Morgan Shutte
January can render some pretty hot fishing action despite the chilly temperatures. First off, most of the crowds are either sitting in a deer stand or down in a duck blind. This leaves most of the fishing waters untouched. However, it is important that you still respect the other sportsman that may be hunting in your favorite bass hole.
But we're not here to talk about hunting! By January, the bass have fully commited to their winter patterns as long as we haven't endured high temperatures for an extended period of time. From my expereince on the water during this month, I find that deeper canals off of the main rivers seem to produce the best results. Deep water is considered roughly seven to ten feet. The best types of cover to look for in these canals are trees, stumps, and rocks-- if you can find them! These types of cover retain heat from the sun, and that's where you will find the bass. Most early mornings and late evenings I spend my time focusing on the deeper areas, and save the more shallow spots for the middle of the day. This gives the water time to warm up on the banks where the fish will eventually find their way.
Some of my most productive techniques in January are slow rolling small spinner baits, flipping plastics & jigs, and bumping a small bandit crank bait through trees and rock piles. Chartreuse and white is my spinnerbait color choice in dirty or stained water, and I switch to all white in clear water. My plastics and jig colors are usually darker in the dirty water, such as black and blue, or junebug. The darker color silhouettes much better in the dirty water, making it easier for the fish to see. In clear water I choose a more natural color like watermelon red or green pumpkin. My choice in color of crankbaits depends on water color also but more so the dominate foreage that the bass are feeding on in that area. I usually have a couple tied on. One in a perch or bluegill pattern and the other in a shad or shiner.
The Pearl River has endless amounts of cover throughout its many miles of sloughs and marsh. The lower marsh can also produce some nice, unexpected red fish or speckeld trout. So if you've been thinking about fishing the Pearl River system, you need to do so this January! par It is thriving and can produce some amazing fishing days and memories that will last a lifetime. Lastly, the most important thing to remember is to fish sloooooow. Force yourself to slow down and I bet the results will suprise you!
But we're not here to talk about hunting! By January, the bass have fully commited to their winter patterns as long as we haven't endured high temperatures for an extended period of time. From my expereince on the water during this month, I find that deeper canals off of the main rivers seem to produce the best results. Deep water is considered roughly seven to ten feet. The best types of cover to look for in these canals are trees, stumps, and rocks-- if you can find them! These types of cover retain heat from the sun, and that's where you will find the bass. Most early mornings and late evenings I spend my time focusing on the deeper areas, and save the more shallow spots for the middle of the day. This gives the water time to warm up on the banks where the fish will eventually find their way.
Some of my most productive techniques in January are slow rolling small spinner baits, flipping plastics & jigs, and bumping a small bandit crank bait through trees and rock piles. Chartreuse and white is my spinnerbait color choice in dirty or stained water, and I switch to all white in clear water. My plastics and jig colors are usually darker in the dirty water, such as black and blue, or junebug. The darker color silhouettes much better in the dirty water, making it easier for the fish to see. In clear water I choose a more natural color like watermelon red or green pumpkin. My choice in color of crankbaits depends on water color also but more so the dominate foreage that the bass are feeding on in that area. I usually have a couple tied on. One in a perch or bluegill pattern and the other in a shad or shiner.
The Pearl River has endless amounts of cover throughout its many miles of sloughs and marsh. The lower marsh can also produce some nice, unexpected red fish or speckeld trout. So if you've been thinking about fishing the Pearl River system, you need to do so this January! par It is thriving and can produce some amazing fishing days and memories that will last a lifetime. Lastly, the most important thing to remember is to fish sloooooow. Force yourself to slow down and I bet the results will suprise you!