Reflecting on winter’s bounty

Let’s be honest, during the winter it is a chore to go fishing. It is cold, sometimes downright unpleasant, and the fish are notoriously difficult to catch. Everything slows down, and most of us go into semi-hibernation.
But, it is not impossible to catch bass during the winter, especially in Southern Africa where our winters are relatively mild. Even in countries like America, where whole lakes freeze over, ice-fishermen manage to hook a bass occasionally.
Most people are under the impression that the spawning season, at the onset of spring, is the best time to catch trophy bass. To a degree that is true, because this is the time when most of the large females will move out of deep water and into shallower water, where it is easier to fish for them.
What most people do not realise though, is that winter fishing can produce monster bass too. This winter I have seen several photos of huge bass caught in our waters, caught at a time when most of us were sitting warming our toes in front of the fire.

Match the hatch
Bass do not stop eating during winter just because it is cold. Yes, their metabolism has slowed but they still need to eat! They will not feed as often as they do in summer, and they will not waste energy chasing down small fry. Trophy bass will select prey that can be caught with the least amount of energy, but supply the most amount of nutrition in one feeding.
During the winter bait fish make up the majority of bass food, simply because they are still abundant and available whilst most crustaceans or invertebrates have dug themselves into the mud, or under rocks to wait out the winter months.
Find the bait and you will find the bass. This is the time of year when your electronics prove their worth. Look for schools of bait fish in areas that may hold winter bass - deep water with bass attracting structure and abundant cover.

End-of-winter tactics
It is almost spring, and just about time for bass to start making the migration into shallower water. Now is the time to catch those Big Mommas as they slowly become more active, in preparation for the impending spawn. They will not turn down an easy meal, presented right in their face, at a time like this.
Find the bait, find the structure and find the cover. Select a lure that can be worked slowly and methodically in the area without hanging up, be patient, and work the cover from top to bottom.
In areas where you have found lots of bait fish, use suspending swim baits, swimming jigs in colours resembling the main source of food, Texas-rigged plastics (especially fluke-style baits), drop-shot rig with fluke-style baits and split-shot rigged plastics.
Use anything that resembles a bait fish, or can be fished with an action imitating wounded bait fish. Just remember - you have to be able to fish it slow.
A lethargic bass will not chase a fast-moving lure down when the water is still cold.