Concentrating on Wooden for Wintertime Bass

Image the scene: It’s a chilly winter day. The forecasted excessive is 38 levels. The solar is shining brightly with not a cloud within the sky.
For many bass anglers, these are components that face them weekly as we see chilly fronts blow by from the northwest. Whereas it might be customary process for anglers to focus on deep water when water temperatures are chilly, Chris Basey mentioned one other different for locating the fish is to focus on shallow water. Basey is a event angler and runs a neighborhood bass event. This forces him to fish year-round due to the schedule. This implies fishing for bass through the mid-winter months. “I prefer to search for wooden construction alongside the financial institution that the solar has been shining on for just a few hours,” Basey mentioned. It’s because the objects that the solar has been shining on conduct warmth down into the water the place they’re anchored. Bulkheads, pylons, and fallen tree trunks are all choices for congregating colleges of baitfish that appeal to bass.On a latest fishing journey on the East Pearl River in Mississippi, Basey entered a small canal that pointed north. The solar was raised above the japanese shoreline casting a shadow alongside the japanese financial institution. The western shoreline nonetheless was illuminated by the brilliant sunshine.
Basey noticed a bulkhead that spanned a piece of the western shoreline. It was 10:30 within the morning so the solar had been shining on the bulkhead for over 3 hours.”

​As Basey approached, he seen his electronics lighting up with colleges of baitfish. The shaded japanese financial institution was void of baitfish. “It was wonderful to see the distinction within the quantity of baitfish that had been huddled alongside the bulkhead versus the shady japanese shoreline. I noticed that and I knew that title of the sport right this moment was going to be focusing on sunny bulkheads,” he mentioned.

Basey was throwing a Strike King KVD Sq. Invoice 1.0 Crankbait horizontally to the construction and began catching fish that had been hanging on the surface of the baitfish. “These bulkheads profit the bass in two methods. First, it attracts the baitfish due to the hotter water it creates. ​

​Secondly, it serves as a backstop for the bass to ambush from the alternative aspect in order that the shad can’t swim away from them,” Basey mentioned. Along with picket buildings, Basey mentioned there are different options to search for when the water temperatures are chilly. Lily pads, rocks, and oyster shells alongside the financial institution can even take in the daylight and switch warmth into the water that’s in touch with them.

Keith Lusher

Keith Lusher is an award successful outside journalist that resides in Covington, Louisiana. He owns and operates NorthshoreFishingReport.com and writes a weekly outside column for the Slidell Impartial Newspaper. He additionally writes for the St.Tammany Parish Tourism Fee’s LouisianaNorthshore.com and Louisiana Northshore Discover Journal. He’s the previous host of The Northshore Fishing Report Radio Present and is on the board of the Louisiana Outside Writers Affiliation. Keith contributes to quite a few publications each on-line and in print and prides himself on selling South Louisiana’s distinctive fishery.