Vertical Winter Fishing on Guntersville

Vertical Winter Fishing on Lake Guntersville

I believe we are finally seeing the tough wintertime bite; yes; it’s here and we will be taking on this cold winter bite for a month or so, but we must adjust There are certain keys to fishing the cold of winter, understanding the key elements and how they affect what the fish are doing seem to be key!

When the nights get cold and the bass move by suspending over the deeper water you must adjust, the fish suspend on the coldest of the winter days, when this happens versatility as an angler is key. There are certain elements that you have to be aware of to overcome the lethargic feeding patterns during this time. One particularly important key is the position the bass are in and the only way to see it is to scan the bottom with your Lowrance Structure scan or forward-facing sonar. In doing this there are two kinds of suspending fish, those that positioned under the bait fish and those that are not.

When you see them positioned under the bait, you have found what I believe are catchable fish, this is when vertical presentations become a killer presentation. The good news is that there are many ways to fish vertically; the first one I like is a big jigging spoon; something in the 4 to 5 inches with a weight of at least an ounce. I also like to take a ¾ oz. jig with a small paddling trailer like the D-Bomb and get it to drop under the bait fish. A Little George jigging bait is ideal as it matches the bait in size and allows you to jig it in front of their face. Many times, just leaving the jig on the bottom to spider out from the current will catch a fish. Even though I am not a strong enthusiast of finesse fishing, a drop shot rigged with small finesse worms, gobies, leeches, or Sinko’s are killers for the drop shot enthusiast. Forward facing sonar can put you right on top of schools of fish and allow you to target them with confidence.

The elements are always key to catching fish and understanding them by making yourself aware of the elements and can lead you to a very productive day on the water; combine your awareness with good vertical techniques catching fish!