The Winter Bite on Guntersville
As the fall moves on, the bass will start to feel the effects of the colder nights and before we know it we will be in a winter pattern! Have no fear though it will take a few cold nights; some strong north winds and a few more weeks like maybe 6 to bring on the winter bite.
The good news is; the winter means bigger fish and better quality. One thing you can always bet on; the Guntersville winter bite could be a lake record at any time. The lake record of 14.6 lbs. was caught in February of 1991 and most the big fish every year are caught in the winter. So get ready the big fish days are near! There are however, afew things you need to do to be prepared for the winter bite. Start searching now for the areas of heavy grass, as they could be the key to finding fish in the coldest winter days. Map out the deep grass, and look to see if it holds as the water turns colder; over the years I have advised folks without GPS to take some pictures of the heavy grass areas. This will allow you to view them before winter fishing and give you some ideas on where there could still be grass from your photos. Watch for the coots as they will start to gather in the grassy areas and when that winter bite is all of a sudden here, the coots will be all over the grassy areas along with the bass. Especially if they are on areas of grass that has 10 plus feet of water. Lastly the movement of the baitfish will also be recognized as the seagulls will be diving and feeding upon them all winter long.
These are just a few ideas on how to prepare for the winter bite and let some of the natural elements lead you to the bass.