ESPN Freshwater

Many Bassmasters hang up their rods in winter. Some have no choice: Their area lakes are either frozen over, or bass season is closed. To others, the winter bass bite is too slow for their liking. Still others find a day on the lake on a raw February day only slightly more enjoyable than oral surgery.

Then there are Southeastern highland reservoir fishermen, the most hard-core bass junkies you'll ever meet.

When the trees on the hillsides are bare and bone-chilling winds are blowing out of the north, you'll find them patiently probing the barren banks of legendary bass venues like Center Hill, Cumberland and Dale Hollow, searching for a giant smallmouth, largemouth or spotted bass.

They know that once the temperature of these deep, clear lakes dips into the 50s and 40s, their next cast may connect them with the lunker of a lifetime.

55 and falling

"Highland lakes can be extremely tough to fish in fall," claims veteran Dale Hollow Lake (Tennessee/Kentucky) guide Fred McClintock (931-243-2142; www.trophyguideservice.com). "These lakes are slow to cool down, and bass can be 50 to 70 feet deep in autumn even when the air temp is only in the 40s."

If you know where to look and what to cast, bass catching in winter can be red hot.

McClintock concedes that "shallower" is a relative term. "Exactly how shallow they'll move in winter depends on a mix of factors including water clarity, solar penetration, baitfish depth and wind velocity/direction. Twenty feet is a good depth to start."

It's the scarcity of cover in highland lakes that makes them so maddening for many anglers to fish, the guide believes. "As bass fishermen, we're taught from day one to fish cover. But highland reservoirs require a different approach. There's little wood cover in these lakes — many were clear-cut prior to flooding. Dale Hollow has some grass, but it's the exception. Most of these lakes are rocky, and rock isn't what I'd call tremendous bass cover."

Proven patterns

So how do you pattern bass in gin-clear lakes lacking bass-attracting cover? With a shotgun vs. a rifle approach, McClintock advises. "In winter, highland reservoir bass often suspend around some structural element, relating to it loosely instead of holding tight to it. Because these lakes are so clear, suspending bass can easily spot a lure and will often move a long distance to strike it. So, rather than make pinpoint casts to specific targets, use wide-ranging search lures that will draw fish in from a broad area."

The guide notes some of his favorite winter highland hotspots:

1. Rock bluffs — "These are trademark highland reservoir structures, but some bluffs run on forever, and you'll waste a lot of time fishing the whole thing. In winter, I target the ends of the bluffs, areas along the structure with rock slides, and short bluffs that you occasionally find in tributary arms. Bass suspend around bluffs and will move tighter and further out during the course of the day. Channel bluffs may be over 100 feet deep; note the level of baitfish schools on your graph and fish at or above that level. Bluffs are usually better places to catch spotted bass than either largemouth or smallies."

2. 45-degree rock banks — "Gravel or chunk rock banks sloping into deep water at an angle will hold fish, but as when targeting bluff banks, don't waste time fishing the entire structure. Here, look for short stair-stepping ledges protruding off the slope on your graph; fish will relate to ledges in their preferred depth zone."

3. Offshore humps — "Check the sides of these structures; often the top is too shallow to hold bass after the reservoir has been drawn to winter pool."

4. Inflowing water — "In late winter, a heavy rain can send warm, muddy water running into the reservoir via inflowing tributaries; this can trigger crawfish to emerge from hibernation. Move to the back-ends of these creek arms and fish a firetiger- or craw-pattern crankbait out to where the water begins to clear up."

5. Transitions — "Highland reservoir bass are drawn to 'transitions' where one type of bank or bottom material changes to another. The transition may be in the size or type of material: head-sized chunk rock changing to fist-sized chunk rock, gravel to shale, shale to clay, etc. When targeting big structures like long sloping banks, put your trolling motor on high and skip the stuff that's similar, then slow down and fish the transitions."

6. Deep points — "Points cascading quickly into deep water, especially those connecting with a creek or river channel, are usually better in winter in highland reservoirs than points that run a long way out into the lake. Many anglers only fish the tip of the point, but bass are often bunched up on one or both sides."

7. Depth contours — "When fishing points and sloping banks, keep in mind that most of the bass will be on a specific depth contour instead of scattered out from deep to shallow water. Pinpoint the right depth zone and you'll catch fish; miss it and you'll haul water. In winter, 20 feet is usually the shallowest contour I'll fish unless the wind is really howling; this can bring 'em much shallower. I'll start on one side of a point casting into 20 feet and continue all around it to the opposite side. Then I'll turn around and work the 25 foot contour, then the 30, 35 and so on."

8. Baitfish in hollows — "Hollows are deep, narrow tributary arms. In winter, big schools of shad will pack into these and suspend, providing a major drawing card for all bass species — stripers, too, if the lake has them. Locate the baitfish on your graph and vertical-jig a spoon around it."

Wind and clouds

Wind is a major factor determining bass location and activity on highland lakes in winter. "I'll take a windy day over a calm day anytime!" McClintock emphasizes. "I've seen many days where it started out calm and you couldn't buy a strike; then the wind kicked in, the fish move up in the water column, and you'd start whacking 'em. Later, the wind would either shift direction or quit, and they'd shut off like a switch."

McClintock favors a stiff south or west wind and has scored impressive bass catches in north winds as well. "But an east wind can be tough," he concedes.

Sky conditions also impact bass activity. "Most bass anglers prefer a cloudy day to a sunny one, but in a highland lake in winter, I usually do best on sunny days," Fred adds. "Bass are primarily sight feeders, and when most of the fish are 20 feet or deeper, they can see your presentation a lot better when light penetration is increased."

Lure selection

Many of the lures we commonly use to catch bass around shallow cover don't produce well in highland lakes, especially in cold water. Here are a few McClintock says you should have in your tacklebox:

1. Suspending jerkbait — "My favorite bait for big winter smallmouth. Fish it on windblown points and banks — you'll often see several fish swim up to check it out."

3. Crankbaits — "Quarter-ounce diving crankbaits will score strikes in off-colored water, and in clear water on windy days. Keep in mind when choosing colors that crawfish, threadfin shad, alewives and rainbow trout are common forage species in many of these lakes."

5. Hair jigs — "These will catch bass in extremely cold water with or without a pork trailer. I use 1/8- and 1/4-ounce hair jigs in white, yellow and brown. Fish 'em on light line with a spinning outfit."

Cult favorite

First-time winter fishermen on Southeastern highland lakes may spot other anglers using long, whippy spinning rods and bobbers. No, they aren't crappie fishing, they're chasing after suspended bass using the float-n-fly system.

"I used to fish only for sauger in midwinter until I got onto the float-n-fly," claims popular Lebanon, Tenn., bass guide Jim Duckworth. "It's added a good two months to my bass season, because it works in the coldest water."

Using a 7-foot, 11-inch B 'n' M rod of his own design, Cardinal 774 reel and 4- to 8-pound Trilene XL mono, Duckworth targets bluffs, sloping banks and deep points for suspending bass, fish too lethargic to chase after a lure. "If it's cloudy, I'll start with the float set 8 to 10 feet above the fly, and cast it out much like casting a flyrod. If it's sunny, I'll set the float higher — up to 18 feet. In this case, instead of casting, I'll drop the fly near the structure I want to fish until it hits the desired depth, attach the float, open the reel bail, and move off the structure with my trolling motor as the line peels out. Then, I'll close the bail and reel in line very slowly, alternately shaking the rod tip gently to make the fly pulsate, then holding it still. It's just like when you were a kid pond-fishing for bluegill — when the bobber goes down, you've got a fish. Only here, you're likely to catch a lunker smallmouth."

Duckworth has assembled a signature float-n-fly kit marketed by Matzuo America containing an assortment of hair jigs and special bottom- and side-weighted bobbers, which indicate the lightest bites. The guide also markets an informative video detailing the method. For more information, visit his Web site.