Page 76 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2021

SPORTS & OUTDOORS
Davis Whitten A professional bass angler shows o a bass he caught while shing a jig.
story and photos by John N. Felsher
During the winter, many Mississippi sportsmen head to the forests and elds to hunt deer or other game, but they might miss their best chance to land a big largemouth bass. Typically, anglers catch the biggest bass from December through March as females swell with roe before the spring spawn.
In chilly water, cold-blooded bass typically won’t chase baits or prey very far or fast. They tend to hunker down extremely tight to cover such as fallen trees or stumps. When bass turn lethargic in cold water, anglers almost need to hit them on the head to make them bite.
Hard objects such as rocks, concrete blocks, metal poles and wood can absorb some heat from the sun and transmit that warmth into the water. Sometimes, just
a temperature change of a single degree could make a di erence.
“In winter, I look for areas that are a bit warmer or that have a darker bottom to hold heat a little better,” explained Kevin VanDam, a four-time Bassmaster Classic champion. “Rocks are my favorite choice for cold-weather shing, but my second choice would be wood. A jig is a good bait to use in an area with a lot of thick cover, such as rocks, stumps or fallen trees.”
Nothing tempts a big
Mississippi bass like a
succulent craw sh
scurrying along the
bottom. In the winter,
many anglers sh jigs
tipped with soft-plastic
trailers in brown, red, black
or orange colors to mimic craw sh.
Toss these around cypress trees or knees
growing along the shorelines of the Pearl, Pascagoula and other Mississippi rivers. In tidal waters, a trailer with a black body and blue claws simulates the blue on crab claws.
“Craw sh hide on the bottom,” explained Roger Stegall, a Mississippi bass pro. “When they get disturbed, craw sh jump backwards. That action could attract the
76 | January 2021
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