Winter Fishing Forces you to Develop Patterns

With many years of guiding and fishing for fun, I can tell you that the winter presents some difficult challenges that forces you to analysis what you抮e doing on the water minute by minute and put that learned experience back together. If I have learned anything over time it is fact that bass hang in certain types of structure during certain weather patterns, finding that is the key to catching winter bass; and repeating what you did to get bite becomes more important than ever.

Patterns are important part of winter fishing and here are a few thoughts on what developing a pattern means: with today抯 electronics fisherman have gotten away from pattern fishing I contend if you combine electronic skills and pattern what you抮e doing results will even be better. There are just a few basic considerations when developing a pattern; first is lure selection, with all the new baits on the market there are many ways to catch a fish and of all these new baits each presents a change of pattern, so lure selection can be a big key to pattern fishing. My suggestion is keep trying several baits until one catches a fish. Next is the lake and where you are fishing on it; are you up river, down river, in the back of a creek, at the mouth on the river ledge, in deep water or shallow all these areas present a different pattern as to what the bass are doing. If you understand your location your next bite will come from a similar location. Lastly is what type of structure are you fishing, on Guntersville grass seems to be something everyone looks for but it is not the only structure on the lake and by the time the fall comes along there is so much grass that it dilutes your pattern and in my mind deters your ability to make that next choice of spot. Dig deep into your pattern with your thought process so your structure that you are fishing has something special about it. What type of grass, are there stumps, along the grass and more.

Your pattern will lead you to the next fish; just be aware enough to repeat it!