Be Selective For Winter Slobs
WEATHER PARTICULARS CAN be tricky, but knowing when and where the whoppers do their dining provides a road map to success. We asked a handful of Bassmaster Elite Series anglers to share their best advice for finding a thrill in the chill. Here’s what they said.
Chad Pipkens — Ozark Lake
Unless his fishery’s experiencing a warming trend, which brings the fish up, Pipkens puts his faith in a three-hook, 110-size jerkbait or a deeper diver to tempt early prespawners. The ones on the leading edge of the seasonal transition want to gradually ease into places where they can find an easy mouthful, and his strategy plays right into their plan.
“I feel like those bigger fish, when they first start to move up, they suspend a lot,” Pipkens said. “In lakes that have timber, there’s going to be a timberline they’ll suspend around. Or it may be brushpiles or flat points.
“They really want to get that warmth, so the sun and the weather will really dictate how shallow they’ll be or how active they’ll be.
“If they’re in the tops of trees or brush 4 to 8 feet below [the] surface, I’ll throw the regular jerkbait. But if those fish are down in 10 to 14 feet, I’ll throw the longer-bill model.”
Pipkens fishes his jerkbait on a 6-10 medium rod
