Site survey
When it comes to fishing in February, the choice of spots is fairly limited, as the pike closure period prevents us from fishing most of the water bodies. Fortunately for us, some of them are still fishable, as the opening period has been postponed in the absence of pike. The first thing I notice on arrival is the very cold temperature of the water, no more than 8 degrees, just as the sun is starting to warm up. In the first few centimetres of the rim, the water is slightly warmer, but nothing substantial enough for the black-bass to get close.
Fishing strategy
Fishing for black bass in cold water requires us to adapt our fishing methods to those usually used in summer. The fish are posted much deeper, where the water temperature is stable and comfortable for them and their prey. For some years now, I've been doing a lot of rubber jig fishing when the water is cold in my various favourite waters, and it's always paid off.
The aim is to find steep edges where you can quickly find 2 or 3 metres of water within 10 metres of the edge. At the end of winter, there are two possible scenarios: the fish are static in an area they like, or they are slowly moving along the breaks in search of a meal.
In practice
As soon as I start casting with a classic soft lure, I notice that the water is very cold. So I quickly change my lure to a 14-gram rubber jig to keep it sufficiently gliding on the way down, equipped with a craw whose legs vibrate a lot when I let it sink or bring it towards me. In terms of color, I choose watermelon and orange hues reminiscent of the crayfish present in the water. On my second cast, I got a nice touch after casting my rubber jig into a break at the foot of a tree. The fish didn't hesitate to attack on the way down as I kept the line taut to feel contact with the bottom. It's a nice fish that makes you happy, the first of the year.
On the next cast, I took another hit a few metres from the first on the descent, but the euphoria of the previous fish had distracted me and the fish came off the hook after a poor strike. An hour later, I was line fishing with the same lure, along a steep rocky edge, when I got a third bite. It was another beautiful fish, over 50 cm long, which seemed to appreciate the little crayfish that was passing in front of it. The rest of the day was quiet, but the pleasure was there and the strategy had paid off - what more could you ask for!
