As always, patience, presentation and how you drag that spinner or soft lure through the water makes all the difference in the world, especially during the cold months. That?s not to say a balsa or plastic lure wouldn?t work, it?s just that chances are most bass won?t expend the energy to chase after a small lure or come to the surface to strike. That?s all I?m sayin?. Go bigger and you might have more strikes. All kidding aside, spinners and soft lures work better slow-rolled. As I have mentioned before in earlier articles, when the temperature drops, ?slow your roll?. Fish are cold blooded and their metabolism slows, therefore their movements slow also. And since the food chain selection diminishes during the cold season, it?s not too hard to figure out what to throw, something big, slow and jiggley. However, very small cranks, ?popped? and slow rolled, have a tendency to work during warmer and clearer conditions. Some anglers use 10 -12 inch soft lures during winter.

Some swear on adding pork trailers to your jigs. I feel that combing jigs and softies that usually work in your particular area in summer work well. For instance, here in Indiana, I find that the ? ounce Chartreuse spinner by itself is a great summertime lure and the 4 inch red curly tail worm from Berkley Gulp is a summer secret weapon. Combine the two and you have a nice ?fat? combination of two proven lures.

You ?jig and pig? that beast around a timber pile and you might just be surprised with the outcome. Just in case you?re not familiar with adding soft lures to jigs, here?s a short lesson. Run the hook of your favorite jig through the nose and into the body of your favorite soft lure. When the nose reaches the straight part of the hook, let the point protrude through the side and then slide it up to the head or the skirt and your done.

One thing I?ve realized during my short time in this world is (and not to dwell on the bass species) largemouth can be as different as humans. Meaning, most fish in general like different types of prey, bass especially won?t always go after the same thing every time. The problem is that they like a wide variety of prey.

It has been said that largemouth bass remember lures that they?ve been caught on and won?t strike them again. I have seen this first hand. One summer I was fishing Retriever Pond in Glenview FWA here in southern Indiana, I hooked a 9 - 10 inch largemouth on a ? ounce Chartreuse spinner near the middle of the lake, after de-hooking and re-acclimating the fish, it stayed right in front of me in the feeder channel I released it into. So I decided to test the theory.

I tossed the spinner into the water where the feeder entered the lake, as not too spook the fish. I cranked it up-stream, if you will, with the speed I normally would in the summer. Low and behold, the fish charged the spinner at about three feet. However, just before striking, (about two or three inches away) the fish turned and swam back into the lake. Talk about results in experimentation.

Try combing your favorite lures until you come up with something you might think a Largemouth hasn?t seen. Maybe add a skirt to a worm, or a plastic grub to a spinner. ?The bigger the meal, the bigger the appeal.?

So since (during cold weather) bass won?t expend the energy to chase something not worth chasing and chances of catching a fish to begin with are low, why not do more sight fishing while you?re out? I?m not saying not to fish, however when you just can?t seem to get a fish to bite and if you plan to fish that same area during the warmer seasons, take some time to really get to know your spot.

Since everything is dead and the water is generally clearer, you get a chance to see more of the area around the dock or the bottom of the lake in the places that are usually deeper during spring and summer. Sometimes you get a really good look at the contour of the area you haven?t had a chance to fish yet. Also, chances of finding sunken structures such as roads, culverts and dog-houses also increase. Sometimes, even in the dead of winter, all methods of catching fish can work. On that note, as I always say, don?t be afraid to try everything in your arsenal. Sometimes a lipless crank will work as opposed to a big jiggley lure and visa versa.

Also, a nice big creek you can cast to the opposite side and drag that brand new kitchen sink across to your side works well in warmer weather. Just kiddin?, but you get the jist.

And while we?re on the subject of winter fishing, don?t forget to dress for the occasion. Hypothermia is real and it can be deadly, so don?t forget to dress in layers and wear a hat, even a baseball cap holds in a surprising amount of heat. Obviously a warmer hat is necessary for colder days.

Some people out there think that Indiana isn?t a cold weather state, which is hogwash to put it nicely. We ?Hoosiers? know what cold weather is and how to deal with it. When I was in the Army, we were taught certain aspects of keeping warm in cold weather conditions. Here?s a little saying that our drill sergeant used to say;

Clean, Open, Layers of Dry clothing keeps you warm. Isn?t that cute?

What this obviously means is stay clean and dry and dress in loose layers of clothing. The standard four is what you?re looking for. Light and close nit.

The type of food you consume is also important. Carbs and sugars are the best. That doesn?t mean a six-pack of beer, alcohol can seem to warm you however, that is a myth and can lead to hypothermia almost as fast as falling into the water. A couple of sandwiches, maybe a brownie or two and don?t forget to bring along a thermos of something nice and hot. It?s also a good idea to read up on how to deal with hypothermia victims just in case you or your fishing buddy begins to show signs of the condition.

So, don?t let the cold month?s weather getcha down. Sometimes you have to try everything until you find what works and then you have to start all over the next time you go out. Remember, dress warm and as always, keep happy thoughts and good fishin? to ya.

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