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© St. Petersburg Times, published January 5, 2002
Winter finally has hit, and the temperatures of Tarpon Lake have dropped into the 50s. This causes a cold-blooded creature such as a bass to slow its feeding, making it difficult to catch one. But it is not impossible.
When faced with cold-water situations, you need a lure that stays in the strike zone; this often aggravates fish into striking. A soft-plastic bait is ideal, and I have learned that a crawdad or lizard rigged with a rattling Florida rig works best. Use scent attractant on the lure, as it will cause fish to hold on a little longer.
When working the lure, simply toss it into a likely area and let it sit on a tight line. If you feel anything, set the hook.
Where do fish go when it's cold? That depends on the water you are fishing. When the lake has heavy grass, the bass move there. Without grass, bass suspend in deep water. Bass in shallow grass beds are more likely to bite than bass in deep water.
- Lenny Crispino guides on Lake Tarpon. Call (727) 938-2379.