Late winter bass

In February, anglers who bundle up could catch the biggest bass of their lives. Females swollen with roe reach their heaviest weights all year before they deposit their precious cargo of new life in the spawning beds. In addition, bass “feed up” to build their energy reserves as they prepare for the rigors of spawning.

“February is my favorite month to fish for bass,” said Darold Gleason, a professional bass angler from Many, La. “February is when bass are the fattest, biggest and meanest with the highest population of fish in or around shallow water.”

Some females spawn in February. However, most bass spawn in March or April. The spawning peaks during the April full moon, but spawning could continue into May, possibly June.

“We see many bass on beds in February, sometimes even in January,” Gleason said. “When I’m fishing in the winter, I’ll always give spawning beds a look just to see if anything is happening. If we get some warm days, a full moon is impossible to beat when looking for spawners.”

Cold bass look for warmth. In late winter, just a slight temperature rise could make a huge difference to cold-blooded bass. Rocks, trees, logs, stumps, concrete blocks, metal poles and other hard objects sitting in the sun absorb solar heat and radiate that warmth into surrounding waters. This creates pockets of slightly warmer water on the coldest days.

“When I’m fishing on a cold day in February, the first thing I do is look for rock,” said Dakota Fleming, a professional bass angler from Oak Grove, La. “On a sunny, cold day, fish get next to rocks to warm up. If the lake doesn’t have any rock, I look for trees. Around wood, I fish a spinnerbait with an Indiana blade and a Colorado kicker.”

Target cypress trees

In most of the South, anglers don’t usually see much rock, maybe some shorelines capped in limestone or concrete riprap. In some rivers, rock jetties redirect currents. People can find many docks and bridges. Sportsmen should be able to find pipelines, oilfield structures, hurricane debris and other metal objects in abundance. These can hold bass.

“During a tournament in February 2024, I fished a channel leading back into spawning pockets,” Fleming said. “My boat floated in 8 to 9 feet of water. An old metal barge was in the channel. That metal soaked up the heat from the sun. My biggest fish came from around that barge. When I see metal barges in the winter, I’ll run immediately to them.”

Never overlook any isolated object. The biggest largemouth bass tend to stay by themselves. Any isolated brush pile, stump or fallen tree can hold cold bass. A lone stump sitting in the sun away from shore could attract lunkers like a magnet.

“Even in cold water, bass position themselves to soak up sunshine,” said Kevin VanDam, a four-time Bassmaster Classic champion. “If there’s a stump sitting in sunshine, bass swim right up to it because that stump will radiate heat and draw bass to it. I’m going to target those types of cover on cold days.”

Crawfish entice bass

In chilly water, fat bass become lethargic. They won’t chase prey very far or fast, but might slurp a tempting morsel passing enticingly close. When frigid bass turn sluggish, anglers almost need to hit them on the head to make them bite. Offer them something subtle.

In late winter or early spring, crawfish emerge from the mud and provide bass with a major protein source. A weedless jig tipped with a craw trailer in crawfish colors makes an excellent presentation for big bass all year long, but they become especially effective for enticing pre-spawn lunkers. Add a little crawfish scent to the trailers or skirts for more enticement.

“A jig is a good bait to use in an area with a lot of thick cover, such as rocks, stumps or fallen trees,” VanDam said. “Bass have a keen sense of smell. If I’m fishing a lure like a plastic worm or a jig, I add crawfish-based scent because it’s a little stronger. Even if bass are keying on shad, they are opportunistic feeders. If a crawfish swims out in front of it, a bass will swallow it.”

Fish jigs slowly

In cold water, anglers can’t work jigs too slowly. Drop jigs as close as possible to cypress trunks, logs, stumps or other cover and drag them out along the bottom and over the drop-off edge. The jig stirs up a telltale mud trail like a crawfish foraging for food. When spooked, a crawfish always flicks its powerful tail to scoot up and backwards. To imitate this movement, occasionally hop a jig a short distance off the bottom and let it fall back again.

Work the jig completely around any cover, hitting anything from every possible angle. Fish might prefer one side of an object or another. In tidal waters, like coastal marshes and river deltas, bass regularly position themselves on one side in the morning. As the tide changes, they move to the other side, but almost always face into the flow to watch for prey.

Matted grass and lily pads can also absorb solar heat and warm surrounding waters. On cold days, big bass frequently hover just under the mats where they find slightly warmer temperatures on sunny days. Punch through the vegetation with heavy jigs. The sudden invasion of its lair could provoke a vicious reaction strike from Mr. Largemouth. If nothing hits, smack the underside of the mats with the jig and let it fall again. That could dislodge small creatures hiding in the grass, kicking off a feeding frenzy.

“February is the time to look for the biggest bass,” said Derek Hudnall, a professional bass angler from Zachary, La. “Bass might set up around thick weeds to feed before heading to the spawning grounds. Weeds on the edge of a deeper channel could be a great place to fish anytime. During the prespawn, I like to throw a big vibrating jig tipped with a craw trailer or a big spinnerbait.”

Flat-sided crankbaits

As the sun warms the water in the afternoon, bass might venture back into the shallows to hunt. Throw baits with more dynamic action, like crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swim jigs or bladed jigs that cover considerable tracts of water to locate the lunkers.

“In February, I throw a flat-sided crankbait in a shad pattern around riprap or rock,” Fleming said. “Anyone who throws a flat-sided crankbait or a slow-moving spinnerbait during the winter, they’re going to be golden.”

During the winter, bass typically prefer lures with more subtle, rather than erratic action. Most crankbaits come with rounded sides, but shad don’t. Flat-sided crankbaits make tighter wobbles that more closely mimic natural shad movements.

“Shad don’t swim with massive tail movements,” said Caleb Sumrall, a bass pro from New Iberia, La. “They move with very subtle actions. Flat-sided crankbaits have the same subtle action. When fishing cold water, I don’t want a crankbait with a wide wobble because bass are not as aggressive then.”

In the winter, watch the weather. The best fishing occurs right before a major cold front hits. As a front approaches, fish go on feeding binges. When the front arrives, bass go deep and won’t eat much until after the front passes. When the weather warms and stabilizes, bass resume their normal activities and begin feeding again.

February can bring harsh conditions, but also the biggest bass. Anglers probably won’t catch great numbers, but they could catch larger fish on average. Any bite could come from a sowbelly, giving that angler the lunker of a lifetime.

The post “February can produce giant bass” first appeared on LouisianaSportsman.com.