As the fall to winter transition begins it's time to start thinking about how to catch slow moving, lethargic fish.
Generally, this means slowing down your retrieve but it's important to make sure you're using a rig or lure that works to your advantage in cold water conditions.
Here's our top 3 ways to catch those cold water green backs!
Skirted Jigs
Let's be honest - it's always a good time to fish a jig.
Not to mention, jigs naturally excel in river systems thanks to how well they imitate one of the main food sources for river bass, crawfish.
So, if you're ever in doubt on what type of soft plastic trailer to use consider using one that imitates a crawfish.
Moving on...
When fished properly, a skirted jig in cold water conditions can produce just as good of results as they do in warmer months.
The key is to fish the jig slow.
Just how a bear goes into a dormant, hibernation phase in cold weather the same thing can be said for crawfish.
Crawfish, like many crustaceans, will also enter a dormant phase without moving around as much and even spend the really cold months burrowed in the river bottom.
As an angler this means slowing down your retrieve, performing slow dragging motions in between pauses, and minimizing your hops.
Another benefit to fishing a skirted jig that many anglers overlook is the action made by your lure when its sitting on the bottom.
Thanks to a rivers current, the skirt on your jig will sway when at rest which aids in enticing a bass to bite, so remember to be patient with your retrieve and use that feature to your advantage.
TIP: Some jigs include a really thick weed guard that isn't all that necessary unless fishing really heavy cover. Not to mention, a thick weed guard forces an angler to perform a big hookset and if not done properly could result in missing a fish. Since cold water fishing generally includes a slower retrieve, the chance of you hanging your jig up is much less likely. Consider using your line cutters to trim your weed guard down to half the amount of bristles for better hookups.
Jerkbaits
Whether using a hard-bodied jerkbait or soft plastic jerkbait, these things flat out catch fish in cold water conditions.
Cold water temperatures make it tough on baitfish and as nature runs its course some will die off throughout the colder months.
Before "breathing their last breath" a baitfish will naturally fight for their life in the form of twitches and flutters.
This is what makes jerkbaits such great cold water lures.
As an angler you are trying to imitate the twitching, last-ditch effort of a dying baitfish.
When fishing the colder months of the year this translates to increasing the pause time of your cadence and limiting jerks to 3 or less at a time.
It can seem like forever but having 5 to 10 second pauses in between working your lure is not that uncommon in cold water conditions.
By limiting jerks in your cadence and increasing the length of pauses you give the bass plenty of time to spot your lure and get close enough to warrant a strike.
In most cases, bites are reaction strikes caused by the snappy, erratic movements produced by your lure.
TIP: When fishing hard-bodied jerkbaits, opt for a suspending jerkbait to help keep your lure at its working depth and in the strike zone. When fishing soft plastic jerkbaits, experiment with hook sizes and gauges. A standard, thin wire wide gap hook will have a much slower fall rate whereas a heavy duty wide gap hook will have a faster fall rate allowing you to fish deeper water before the current pulls your lure out of the area you intend to fish.
Secondly, fish your jerkbait naturally by retrieving it in the same direction as either the current or the wind.
When in doubt retrieve your jerkbait with the current but remain cognizant of what the wind is doing.
If you have enough wind to blow small ripples across the surface use it to your advantage by throwing into the wind and working your lure back to you.
Three takeaways: Less jerks in your cadence, longer than normal pauses in your cadence, and keep things natural by letting the direction of the wind and current determine your casting/retrieval path.
Dropshot Worms
Despite what the cashier at your local "live bait" convenience store may tell you, worms don't play a huge role in a largemouth's diet.
Yet for some reason we as anglers use worm imitations year-round to catch bass.
It's still a modern mystery but long story short, plastic worms catch bass!
When the water starts getting cold get yourself a finesse worm and fish it on a dropshot rig for more bites.
One of the many great perks of fishing a dropshot is that it stays in the strike zone for as long as you want it to - something that is crucial when targeting picky, cold water bass.
The key when fishing it is to work your lure on a little bit of slack line.
By doing so, you allow the weight at the end of the rig to remain in place on the bottom while still being able to put action on your worm.
Always try and go as light as possible when choosing your weight to avoid snags and consider fishing this rig in places of low current.
When tying on, don't be afraid to play around with the distance between your weight and lure and figure out what the fish want.
Common distances between a dropshot weight and lure are anything from just a few inches to upwards of two and three feet.
This small detail of lure position will sometimes allow you to effectively fish different parts of the water column depending on the depth of your fishery.
So now, instead of just targeting fish that are suspended or fish that are dwelling on the bottom, a dropshot worm can cover nearly both of these pieces of the water column at the same time.
Popular finesse worm choices are Zoom Trick Worms or Roboworms and most anglers prefer fishing a dropshot on spinning setups paired with light, fluorocarbon line (8-10 pound test).
Time to go catch em'!
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