallow Bass Fishing in Cold Water

Posted by Walker Smith on Wed, Mar 13, 2013 @ 07:40 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Hank Cherry Fights Bass

Hank Cherry goes against the grain by targeting shallow bass in cold water

Photos and Article by Walker Smith

When many of us think of bass fishing in cold water, we envision uncomfortable temperatures, finesse gear and deep water. While deep fishing techniques can certainly yield nice catches in the colder months, you won’t find Elite Series pro Hank Cherry doing it. In fact, cold water often means the exact opposite for him—shallow water fishing.

We had the opportunity to chronicle his impressive showing at the 2013 Classic on Grand Lake and his approach to the brutal conditions caught our eye. While a large number of competitors were congregated on deep water points and brush piles, he had the shallow water all to himself.

The biggest misconception

A Lake Norman native, Cherry has spent years perfecting his cold water fishing skills. Although many anglers expect cold water bass to suspend in deep water, his experience tells a different story.

“Like Grand Lake, Lake Norman is a deep lake,” Cherry said. “People tend to get confused and think that bass always suspend in depths of 30 to 40 feet in cold water—that’s not the case. The colder the water gets, the shallower the bass suspend.”

Throughout this year’s Classic, his theory held true. After experimenting with several different deep water areas in practice, he began focusing his efforts toward shallow water. The results were immediate.

“If I was marking bass on my Lowrance in 18 to 20 feet, I wouldn’t spend much time in that area,” Cherry said. “I knew they weren’t ready. It’s all about time management and being in the right place at the right time. When I returned to those areas later in the day without marking fish in deep water, I’d fire some casts shallow and really catch them.”

Although the late winter shallow bite gets better as the day progresses and the sun gets higher, don’t be afraid to hit some shallow areas first thing in the morning. The first hour of daylight can get these fish in some abnormally shallow water.

“In rocky lakes, bass will migrate from nearby deep water throughout the night to feed on shallow rocks,” Cherry said. “Even though the sun isn’t high yet, you can catch the tail-end of a major feeding period if you get to your shallow areas at the very beginning of the day. They’ll back off into deeper water soon after daylight, but you can bust ‘em again once the sun starts beaming.”

Clues to look for


Sun positioning and feeding periods are important to successful shallow fishing in cold water, but there is a particular biological phenomenon that makes it consistent. If you’re not paying close attention, you’ll probably miss it.

“When cold water causes a massive shad kill, I really believe that the majority of shad go toward shallow water to die off,” Cherry said. “It’s extremely important to keep an eye out for occasional flickering or other types of surface disturbance. Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean big bass won’t move shallow to take advantage of an easy meal.”

To detect a possible shad kill, Cherry makes sure to keep his head on a swivel at all times. As he’s working his bait, you’ll see him constantly scan the water’s surface, searching for any irregularities. Bass are very opportunistic predators, so if you find an area with dead or dying shad, big bass are never far behind.

Water temperature and bait selection

As anglers, we all have a tendency to make things more complicated than they should be—that’s what keeps us coming back for more. Throughout the late winter, however, Cherry makes a concerted effort to keep his bait selection and methodology as simple as possible.

“I have very simple guidelines throughout the late winter,” Cherry said. “When the water is in the 46- to 49-degree range, I keep a jerkbait in my hand religiously. When the water temperature gets in the 50-degree range, I tend to gradually stray from the jerkbait in favor of a jig. I’ve tried almost everything and this combination consistently produces.”

When conditions call for a jerkbait, Cherry opts for a Megabass Ito Vision 110+1. He’s not too particular on colors, but prefers a blue-colored back in cold water. To make the most of the bait’s enticing action, he recommends a 7-foot medium-heavy Denali Rosewood with 12-pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon line.

“I use fluorocarbon on everything except my topwater baits,” Cherry said. “I’m a big believer in jerkbait fishing with it during the late winter because all too often the bass just nip at the jerkbait. The low stretch and sensitivity of fluorocarbon lets me detect bites as soon as possible, translating into more fish catches this time of year.”

If the fish aren’t actively chasing a jerkbait, Cherry relies heavily on a 9/16-ounce E.R. Lures Jig on a beefed-up 7-foot, 3-inch extra-heavy Denali Noirwood with 20-pound Seaguar InvizX fluorocarbon.

“Like jerkbait fishing, fluorocarbon line is very important to shallow jig fishing in cold water,” Cherry said. “Cold water tends to make bass a bit line shy, so you need a strong, low-visibility line that can withstand big hooksets.”

Areas to target


Cold water bass can quickly become wise to heavy fishing pressure, so Cherry tries to find areas that are off the beaten path.

“I don’t particularly like fishing obvious things that everyone can see or notice,” Cherry said. “I have a ton of success targeting sandy bends and gradual sandy points. I like to focus on areas with a softer drop to them that allows bass to easily move from deep to shallow water. Again, I can’t stress it enough—the presence of shad is everything in the late winter.”

If he’s got a jig in his hand, it might as well be springtime—Cherry specifically targets ultra-shallow floating docks.  

“The black underbellies of floating docks hold heat in cold water,” Cherry said. “The water underneath them is often a full degree warmer than the surrounding water. It may not seem like that big of a deal but it makes an enormous difference. I’ll flip a 9/16-ounce jig around these docks as shallow as I can possibly get it. It’s a great way to catch some giants.”

As we grit our teeth and push through the last bit of this year’s winter, don’t be intimidated by the cold water temperatures. Resist the urge to fish deep water and give shallow fishing a shot. If you know what to look for, what techniques to use according to water temperature and the proper areas to target, you’ll wish you had tried it sooner.































































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Fishing in the Cold | 5 Tips for Cold Weather Coping

Posted by Terry Brown on Mon, Mar 11, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Greg Hackney layers up in coldweather gear from Stormr


By Terry Brown

Winning against the best anglers in the world is more than simply being able to cast better, find more fish or have the fastest boat. Great anglers employ a solid mental approach to fishing to overcome adverse weather variables and fish more effectively.

Greg Hackney doesn't shy away from fishing in the cold and has a system to take it out of the equation.

“No matter what any of the guys say, cold weather impacts us,” Hackney said. “I don’t care who it is—they’re thinking about it. How you manage it mentally can be the difference between winning and entirely losing focus.”

Never skimp on quality clothing

Buy the best cold weather clothing you can afford and incorporate it in layers. The clothes need to keep you warm, but most importantly, you have to stay dry.  Staying dry both under the clothing and from the outside is important and all of the new breathable fabrics make a huge difference. Knit stocking caps are best for cold weather and he rarely wears a regular cap when fishing in the wintertime. When running between fishing spots, he prefers a neck gaiter over helmets due to the danger of blind spots.

“Helmets take away your peripheral vision and your hearing ability,” Hackney said. “Those are the two most essential senses you have for driving a boat at high speeds, so you’ll never see me use one.”

Gloves are your friend

Although cumbersome, it’s important to learn to fish with gloves on. In addition to keeping your hands warm, gloves also allow for better fish handling as their teeth and slime will stick to most types of gloves. He uses jersey gloves that don’t stretch a lot when they get wet.

“From being an avid deer hunting and fishing throughout the wintertime at home, I’ve gotten used to them,” Hackney said. “I’ve learned to efficiently use both casting and spinning reels with gloves.”

Extra sets of dry gloves are a must-have. After a long day of casting and handling fish, wet gloves can be uncomfortable and also dangerous. If you notice your gloves are wet, change them immediately.


Don’t show any skin

When driving your boat, wind chills decrease exponentially. If you’re fishing in below-freezing temperatures, a 70-mph bass boat ride can quickly lower the temperature to single digits.

“If you think it’s cold just sitting still, a boat ride will make it a lot worse,” Hackney said. “Wear as many layers as you can when moving to different areas and don’t allow any skin to be exposed to the elements.”

Don’t linger

It may be uncomfortable, but don’t be afraid to run to different areas. If you’re not getting bites, add some layers and move to better fishing grounds.

“If you’re putting in the effort to fish in cold weather, you might as well do everything you can to catch ‘em,” Hackney said. “Being cold stinks, but not catching anything in the cold is even worse.”

Duplicate your combos

If you’re in a time sensitive tournament situation, build several rod and reel combinations with your go-to baits. Cold weather and iced-up line guides can have a serious impact, so having spares is critical. Don’t let a frozen or broken rod and reel take you out of the game.

“Tying knots is really tough in cold weather,” Hackney said. “If they’re biting a specific bait, have a couple of them tied on to minimize your downtime and frustration.”

Exceedingly cold weather is very dangerous, especially on the water. If you can’t fight the itch to go fishing, follow Hackney’s guidelines to make the most of your day. If it can wait, don’t press the issue.

“If you don’t have to go fishing on ultra-cold days, don’t do it,” Hackney said. “Stay home and sit by the fire.”














































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7 Reasons to Fish the Early Prespawn for Bass

Posted by Jason Sealock on Wed, Mar 06, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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five bass that weighed 39.81 pounds means early prespawn peak bass fishing is hitting

If you haven't been under a rock, you've probably heard about a bunch of big bass from a bunch of different fisheries being caught right now. This isn't anything new. It's the folks that target early prespawn bass. Every year about the end of February to the first of May there seems to be a huge influx of giant bass and near record or record-breaking catches. The common denominator often presents as nothing more than the first wave of big females make themselves more susceptible to being caught by feeding and moving into more targeted zones.

This migration often has nothing to do with temperatures. It can have as much to do with length of days, sun, wind direction and sometimes even something simple like a warm rain causing warmer shallows.

This past month we've seen a new lake record on Grand Lake, a big 17 1/2-pound monster largemouth out of San Diego from Mike Gilbert, William Davis catching an 11 pounder on Pickwick on one day, only to go back out and catch the same 11-pounder the next day in a tournament. Tim Creighton busted a 12.14-pound largemouth on Guntersville just before the Everstart Series caught a bunch of ridiculous 25-pound plus limits. FLW Tour pro Andy Morgan fun fishing with Frank Flack on Chickamauga boated five that weighed 39.81 with two bass weighing more than 9 pounds. Throw in a 70-pound record striper from Alabama, and if that doesn't convince one of the power of fishing the early prespawn period, nothing will.

Don't wait for the best weather. Many days when it's raining and snowing and cold, the fishing is actually better because of lower pressure. The cloudy cold days can be better than the sunny warm ones. But here are 7 reasons to get out there and fish before it gets really pleasant if you need convincing.

Big fish

It's long been known that big bass often bite on ugly days. The big fish probably develop a comfort level and recognize the lack of predators (namely us) on those wicked days of late winter and early spring. Big bass, generally speaking, seem to move up and feed first.

Better than average weights

If you do get a patterned dialed in, which often can be easier than you think if you hit your favorite lake earlier than the masses, there is great opportunity to catch some awesome weight. Anglers have been posting pictures on Facebook lately of bundled up folks holding four and five bass weighing more than 20 pounds.

Less pressure

I've had some fun days where I felt like I owned the whole lake in the last month or two. No trucks at the ramp. No boats in my favorite creek. And the bass bit often and were a lot bigger than expected. I love getting out there before the crowds. There is a lot of reward to it.

Reachable

What are we really talking about here? The bass don't just magically appear in the prespawn. They were in the lake all winter, they just slid out deeper, a little harder to reach, feeding a lot less frequently. Now they are sliding up shallower and eating daily, fattening up their bellies for the stress of the impending spawn. That puts a lot more big bass within your reach than have been the last few months.

Feeding instincts

They are eating daily, and even though the water is cold, they don't mind chasing. That means they will react, trigger and attack. You'll have a lot more opportunities to set the hook when bass are in these windows of feeding, and the early prespawn can be one of those best times. Sure they feed more in much warmer water, but again we're talking about concentrations of big bass this time of year. Not to mention they don't seem as smart as they seem to get later in the year.

Lots of options

Bass in the prespawn seem susceptible to a lot of different presentations and lures. You can put down the umbrella rigs for good and pick up a crankbait, jerkbait, jig or maybe a single swimbait. The fish are cooperative and borderline dumb at times to these all-too-common presentations frequently thrown in the warmer months.

Allure for new anglers

If you're newly hooked on bass fishing, and catching a big one is what thrills you, then this is the time you need to be fishing. I've been at this for 30 years now, and I still get thrilled every time I set the hook and feel a head shake under the water. I will layer up and put on heavy rain gear and get out there. You might not catch the numbers you catch in warmer months, but eventually you'll hit that day where the number of quality bass will astound you.

To me, the early prespawn is worth a few miserable days of cold, wind and rain along with frozen fingers and runny noses for the chance to have one of those magic bass fishing days.











































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Rapid Rise to Bass Fishing Stardom

Posted by Walker Smith on Mon, Mar 04, 2013 @ 07:00 AM
  
  
  
  
  
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Brandon Palaniuk Fist Pump



25 year old Brandon Palaniuk is making some serious waves in the fishing world

Article and Photos by Walker Smith

If you were to Google “Brandon Palaniuk” a few years ago, you probably wouldn’t have found much. You might have run across some mentions of an up-and-coming Federation Nation angler, but it’s a totally different story these days—more than 46,000 results in a click. With a win and a second-place finish in Elite Series events, two Super 6 Bassmaster Classic appearances and now a second-place finish in the 2013 Classic, the 25-year-old from small town Idaho is drawing regular comparisons to the legends of our sport.

The young man can flat-out fish. We all know that, but what about the man behind the fishing rod? After a rapid rise to bass fishing fame, Palaniuk is taking his success in stride, remaining remarkably humble as he continues to chase his childhood dream.

It’s all in his head

The mental side of bass fishing thrusted Palaniuk into the limelight very early in his career. When he’s sharing water with the best anglers in the world, his mental toughness helps him keep his eye on the prize.

“Once you get to the Elite Series, the mechanics of fishing—the bait placement, presentations and technical skill—is pretty level,” Palaniuk said. “Mental toughness separates good anglers from great anglers, especially in pressured situations. I feel like it’s always been a strong suit of mine because I don’t let many distractions get to me. I make a decision to switch off my day-to-day life for 8 hours and totally focus on catching five bass. That’s all I’m worried about when I’m out there.”

Growing up as a standout wrestler with a tri-state title and two state championships under his belt, he largely attributes his wrestling days to his killer instinct on the water. The competitive nature earns big dividends in the Elite Series.

“I just have an insane drive to win,” Palaniuk said. “I have so much respect for the stars of this sport, and it’d be amazing if I could be as good as they are. As crazy as it sounds though, I want to be better.”

Confidence is key

Upon meeting Palaniuk, you’ll notice a unique blend of humility and confidence stemming from his young energy for the sport. While many anglers would point to their fishing ability as their reason for confidence, he has a much different train of thought.

“I feel like I can beat anyone on any given day, but the beauty of this sport is that anyone can win or get beat in any event,” Palaniuk said. “My confidence just comes from having fun. If I go out there and have a good time competing, I fish loose which allows me to perform better. If you don’t feel like you can win, you’re wasting your time.”

In his short career, he’s already gained a reputation of being a progressive thinker. When he’s preparing for tournaments, Palaniuk increases his confidence by targeting big bass with unconventional techniques.  

“There’s a huge difference between finding ‘check’ fish and ‘winning’ fish,” Palaniuk said. “Anytime I can find areas and techniques off the beaten path like I did at Bull Shoals and Green Bay, my confidence increases. In this year’ s Classic, I found my best spot last February and would catch 3- and 4-pounders every time I stopped there, and I never saw anyone else fishing it. That’s what gave me the confidence I needed to compete for the win.”

Decision making


As we watched Palaniuk weigh in on the final day of the 2013 Classic, his good friend and traveling partner, Ish Monroe leaned over to us and said, “He makes decisions already that guys don't make until they’re 30 or 35. He's going to win a lot. He works hard at it, but he makes even better decisions."

For a young angler to come into the highest level of bass fishing with such a clear head is almost unheard of. We’re used to seeing the young guns gradually progress through a fairly large learning curve, but it seems Palaniuk has been educated since day one.

“I think it all comes from how badly I want it,” Palaniuk said. “I want to be the best. Cashing a check is great, but I want to win every event I fish. Even though I’m young and don’t have the experience that many of the veterans do, I’ve put the large majority of my life into this sport. The more time you put in and the more situations you can put yourself in, the quicker the light bulb goes off. We’ve only got 8 hours each day to prove ourselves.”

Although his decision-making skills have largely benefitted him in the Elite Series, he knows how dangerous contentment is at this level. Palaniuk makes a concerted effort to keep his goals in the forefront of his mind to maintain his hunger for winning.

“I never say ‘I’ve won an Elite event and made 2 Super Six classics—I’ve made it’,” Palaniuk said. “In my mind, I haven’t made it. I’m no different now than I was before I made the Elites. I’ve got a ton of things to learn which drives me even harder.”

Biggest learning curve

Efficiently managing fishing time is essential to performing at the top level, but Palaniuk’s biggest adjustment has been learning how to manage his time off the water.

“This job keeps me busy every single day, which is certainly a blessing,” Palaniuk said. “If I’m not fishing, you can be sure that I’m still working hard whether I’m helping develop products, working with sponsors or making appearances. It’s definitely tough to manage your time between fishing, business, family and friends.”

Strong support system

 



















































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