I agree with Roadwarrior. The articles are great. Also, nothing beats time out there. If the girlfriend permits of course. But get an idea of the seasonal pattern before heading out so you don't waste time, which brings me back to reading those articles.....good luck bro!

p.s. twitch/snap/jerk those jerkbaits!

Look for any kind of weeds. They tend to hold heat and help the water warm up. There will always be bass in them. What i like to do is, find a creek channel at the mouth of a cove with some timber around it. Bass are mainly keying in on crawdads this time of year. Just crawl a jig that resembles the lakes crayfish the best through the timber. Remember to move SLOW. The bite will feel like a little tap most times. Hope this helps!

haha ya winter will definitely slow down the bite. A good day on the water in the winter will be a lot slower then a good day in the summer.

Slow stuff down, use a crank or jerk and use long pauses between jerks. Slowly dragging and deadsticking soft plastics work ok to.

I don't fish much in the winters as my lake is an icecube. Good luck bro!

exactly what he said

Stained?  How much stained?  What is considered clear in one part of the country is considered dirty in another.  Here in Missouri, clear on Lake Ozark, clear on Table Rock and clear on Bull Shoals are definitely three different colors.  At some point, there needs to be some standard, like how deep you can see a white jig or something.  I'm ranting, sorry.

In my neighborhood, 45 degree water, visibility somewhere around 4 to 5 feet, my first choice is a jerkbait.   Clown or some other shiney color if it is sunny, Table rock shad or some whitish/pearly color if it is cloudy.

Option B - Eakins jig   Option C - Wiggle wart  Option D - Shaky head worm (green pumpkin)  Option E - Go shallow (1-5 feet) and throw a rattle bait until your hands get tired.  There are lots more options.

Actually, there are standards. Raul described the

procedure and measurements using a white disc.

However, I do not recall the details.

To me "clear" is gin clear. Bull Shoals or Beaver

Lake near either of the dams are good examples.

Maybe being able to see a 1/2 oz white jig at

15' - 20' is more specific.

8-)

learn to fish the FNF. you will do far better with it in the winter months.

*and the sarcastic guy says..........*

be grateful u can fish in the winter.

thanks for all the help guys