Put a damper on Backlash

Sick and tired or bird nests in your baitcaster? Here's a tip from BassMasters that should help:

• Spool new braid on your reel
• In your back yard or somewhere off the water, cast as far as you can
• While the line is out, take a small strip of plastic tape and place it over your spool
• This will prevent your line from back-lashing past that point and will reduce the size and complexity of your next bird nest
  

Winter Bass Techniques

Here's some techniques to use for catching those sluggish winter bass for the serious fisherman whose willing to brave the weather.

• Use a flat-sided crankbait (with or without lip) that has a tight wobble and can reach deep depths. Bass are mostly going to be deep right now where the baitfish are hanging out.
  
• Fish submerged creek beds or old roads, fishing at the drop-offs on the edges.
• Try using soft plastic worms that will stand upright with a proper weight at the head, and let that bait fall to the deep parts of the lake. Let it sit there for a few seconds and then bounce and drag it towards you. The bite will most likely come on the pauses. Zoom Flukes with a jig-head also work well for this.
• If the water's cloudy or dirty from rain, use a dark colored large jig. The dark color will create a better silhouette and will actually be more visible than yellows or other bright colors.