I keep hearing about how bass fishing can be good in the Winter time. On more than one occasion I have gotten up early on a Saturday with the full intention of fishing all day, only to open the door to the garage where I keep my boat, feel the inrush of cold air, mutter an unmentionable expletive, then scurry back to the warmth of my bed. I guess I can be a wuss at times. I still can't help beating myself up when I resign myself to watching Loudmouth Bass, and I could have been on the lake freezing my butt off, and probably having a great time! I suppose I could get a late start, and salvage at least part of the day; the problem is that if I don't escape the house by the time my wife wakes up, I end up doing honeydoos all day. I need something to remind me of this when I open up the garage door.

I did manage to make it out a few time last year, when the air temperature was in the 30s and the water temperature was in the 40s. I even managed to catch a couple of fish. Last winter, I caught some white bass jigging a spoon over a 45' deep hump on Lake Buchanan. I haven't figured out how to catch more than one or two when its this cold, so its hard to justify the effort.

As long as you have the right gear, you can handle the cold without being too uncomfortable. I keep some Carhartt insulated coveralls, a pair of neoprene gloves, and a sock cap onboard for those occasions. I wear the coveralls over my clothes, so that I can shed the layers if it starts warming up. My face tends to freeze when I'm motoring around, so I might spring for one of those Save Phase masks this year. Maybe if I dress up like Darth Vadar, I can use the force to catch more fish! At least my head wont be numb, and I wont have snotsicles hanging from my nose by the time I get to the fishing hole. Its difficult to thread the fishing line through the hook eye when your hands are shaking because your teeth are chattering too hard.

I am going to try to get out on the lake, at least once or twice this Winter. My goal is to go pro one day, so I better get used to fishing in all kinds of conditions. I'll keep you posted -- I'm sure there will be a good fish story, even if I don't catch many fish.