B.A.S.S. Elite Series pro Pete Ponds of Madison watches the long-term weather forecast during December and other winter months to find the perfect days to chase bass.
“You might can catch fish, maybe a few fish, in any condition, but there are always a few winter days when you can really wear them out, and I’m talking numbers that will rival any other time of the year,” Ponds said. “Remember, fish always need to feed and winter can work for you because of a bass’ cold-blooded nature. They feed better when there is a rise in the water temperature. That’s why a warm day in winter can really trigger a big bite.
“I’m not talking about a sharp rise, either. It may be only a few degrees, three to five degrees, and that could trigger bass activity.”
That’s why Ponds watches for cold fronts, and then keys on how long it will be after it passes before the next one approaches.
“We usually get into a cycle of fronts every five to 10 days,” he said. “When one hits and passes, the temperature drops for a few days and then we get a warming trend right before the next front. Fish feel the increase in water temperature and sense the next front’s approach, so the day or two before that next front arrives is when I am going to fish.”
Ponds goes prepared for any stage of fish activity, because bass can become highly active or only slightly more active.
“One of my favorite December lures is a lipless crankbait,” he said. “If I can locate a flat adjacent to deep water, I know bass will move up on it to chase forage fish. The lipless crankbaits allow me to cover a lot of water and target big fish. A good long cast starts it, and then I yo-yo the lure, bouncing it off the bottom and letting it fall. It mimics the actions of bait fish that are struggling in cold water.
“But at the same time, I will have some finesse lures ready. One of my favorites is a spinning rod and drop-shot rig with a 5- or 6-inch Robo Worm on a 3/16 or ¼ ounce drop shot weight. You may have to let it sit and shake it a while. In deep lakes, you can fish it vertically, but in shallow lakes you can cast it and work up or down a drop.”
On those weather cycles that can produce a three- to five-day warming trend that can push surface temperatures up over five degrees or more, Ponds will even work those flats with a Bandit FlattMax, and vary his retrieve to a crank, pause, pull and repeat action.
“I’ve seen bass school on the surface, blasting shad in December and even January,” he said. “When they turn on like that, don’t be afraid to pull out a crankbait.”
No matter the day, Ponds’ bread-and-butter lure in December is a suspending jerkbait, and he will try it every trip. He says it takes a lot of patience to make it produce.
“I love to work the jerkbait along a dam or any rock bank adjacent to deep water,” he said. “Rocks warm quickly in the sun and the food chain will move to the rocks. I like to position my boat parallel to the bank about 30 to 40 feet out and cast at angles ahead of the boat. I give it a few real quick turns and jerks to get the bait down and then stop and let the suspending action of the 4- to 5-inch plug, like a Pro-Pointer 100, go to work.
“The key is making yourself let the lure sit in one spot long enough to finally make a lethargic bass think he can eat it without expending a lot of energy. Leave it at least eight to 10 counts before giving a few twitches and a couple of reels. Then let it sit again for eight to counts. When they decide to load up on it, they will smash it like crazy and nearly jerk the rod out of your hands.”
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