Land of Giants New Year Revelations
THE NEW YEAR’S beginning brings big opportunities to tug on a big fish. It’s often the coldest time of the calendar, but the right tactics can unlock the hot bite. Check out what these Bassmaster Elite Series anglers have to say about engaging late-winter whoppers.
Hunter Shryock — Southern Grass Lake
Knowing that many of the fish live shallow, Shryock will identify major spawning flats and then dial in the sweetest-looking hydrilla mats where staging prespawners have likely positioned. Holding heat and providing ample feeding opportunities for bulging bass, these mats provide the ideal waiting room.
“In the wintertime, this is a huge deal, especially for those big prespawn fish,” Shryock said. “They like to get under those mats where the sun bakes on that vegetation and they can sit there and let their eggs develop.”
“When I start looking for mats, one of the first things I look for is how long the mat has been there. There are mats that generally blow around the lake — especially hyacinth mats — and you want mats that you feel have been there for a while. Maybe there’s hydrilla with a hyacinth
