Strike King pro Mark Rose shares his tips for fishing in Zone 4 during January.
“It’s wintertime in Zone 4 from the West to East coast. Water temperatures are cold – low to mid 40s,” starts Rose. Based on the steep drop in water temperature, bass will be in a full-blown winter pattern. “Bass will be near the steepest contours and drops so that they can move up on warmer days and down on the colder,” shares Rose.
Rose does have one tip that he assures makes all the difference – “Try to plan your fishing trips in the warmest part of the day… The fish will likely be more active,” concludes Rose.
If the water is clear, Rose prefers Pro Blue. In stained water, he switches to Chrome if it’s sunny, and Sexy Shad if it’s cloudy. For muddy water, Rose will favor Chartreuse Sexy Shad.
Diving up to 11-feet, the KVD J300 Deep has increased castability, 3D eyes, and premium black nickel hooks for lethal action. This bait excels in Zone 4, but anglers from coast to coast keep the J300 Deep on the boat deck this time of year.
He opts for Ghost Shad in clear water, and switches to Pearl Flash if the water is stained or muddy.
If fish are not chasing a fast-moving bait, the Rage Swimmer will often trigger fish to respond. The beauty of the Rage Swimmer is that the legendary tail maintains its swimming action whether burned through a school of feeding fish, or slowly crawled across the bottom or through cover.
If the water is clear, he will throw Chrome, while more stained water calls for White Chrome. For muddy fishing conditions, Rose will pick up Pearl.
Designed by the “ledge” expert, Mark Rose, the Lil Ledge Spoon emits a realistic fluttering action and has a built-in swivel to alleviate line twist.
Strike King pro Greg Bohannan highlights some of the best spots to fish during January in Zone 4.
Bohannan encourages anglers to locate shad when trying to track down schools of bass. “Shad location will be a key factor in locating schools of bass. Start by graphing the ‘guts’ of the major creek arms on your reservoir. Establish the depth at which the majority of the schools of bait are located and begin to target those depths,” advises Bohannan.
Bohannan finds one thing particularly useful during the winter months – technology. “Electronics will play a major role in the winter months of our zone. Try to work the bait above the bait balls or target specific bass located around the school,” shares Bohannan.
He opts for White in clear water, and switches to Sexy Blue Herring if the water is stained. In muddy water, Bohannan chooses Bluegill. He pairs the Strike King Tour Grade Swimming Jig with a Pearl Rage Menace trailer.
The streamlined, balanced head of the Tour Grade Swimming Jig provides excellent swimming action and is complete with a medium wire ultra-sharp hook.
If the water is clear, he will throw Sexy Shad, while more stained water calls for Neon Shad. When the water is muddy, he chooses Chartreuse Shad.
Made to emulate dying bait fish, the flutter and fall of the Sexy Spoon is incredible. Best when fished around submerged brush, muscle beds, or deep grass and vegetation.
He opts for Ghost Shad Rage Swimmers in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw Electric Shad, while he will switch to Pearl Flash if the water is muddy.
The stiffer wire on the Bladed Tour Grade Titanium Umbrella Rig provides more stability than other umbrella rigs while the five blades flash and swivel to attract fish.
Strike King pro Scott Suggs predicts that water temperatures will be near 48-degrees and expects anglers to find most success near rocky channel swings.
If the water is clear, Suggs prefers Green Pumpkin. In stained water, he switches to Bama Craw. For muddy water, Suggs favors Falcon Lake Craw. Suggs opts for the Green Pumpkin Mid-Size Rage Bug in all water conditions.
The ultimate jig for deep water fishing – the Tour Grade Football Jig has a football-shaped head that gives a better feel of terrain and helps the bait stand on the bottom.
His choice for clear water is Green Pumpkin, while he goes for Blue Craw if the water is stained. Black Blue Swirl is his first choice in muddy conditions.
KVD Perfect Plastics Ned Ocho has a heavily ribbed, octagonal design, a slow sink rate, and an exclusive coffee scent for attracting more bites.
He prefers Green Pumpkin in clear and stained water, and switches to Crawdaddy if the water is muddy.
The Rage Tail Grub features a unique and exclusive tail design is engineered like no other soft plastic bait for superior performance and lifelike presentations.
If the water is clear, he will throw Morning Dawn, while more stained water calls for Magic. Blackberry Jam is his favorite for muddy conditions.
The Strike King KVD Filler Worm is designed to be fished for a finesse presentation, featuring a wide head for added durability, increasing the strength of the plastic to last for multiple fish catches.
He opts for Phantom Watermelon Red Craw in clear water. If the water is stained, he will throw Delta Red, while he will switch to Black Back Chartreuse if the water is muddy.
The curved bill of the 3XD causes faster and deeper dives, making it a top choice in his line up.
