Monday, February 3, 2014

Cold Water Bassin'


Since the latest winter storm passed through the Hampton roads area, I have been watching the weather like a hawk looking for a warming trend.  When I saw one forecast for last weekend, I rigged up the Cuda for some winter time bucketmouths.

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VA Cold Water Largemouth

Most of the local lakes were completely iced over limiting my options, but fellow Werner Paddles teammate Richie Bekolay ( to see his blog Click Here ) told me that one our favorite lakes was open so we set out in hopes of getting some pullage.  When I launched the temperature on my fish finder read 40.1 degrees.   Shortly after I started fishing I heard a “Fish On!” and turned to see my Dad’s rod doubled over and a lot of splashing. Shortly afterwards he landed a nice 21in pickerel.

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            A few minutes later and he was hooked into a second pickerel around the same size.  I was throwing my suspending jerkbait when it was hit by a feisty 15in Largemouth.  I kept throwing my jerkbait and soon connected with a bigger fish.    This fish stayed deep and bulldogged into the grass, but soon I boated a chunky 17.5in largemouth.

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Photo Credit: Richie Bekolay

            I hoped that the bite would continue to improve as the water warmed, but it did the opposite and dropped off.  I kept fishing and picked up a nice 22in pickerel near the end of the day.

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            As the weather warms and the local lakes thaw, break out the kayak and try some winter bassin’!    

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Photo Credit: Richie Bekolay

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