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When our Northwest water temperatures dip below 50 degrees, we have well and truly entered Winter’s chilling grip, and Largemouth fishing presents two major problems: Coldblooded, lethargic fish that are slow to respond to any presentation, and cold, shivering fishermen who would rather stay extra active to keep warm! What a combination! Just when you feel an urgent need to move around a lot and keep up speedy casts and fast reeling in order to stay warm…..you have to slow way, way down if you want to catch a big Bass.

It’s not that the fish do not want to eat at all. They do, but just not as much or as often as in warmer, more active seasons. And the ‘Strike Zone’? Well, it is pretty much right in front of their noses, even when they are in what passes for an ‘active’ mode in Winter. Even with the urge to eat, or to strike at an irritating, intruding bait, the Bass just can not muster the energy or speed to move very far or very fast. When hooked, most cold water fish are logy and put up a slow-motion fight. But a big fish can still give you a satisfying, worthwhile battle!

The one common denominator of all big Bass is still in effect even in chilly water: They want to use their well-developed, efficient ambush skills to get an easy meal with the least amount of effort on their part, and with the least amount of exposure to possible predators. Experiencing success in these areas is how they have grown so large and stayed alive so long.

While I will discuss warm weather ‘Thermoclines’ later in 2010, the truth is that in our local lakes and streams, Largemouth location will be determined by water temperatures and depths near available food and cover. Cover becomes more scarce in Winter. The lily pads, underwater weeds, cattails, bulrushes, floating weed mats and leafy, overhanging trees and brush of Summer are mostly all gone. Now Bass are reduced to finding hiding places such as leaner logs extending from shore down into the depths, underwater wood such as submerged limbs or stumps, rocks, ledges, deep steep banks and areas in or near underwater creek channels.

Some fish will simply seek the confidence of a lot of deep water over their heads in any area where baitfish are still available. The fish can also take refuge near man-made structures such as bridges, pilings, culverts or shoreline riprap that runs steeply down to sufficient depths. Winter can provide a slight advantage then: Bass are often concentrated in these premium areas during cold months.

Each body of water is unique, but it will possess at least a few of these necessary features that are worth fishing. One Southwest Washington lake has a creek and well defined creek channel proceeding through the lake and down to a dam. The dam area offers steep banks and evergreen trees that still cast shade. Even shore-bound anglers can offer vertical presentations of small plastic worms, leeches, grubs or tubes fished conventionally or on a drop-shot rig here. Drop-shotting might work best, with a heavier-than-normal weight at the bottom that is kept in one place after the cast, while the soft plastic bait above the weight is repeatedly shaken or twitched at intervals. Large, slow-fluttering metal spoons might also tempt a fish, as can a lipless crankbait that is allowed to ‘sit and hop’ slowly on or near the bottom. A very slow-moving ½ or ¾ ounce jig and pork frog would also be a good choice. Keeping good contact and ‘feel’ with the bait are extremely imporant. The fish are not going to ‘freight train’ your bait, rocket to the surface and jump cartwheels. They will ‘tick’ or move the line slightly, and a prompt hookset is vital.

At the other end of the lake, the creek is a fairly wide, deep trench entering the lake, with a nearby submerged stump flat making up most of one side of the upper end of the lake. The channel and nearby areas will hold winter fish, and even fish that are not feeding can be susceptible to swatting at a deep-diving, lipped crankbait slowly rooting along through their domain. Start with big baits, then downsize if necessary. Firetiger or Citrus are both good colors for this duty, though chrome and black baitfish imitations might work too.

Middle reaches of the aforementioned lake also offer points and a few rocky or extended riprap areas. There are also some areas with car-sized underwater boulders.

The points will be among my first target areas, simply because I know that points reliably attract Bass year round. The fish only need to travel short distances to find the temperature, depth and feed they like. It may take some zig-zagging runs while watching my electronics, but eventually I’ll find the depth where most fish activity is located along the point. Then I can mount my campaign to fool a big, coldwater trophy. Often, a big, slow-moving spinnerbait will be my first ‘search bait.’ Like most lakes, there is a very deep area near a point. This is a good place to look for fish, then go vertical with spoons or drop-shot rigs.

Wherever you fish, on whatever body of water, one good rule of thumb to remember can be found in the advice of seasoned pros: “There will always be a few fish shallow, even in Winter.” Shallow may be a relative term in frigid water, but I would not neglect a few well-thought-out, probing casts into some likely, shallower areas!

As always, remember that a few days of warmer weather and sun on the water can produce enough of a temperature change to lure Bass into shallower areas. Be careful how you approach, don’t spook them, and go get them! I have caught good big Bass in these cold water months, and I know you can too. Remember to dress warm, be prepared for nasty weather, and if you feel yourself beginning to get numb or starting to move clumsily, time to head immediately for hearth and home. The fish will wait until next time!

See you in January, when we’ll talk a little about rods and reels.

Beginning this month any angler that wants to earn some extra cash can do so just by fishing. BPA has a bounty on northern pike minnow to help get these fish out of the river. These fish are trash fish and are known for a pretty big appetite on salmon smolt. The season will end September 27, 2009. For every qualifying northern pike minnow 9 inches or longer returned to a registration station, anglers will receive $4-$8. The more fish an angler catches, the more they’re worth: the first 100 in one season are worth $4 each; after 100, they’re worth $5 each; and after 400 they’re worth $8 each. Special tagged northern pike minnow will be worth $500 again this year. This can add up to large amounts of extra cash depending on how much time you put in

You can catch northern pike minnow almost anywhere on the Columbia River. Northern pike minnow congregate in rocky areas with fast current near dams, islands, stream mouths, points, eddies, rows of pilings, and ledges or bars in the river. Most fish are caught in 7 to 25 feet of water. Northern pike minnow feed heavily on smolts, freshwater clams, and crayfish. They move to find concentrations of prey. Finding northern pike minnow may not be easy. Don’t spend all your time in just one spot. If you’re not doing any good after about 30 minutes move upstream or downstream until you find fish.

Worms are the most common northern pike minnow bait. Chicken liver is the next most popular bait. Make sure it is fresh and keep it cold to prevent it from getting too soft to stay on the hook. Salmon eggs, grasshoppers, crayfish tails, and shrimp are also popular. Fish these baits similar as you would salmon or steelhead fishing. Casting upstream slightly and let your bait drift along the bottom with the current.

Bait isn’t the only way to catch these fish you may also use soft plastics. Use grubs or worms (3 to 6 inches long), tube jugs (3 to 4 inches long), or shad type bodies (1 1/2 to 4 inches long). One-eighth or one-quarter ounce jig-heads are the most commonly used. The basic technique for fishing grubs is to drift-fish. Cast slightly upstream, straight out, or slightly downstream, depending on the amount of current. Count down to the proper depth (one-one thousand, two-one thousand…), then start reeling. You are at the proper depth if your lure occasionally lightly ticks on the rocks. In the evening northern pikeminnow are most consistently attracted to grubs with purple bodies and either blue or green glitter. These colors are also available with chartreuse tails, which often work well. Try purple grubs with blue or green glitter first. Red is the last basic glitter color to try for evening fishing. For daytime fishing, try light colored bodies like chartreuse or smoke. Experiments with glitter colors, fish don’t always follow the same pattern. Light colors or white usually better in the evening and dark colors usually work during the day. Experiment with colors to find what works best and make some money while you’re out there.

For more info check out

THE OFFICIAL PIKEMINNOW SPORT REWARD FISHING WEBSITE

As the days grow longer and the water begins to warm up past 45 degrees, Largemouth Bass are moving up out of their Winter haunts and beginning to look for spawning areas.  This is great news for all of us who like to catch these beautiful, powerful, challenging fish.

Under the proper conditions, some of your greatest successes of the year can come during the Spring. It’s good to bear in mind that as the bigger, smarter fish make their first moves into shallower water and brighter light, they can be very spooky.  Remember not to throw your shadow over them, get your boat too close or make too much noise from the boat or from land. Just a bang from a paddle or a tackle box, or a few rocks clinked together by a misplaced boot, and Mr. Bigmouth will squirt away. These fish have grown to their large size by being cautious.  Stealth is the word! With the powerful, unpredictable influence of marine weather from the Pacific Ocean and/or possible flows of cold Canadian air masses down into our region, planning Spring fishing trips can be challenging.  The ideal condition would be an early, sustained warming trend, a full moon for lake or river fishermen, and high Spring tides for devoted river fishermen.  Watch for warm rains, which will warm up lakes and even the river much faster than warm air temperatures.  I like to remember that fish are not afraid of rain, and neither should I be.  I have caught several very big Bass during warmer, rainy Spring weather. But what we in the Pacific Northwest often get is prolonged chilly spells, with cold rain, snow or hail falling into our water. This time of year it’s best to find areas of shallower water adjacent to deep water. The skinny water warms quicker, and when it begins to climb through 45 degrees and above, fish will seek out that water. These fish are in pre-spawn mode. When the water temperature is between 55 and 65 degrees, Bass get serious about spawning. Whether in the backwaters of the Columbia or in lakes, pre-spawn fish will be cruising the shallows, sometimes even ‘setting up’ or remaining in a certain area. Contrary to some reports, a cold front will not necessarily drive these fish back out into deeper water. They often will actually push deeper into cover when this happens. Pre-spawn bass can be found cruising in flooded shoreline brush, or hanging in areas of outside structure – near future spawning sites – such as rocks, rockpiles, underwater humps, stumps, logs or points {Actual spawning flats will be approximately 10 feet out from shore and in stable depths of anywhere from a foot or so to 6 feet, with bigger fish nesting deeper}.  There are several baits that work best for pre-spawn fish. A jig-and-pig or jig-and-grub fished slowly in heavier cover can be very effective. Try a slow, steady retrieve, feeling for a ‘mushy’ slow-down, or a light ‘tick’ as the fish bites. Also try a slow, reel, hop, reel approach, using very gentle twitches of the rod tip to impart a little extra motion to the jig. This bait and these retrieves can also be effective in more open areas right near the heavier cover. Try both. But retrieve s-l-o-w-l-y!  I like to use a little attractant, such as crawdad scent, on my jigs. At this time of year a 1/2 ounce jig in dark brown, dark green or black is a good choice. If the water is not clear, a rattling jig might help. One of my favorites for warmer, pre-spawn water is floating stick-baits such as Rapalas in Rainbow Trout pattern. I don’t do much swimming of the bait, instead I prefer to just toss it into an open area in flooded brush, or near a log or stump, let it sit, then twitch it.  Often the fish will hit before any motion is given to the lure.  If a still bait or twitching do not work, try four or five fast turns on the reel handle, then ease up. This causes the bait to make a shallow dive as if escaping, then pause and begin to rise. Often the Bass will hit just at the slowdown. This same tactic, perhaps with a quicker retrieve, also works well on spawning fish. I am also not shy about using larger baits, 5 1/2 inches or longer. Jointed versions will work well too. Another excellent pre-spawn bait is a 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce twin-blade spinnerbait. A black, white or white and chartreuse skirt works well. I like a small Colorado blade in front and a large willowleaf blade in back. I usually use a grub trailer with the tail pointed down.  Even with a grub trailer on, it is often wise to put an additional or ‘trailer hook’ on behind the spinnerbait’s hook. Cut off a small piece of surgical tubing, put it over the eye of the trailer hook, then punch the spinnerbait hook point through the tubing and eye of the trailer hook, keeping the trailer hook oriented in the same ‘up’ position as the spinnerbait hook.  Soft-biting or ‘short-striking’ Spring Bass will often hang up on the trailer hook, when they would have missed the main hook.  ‘Slow-roll’ a spinnerbait by keeping it in relatively constant contact with the bottom, bumping and banging its way over the cover. It will act somewhat like a jig, only with additional flash from the blades. Try a big crankbait as well. Chrome, baitfish, firetiger, citrus or crawdad colors are good. A stop-and-go retrieve might be just what it takes to make the fish hit.  Try flat-sided as well as the beefier models. Some folks also crawl  or slow-roll a lipless crankbait on the bottom and convince fish to strike. This can be a Winter tactic as well. Try a suspending stickbait. It can be deadly on early pre-spawn fish.  Reel it down and ‘park’ it in a good mid-depth area. Then give it a short ‘rip’ with a moderate lateral sweep of the rod tip. Repeat this process and be ready for the take.  This also works well for Smallmouth Bass. If you sense that your offerings are just a little too much for the wary pre-spawn fish you’re after, don’t neglect the lowly tube bait.  Its non-threatening, do-nothing presentation might just convince a wary fish to go for a quick meal. An eighth ounce or possibly heavier tube jig head in a motor oil and red flake, or possibly watermelon and black flake tube can be good offerings. Retrieve it slowly near the bottom and stay alert for ‘taps’. On the other hand, if you feel confident that the water is warming well, you can throw topwater buzzbaits out on the edges of cover. Agressive pre-spawn Bass will kayo a buzzbait at times, but it would probably be my last choice unless I was sure the water was well on it’s way toward spawning temperatures.

As in Bass fishing at any time of year, pay attention to depth, structure, cover and local land features when you catch a fish.  Look for similar areas as you move from place to place.  And try to stick to warmer water, if you can find it! Try to get out fishing as often as you can this season.  Conditions change – Improve! – quickly in Spring Bass fishing.  You want to be there when that magical time happens!