Story by Todd Goade | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
As the water cools off even further from the fall into winter, this is one of my favorite times of the year to fish. The lakes usually do not have a lot of pressure on them, so you basically have the whole lake to yourself. Where I live in east Tennessee, the TVA draws the lakes down to winter pool to allow for the spring rains, and the lakes can be as low as 40 feet below summer pool levels. This sets these lakes up for bass to position themselves in predictable areas.
Here are a few things I do in the winter that have been successful for me over the years.
(1) Main lake points — close to deep water — and 50-100 yards around the sides of each point: I like to throw a crankbait that run 5-10 feet deep, a jig, and a small swimbait. These lures allow me to hit the correct angles of the point and the sides and to be efficient in doing so.
(2) Bluffs and bluff ends: East Tennessee has a lot of bluffs, and they can be good! I like to idle the bluff and use my Lowrance Side Scan to locate shallower parts that we call “slides.” They’re usually 30-50 yards long and can be 10-20 foot deep, which makes them an irregular feature and a great place to hold winter bass. I like to fish a jig on such places or an umbrella rig or crankbait that runs 10-12 feet deep.
A lot of bluffs taper off at the end and the bank may transition from bluff to pea gravel, Here I’ll throw a crankbait, an umbrella rig, or a jerkbait.
(3) Flats – Flats are overlooked in the winter because people think they’re too shallow. That’s not always true. Even with water temperatures in the 40s, bass will relate to these areas. One of the key factors of a flat being productive is the presence of bait. My main lure choice here is a lipless crankbait. It darts and deflects off the shallow cover making it a great choice for this type of area. Some of the biggest fish I’ve caught in the winter have been in 2-4 feet of water on flats.
I have two other key points I want to make. First, dress warm. Second, stay after it! Most of the time in the winter the fish bite better in the afternoon, so stay persistent and keep throwing at ‘em!
Try these tips and areas in the winter and I’m sure you’ll put a few more fish in the boat!
Todd Goade – Angler Profile
