Deal with Winter Fishing, Skeet Style
Auburn , Calif. – Being a professional angler means that your living requires being able to catch fish in every kind of imaginable condition. There are days when everything happens exactly as it would in a dream. But, when you fish for a living, you don't get to pick when you fish, and not everyday is a slightly overcast spring day with a warm breeze blowing across 65 degree water.
One of the toughest times for many anglers to find and catch bass is the winter months. When under layers, hand warmers and Gore Tex rank equal in importance to hooks and sinkers, the fishing might be tough.
2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion Skeet Reese knows that icy air temperatures and cold water can mean long days with few bites for the average angler. He offers a few tips from his own experience to help anglers everywhere find a way to cope with cold weather bassing; Skeet Style.
“For many anglers who come from the east, tailspinners and blade baits are the baits of choice in the winter,” Reese reported. “For me, I like to think about my own fishing strengths, and find a way to utilize those in adapting to tough winter conditions.”
Born and raised in the California , Reese is one of the sport's most versatile anglers. “We have to deal with a wide variety of conditions out west, and it made me have to find different ways to catch fish in wintertime,” said Reese. “I've always been a power fisherman, so I try to find conditions where I can be a little active.”
Reese likes to start with a jerkbait, and depending upon what type of lake he is fishing, he'll choose one of three baits. “My favorite of late has been Lucky Craft's Slim Shad D9, it has a great shad bodied profile, and really digs deep into the water column,” said Reese. “If I can't get them on the Slim Shad, I'll choose a Staysee 90 or a Pointer 100.”
What he looks for is clear water with a little wind blowing across it, and if he finds points or bluffs with bass suspended in 15 to 30 feet of water; it's time for the jerkbait. “Suspended bass will come up to take a jerkbait that is suspending above them, but it has to sit there for a while,” he said. ”I still use a jerk and pause retrieve, but I pause longer, depending on how cold the water is, if it's really cold, I may pause the bait for 30 seconds to a minute.”
Reese ties his jerkbaits to 10-pound-test Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon line, because it promotes better feel, and the density of the line helps the bait run deeper. His rod of choice is his Wright & McGill Co. S-Glass crankbait rod paired with his SKT Revo with a 6.4:1 retrieve. “I'm old school, and really love glass rods for throwing jerkbaits,” he said. “It allows the fish to take the bait deeper, which is important in cold water.”
If the jerkbait is not working, Reese turns to what he says would be his first choice for overall winter fishing; a jig. “If I had to choose one bait, it would be a ½-ounce brown, or brown and black football jig,” he said. “If the bass want a trailer with some action, I would go with a three-inch Berkley Powerbait Chigger craw or a Berkley Power Chunk if they want a more subtle action.” His color choice would be green pumpkin, followed by black.
Armed again with his SKT Revo and 12 to 15-pound test Berkley 100% Fluorocarbon, Reese would toss his jig on his signature Wright & McGill jig and worm rod. “The important thing in winter is to scrape the jig on the bottom, not to lift it,” he said. “Make that bait touch every little bottom feature and fish will respond best to it.”
If the jig bite is not working, Reese will pick up his signature 6'11” Wright & McGill Shaky Head / Senko rod and Abu Garcia Cardinal spinning reel with 8-pound-test 100% Fluorocarbon and a shaky head, or darter head with a six-inch Berkley Hand Pour worm.
“This is really my fall back game plan if the jerkbait and jig don't produce,” he said. “But, sometimes you have to scale down in the winter to get bites, and this would be my first choice.” He said it is important to use a bottom hugging retrieve, similar to the jig.
“It may take a while to locate schools of fish in the winter, but remember to pay attention to the bait, and you will eventually run across them,” he said in closing. “Dress warm, stay with these techniques, keep it simple, and wintertime fishing can be productive too.”
