Well, the Alabama Rig is nothing if not controversial these days! Who knows how long it will be legal, but here’s a look at what the hype’s all about from the fish’s perspective. Watch for the bite towards the end!

This time of year, you can go from Indian Summer to winter overnight. One day, you’ll be fishing in shirtsleeves and then it snows on you the next. When you get a sudden cold front, bass fishing often gets extremely tough. Luckily, all is not lost. Professional bass angler Fred Contaoi has a few tricks up his sleeve to keep the bass chewing — even when they’re hunkered down after the first storm of the year.

While most folks turn to drop-shotting finesse baits and spooning in deep water when the temps go frigid, Contaoi says that there’s a short window in which the bass will still be up in the shallows and he employs three main weapons to get the fish to go.

“I know it sounds funny, but it has been proven to me many times over that buzzbaits work really well in this situation,” he says. “I fish ‘em as long as the bass want to bite. Then, I will go to a small jig like the War Eagle finesse with a compact trailer like a small chunk, Chigger Craw or Ultra Vibe Speed Craw. Third, I’ll throw a Senko rigged wacky-style.”

Contaoi says that the fish will really stick tight to the tightest of spots in these conditions and that’s where you need to fish.

“I fish the shallowest cover I can find,” he notes. “Under dock walkways are good — I also like to work tight against seawalls.”

As far as retrieve speeds go, Contaoi says that, hopefully, the fish will tell you want they want it before you get too far into your day. A basic rule of thumb would be this: Fish slowly in the AM and then the water temp may come up a degree or two by late afternoon, so you can kick it up a notch.

On Wednesday, the Three Amigos (Me, Riles and Big Fred) that just returned from that epic Oregon steelhead mission were back in action: This time our target was Clear Lake’s winter bass. Armed with a mixed bag of live minnows, drop-shot gear and swimbaits, we took to the water for a rip-roaring bucketmouth blitzkrieg.

The weather was decidedly “unwinter-like” for the dead of February and the bass were feeling frisky. When the smoke cleared, we put probably 30-40 chunky largemouth in the boat. Here’s a little photographic evidence…

A quick stop in the AM for bait and burritos and Big Fred says it's go time!

February mornings don't come much nicer...

WBD (Weapons of Bass Destruction) loaded up on the deck

Reilly strikes first!

Dude, this one's bigger than you!

I'm diggin' the built-in carrying handle!

Big Boy with a drop-shot eater

About the average size for the day

Not bad for a steelhead guy...

Like a 5-gallon bucket with fins!

Riles with yet another one...

Ah, isn't that cute...you guys are wearing matching outfits!

Another drop-shotter

Nice scenery near Shag Rock

Two guys bass fishing and not a single sponsor logo or patch to be seen. Weird!

Man Down! Riles has had enough...

The late aftrenoon bite was sick!

The magic hour!

Big Fred's dropshot worm strikes again!

Reilly took big fish honors with this 5.26 pounder

The end of an awesome day

Now that the cold weather months have arrived, it’s time to give up bass fishing right? Well…not so fast!

While it is true that bass will get more lethargic as the water temperatures drop, you can still have some seriously good days of fishing in the winter…if you keep some basic principles in mind.

To get a better idea on how to tackle winter fishing, let’s bring in our resident bass expert and touring pro, Big Fred Contaoi.

“It is a common belief that bass are dormant this time of year,” Big Fred says. “But the truth is they continue to feed. They just get more sluggish as the water dips below 45 degrees. At that point, the fish won’t move far for their prey and they like slow-moving offerings.”

Find the Bait!

So, the biggest keys to success are to figure out what the fish are eating and where that prey likes to spend the winter.

“Baitfish dominate a bass’ diet in the winter as crayfish and other insects are often borrowed in the mud waiting it out until spring,” he says. “And as the water cools in late fall and early winter, the baitfish migrate into the coves — especially ones that have creeks flowing into them.”

Hey, Bill...I think we found the bait!

If you can find a cove that has some weeds, wood or docks in it, so much the better!

“I will often start near the back of a creek and search for the best hangouts for both bait and bass,” he says. “Ledges close to shallow flats provide escape routes for bass. They feel most comfortable living in areas that offer food and safety.”

Watch your graph closely and look for bait balls. Also watch the surface for diving birds and boils. If no bait is present in the cove you’re fishing, don’t spend much time there — move on and keep searching.

Top Lures

For that one or two big bites that could put you into the money in a tournament, Big Fred recommends large swim and wake baits if you’re fishing waters that harbor larger prey like gizzard shad or trout. Fish these things near the surface and s-l-o-w! The best days are dark and stormy but not too cold or windy.

In the winter: Fish swimbaits s-l-o-w-l-y!

You’ll catch larger numbers of smaller fish on slow moving baits like Carolina rigs, jigs, drop shots, and split shot-rigged worms. Creek. Toss those babies into channels, shallow rocky areas and flats.

Winter Bass Fishing Hot Points:

• When the water gets below 45 degrees, bass are more lethargic and like a slow presentation
• Target areas with lots of baitfish — coves (especially ones with docks, weeds, wood and/or streams flowing into them)
• Watch your graph and look for bait balls or diving birds
• On dark days, try big swim baits and wake baits for jumbo-sized bass
• For keeper-sized bass, try Carolina rigged plastics, jigs, drop-shot rigs or splitshotted worms and go slow!

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Wishing you were winning more bass tournaments? Well there’s a lot of stuff that the top pros do the day of the tournament to better their chances. Our resident touring pro, Big Fred Contaoi, sheds some light on the all-important pre-tourney routine…

Okay, so Shane Davies of River Run Guide Service in Texas (214-418-9786; s.davies@sbcglobal.net) has stones the size of Cowboys Stadium. Need some proof? Check out his tale from a recent kayak trip on the Brazos River. In his own words:

“In 20 years of fishing the Middle/Upper Brazos River, I can honestly say that I have never encountered a venomous snake (pit viper) within the riverbed,” he says. “However, as I tell my clients, go outside the riverbed and that can be a very different story. Obviously, just because I have never come across a venomous snake in the river, does not in any way mean they are not there. In fact, I always remain vigilant and on the lookout knowing that I’m simply overdue for my first encounter. The way I look at it, Texas , venomous snakes and the outdoors will always go hand in hand. So, I wasn’t too surprised when I observed a juvenile rattlesnake headed accross the river while I was in my kayak flipping a jig for bass.”

I continue fishing. However, I can’t help to notice the rattler has changed it’s course and is headed straight for my kayak.

At this point, I’ve pretty much quit fishing and have my attention focused on the intentions of this potentially pesky pit viper. While tracking the rattler’s movement, I couldn’t help but think, from a fish’s point of view, how enticing the serpentine motion of this snake looked while in the water. Suddenly, I am jolted back to reality by the fact the rattler is now along side my kayak and is lifting it’s head out of the water in an apparent attempt to come aboard.

No way I’m having this ill intentioned reptilian hitchhiker nosing around the kayak. So, with a couple whacks of the paddle, it’s now docile as can be.

Now my mind begins to wonder…Hmmmm…This rattler looks like mighty good big bass bait!!!

I put him in one of the footwells on the kayak and paddle over to a series of submerged river laydowns so I can begin to put my plan into action. Here is my “Superstar” getting warmed up in the bullpen…

I now cautiously rig the snake by hooking it through the bottom of the jaw and through the top of the head onto a weedless black 3/4 oz. jig. On my sixth cast into the snag infested laydown my jig-n-snake combo gets destroyed on the fall as indicated by a telltale “thump” that reverberates all the way down my rod blank. I set the hook hard and immediately feel stiff resistance on the other end from what I know is a solid fish.

What happens next is something I’ll likely never forget as I watch my bass come cartwheeling out of the water with the rattler hanging out of it’s mouth! The LMB gave a really good account of itself and I eventually get her alongside the kayak. I cautiously lip the opposite side of the cavernous mouth where the fish is hooked.

I now take a moment to pose with my oversize snake-eating river bass before returning her back into the river depths.

I admit, my curiosity might have gotten the best of me on this one. However, I just couldn’t help it.

In the end…It was just another Kayak Fishing Adventure on the Brazos River, TX

Next time you’re in Texas, look Davies up (Telephone: 214-418-9786; or email: s.davies@sbcglobal.net) and hire him for a day…he’s our kind of guy! We hear he’s also really good at getting fish to bite non venomous offerings as well!

If you’ve got big bass on the brain, March is your month around here. Generally, we’ll see big hen bucketmouths in our local lakes go into a pre-spawn mode sometime over the next few weeks (depending on the weather) – and that’s when they’re at their largest.

Full of roe and still actively feeding to store energy for the upcoming breeding season, pre-spawn largemouth are fat and sassy and great fun to pursue. You just have to know where to look for them.

The first key to success is to check your water temperature. As a basic rule, the pre-spawn pattern starts when the water creeps into the low 50’s (that’s about where we are at most lakes right now) and then picks up as the temperatures climb towards the magical 60-degree mark.

When the water’s in the 50’s the fish shake off the winter-induced cobwebs and start migrating towards the banks. They also begin feeding heavily. The biggest mistake most anglers make this time of year is fishing too shallow. You really need to locate some deepwater structure that’s close to a spawning cove. Use your electronics to search for rock piles, ledges, submerged trees, bridge pilings or humps that are 15 to 30 feet deep – yet close to shallow water.

The big hens will hang out in these deeper spots as they wait for the water to warm and their eggs to ripen. You can catch smaller males up on the flats this time of year, but for the big gals, again, stay deep. In these situations, crawfish imitations become your weapons of choice.

Jigs are my all-around favorite things to throw in the early spring, though tubes are also productive. Go with the darker craw patterns like brown and orange and crank them according to the water temperature. If the temps are in the low to mid 50’s, retrieve them at a snail’s pace – slow and steady. As you find water that’s closer to 60 degrees, you can speed up and even switch over to deep-diving craw crankbaits (I like Norman Deep N’s and Berkley Frenzy Deep Divers).

It’s a good idea to have plenty of gear on board when you fish in the spring as conditions can change quickly. If we get a shot of warm weather and the water temps shoot up above 60 degrees, you’re going to have to start working the shallower flats. Until the bass get bedded up, I like to fish quickly with rip and jerk baits like Lucky Craft’s Pointer 80 in the American Shad pattern. Unless, of course, the water’s off-color due to storm runoff. In that case, chartreuse or white spinnerbaits slow-rolled just off the bottom can produce when nothing else will.

So, there you have it – now’s a great time to start thinking about big bass.

Looking for a super-effective late season bass bait? Go with good ol’ Mr. Versatile himself: the spinnerbait.

I know, I know…people often think of throwing spinnerbaits early in the season but the truth of the matter is these big flashing hunks of metal and vinyl work great year-round if you know when and where to throw them.

Towards the end of the summer, bass can still be pretty hunkered down and lethargic, but if you can find some moving or off-colored water like the mouth of a creek — or you’ve got some wind, you could be in business. The fish tend to shake off the cobwebs a bit in those situations and will be more actively feeding.

Baitfish this time of year are going to be about as big as they’re going to get, so you want something with some serious thump to it — baits with big Colorado or Indiana blades are often the lures of choice.

Color is kind of a case-by-case deal and pretty basic: stick with your whites and silvers in lakes with shad and go with darker browns and oranges if hitch, crawfish or other dark baits are present.

Some of the best late summer fishing comes when you slow grind your spinnerbait, but don’t be afraid to kick up the speed a little if you’re not getting bit. Speaking of no fear — toss that baby into the thick, heavy stuff when it’s hot out. Sure, you’ll lose a few lures that way but you’ve also got to fish where they live, ya know?

Here’s a fun little exercise: Walk into a bar near a bass lake and ask the assembled patrons what the best bass lure of all time is.

You’re sure to get a very spirited debate (you may want to leave if bottles start flying) and about as many answers as you have fishermen. While there are many good bass lures worthy of mention, I think there’s really only one lure that could be considered the all-around best.

It’s the one that, if faced with the decision of only having one lure in your box for the rest of time, you’d pick…the bait that, if you only had one lure in your box and you were starving, you’d use.

I know what my choice would be…

Yep, you guessed it…the good ol’ plastic worm. Not only are there a billion colors and styles to choose from, but you can also rig worms a bunch of different ways to cover just about any situation — and new methods are being developed every year.

You can old skool rig worms in the “state styles:” Texas or ‘Carolina; or you can run with more progressive styles like wacky rigging, darter heads, shaky heads and drop shotting and everything in between. With a little creativity, plastic worms can be fished as rip or even topwater baits as well.

From slow-crawling on the bottom, to scooting across the surface and all in-between portions of the water column, the plastic worm has to be the best all-around bass lure!

What do you think the best bass lure of all time is? Let us know in the Comments section below!