Capt. Mike Gerry describes one of the most effective wintertime techniques on Guntersville

One of the best early winter fish catching techniques for me has been “dead-sticking” a Senko. By that I mean cast it out and let it drop on a semi-slack line so that all the action on the bait comes from gravity and water pressure. This method has produced some great numbers and quality fish on several trips in the month of December.

I have observed that the fish become fairly lethargic after the first real cold spell, and serving up a Senko in those conditions pays off. The slow back-and-forth movement of the dead-sticked bait looks like an easy meal for the largemouth bass. It’s just too good to pass up.

One key to success when dead-sticking a Senko in early winter is to find green, living grass on and around drops and deep-water edges. The bass prefer to be close to deep water in the winter and the grass holds baitfish into early winter, so the bass come from deep water to feed and you benefit from it.

Another factor is that the 5-inch Senko perfectly matches the current year’s hatch of shad, which is the predominant forage for Guntersville bass in early winter.

By the way, over the past 5 years I’ve tested many different types of “dead stick baits” and many versions of the soft-plastic cigar-shaped lure popularized by Senko. All these different dead stick baits deserve some attention during the early winter. I have found that they all have a slightly different drop in the water. One that falls a little slower or moves a little different may be just what it takes to trigger a bite. So don’t be stuck on one brand, size, or shape; try several and I believe you will get different results. That might just be the difference you need to catch a winning bag or bragging-sized bass.

Captain Mike Gerry
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
Web: www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
(256) 759-2270