I went to a small local pond called Milton Lake to shore fish (like I pretty much always do), guess it was about 30-35 out, was pretty darn cold but I was eager to give catchin a nice fish a shot. Water was pretty stained which made me use black/blue as my primary color choice. Anyway I first tryed throwing a 1/8ounce Spiderjig using a GYCB Hula Grub Black/blue flk, worked a few stick piles with it and nada.

After about 15mins of fishing a bit of stick piles I ended up snagging into one of the sunken branches and lost it, (the weedguard is one of them weak metal wire type of guards). So that ended my Spiderjig fishing.

I then tied on a 1/4ounce Black/blue Bitsy flippin bug(small profile) with a 2.75 inch Yum black/blue flk Chunk as a trailer. Worked every stick pile I could find, im talking stick pile after stick pile after stick pile after stick pile, just a bunch of them, and I worked them slowly, with 5-10sec pauses constantly, and slight twitches/drags of the jig, basiclly keeping it slow. I headed to the back rivers and worked all the sticks back there, not even a tap :'(.

All in all though it was good to be fishing particularly for bass again, and it was pretty fun working the jig through all the branches, especially leaving the lake with the jig, and not getting it snagged up in the many sticks I worked it through. I plan to go again within the next 7 days, and this time fish a hardjerk bait/softjerk bait and see if they take that instead. Just thought I let you guys in on how I did heh, good luck on your trips fellow North East bass anglers 8-).

Bythe way once I figure out how to work the digital camera and put pics on the comp through it, I'll be sure to post some pics in my next fishing trips of the future, even if it is just of scenery  ;D.

Glad you got out on the water and did not catch any dead bodies in New Jersey in your pond.

Your bait selections seemed to be on target.

Do you think a wacky rigged Senko would have produced bites if they were in the structure?  Or a Texas-rigged Senko?

Any thoughts about using a spinnerbait next time out?

Can you throw a crankbait and not lose it?

Be sure to send us those pics once you get them.

Stay warm.

It's trips like those that make the days you catch them more rewarding.  Keep paying your dues and you'll be rewarded soon  

It's trips like those that make the days you catch them more rewarding. Keep paying your dues and you'll be rewarded soon

Hopefully  .

But Sam, I don't know maybe a senko would have done the trick, I don't think so though, it seemed kinda dead.. nothing moving on the water, like a ghost lake hah. Anyway I plan to try another pond today that I caught two 4-5inch bass yesterday morning at while targeting panfish. Leaving in literally 10mins, will let ya know in the next post on this topic about how I did, and will bring a senko/spinnerbait to maybe give a shot.

Tell Ike I said Hi

Shouldn't be long before I can practice casting too

Great discription of the jig in the wood piles

Its like I was doing the fishing

somedays it's just like that but keep fishing

At least you got out and had a good time trying. I am from Pa and the fishing has been real tough here too. I broke some ice off a local pond the other day and tried for some myself but all I managed to catch was a cold.  ;D (Just my luck) It will be a high of 29* today Woohoo! I may just head back out there again. Let us know how you do next time with the jerkbaits. I have heard good things about using them in cold water. Good luck.

Well yesterday I went to another small pond, basiclly moving alot quicker and wasting less time (there aren't as many stick piles at this lake). I pitched jigs to the few stickpiles and moved along, I didn't rush it though, I gave each stick pile about 5mins worth of fishing with the jig, so I gave them plenty of time to hit. I also tryed hitting up some deeper spots in the lake but to no avail. This pond is usually not to good even in the summer so I wasn't surprised to get skunked. I did get to see a good size crawfish sitting along side a rock, so that was cool (there aren't many crawfish around here, you see one literally 1-2 times a year if your lucky).

Today I went to a pond that holds alot of pickerel/bass. Majority of the lake was frozen >, but I walked to one spot where the water was open and just took 30mins fishing that spot, I threw small lipless cranks, tryed working them with a slow retrieve nada, then I tryed letting them fall, bringing them back up, and letting them fall again, nada. I then tryed a jerkbait, fished it with 2-3 jerks and then a 5sec pause nada, then tryed a 10-12 sec pause, nada. It was pretty darn cold and I wasn't gettin a thing so I just left. Oh yeah forgot to mention, I did see a small pick under the ice, about 4 1/2 inches I'd say. Just can't seem to catch anything as of lately :-/.

glad you got out:)

this might hurt but last sunday we got off the river early because it was 80 degrees and we forgot the SPF!

it must suck to be frozen:)

Glad you got out on the water and did not catch any dead bodies in New Jersey in your pond.

;D

Hey BFM, At least your getting out. Everything is still frozen here in WI but last year I was fishing about this time of year and getting the same results as you. Is there any rock you could fish? I was targeting wood for about two weeks with jigs with no luck when I tied on a super fluke and started casting to some rip-rap and bluffs on my way back to the truck. I caught 4 fish on the way and it felt great! I was fishing it very slow and letting it fall almost to the bottom before twitching it back up again. They usally hit it falling. Just something you could try. :-?

Hmm rocks you say, will give it a shot, thanks. I went out a bit today to a lake that holds alot of picks, and bass, 50% of the lake was frozen, although I worked the open areas with a small Rat-L-Trap in chrome and after about 30mins of fishing I hooked up with a pick about 14inches. Nice fight, especially since all I been catching are panfish. He took it with a slow steady retrieve, I tryed yo-yoing it with no luck. Also I tryed fishing the shallow areas, and cover such as stickpiles and along side some bushes, but it doesn't seem like anythings relating to that. It just seems like there relating to deep water, and thats about it. As for the bass in this lake, I haven't seen them yet, its like they packed there bags and left for the winter (seriously I don't know where these guys go in the winter, makes me mad  >.)

Anyway, I continued to fish the open areas and walked around the lake for another hour and a half, with no results. It was good to get a pick though, and I plan to try again there real soon, this time slowing it down and fishing a suspending hard jerkbait.