As the weather gets colder, there's no denying that the fishing tends to get a little tougher, and sometimes a lot tougher because it takes more effort all around. It's harder to get up in the morning--especially when it's still dark. The window of time after work is almost non-existent unless you don't mind doing a little night fishing. And, I almost forgot about the feeling of disappointment when you arrive and realize that the pond turned over and you see a dead bass floating next to the bank. In addition, it is not uncommon in SoCal for the weather to go from hot (80s) to cold (mid-50s) to crazy windy (Santa Anas) and rain (it starts to rain in SoCal during this time) within the same week during the transition from late fall to early winter. All in all, when things are kind of funky, it's sometimes best to simplify and go with the straight retrieve.
Before I get into it, let me start by saying that from experience, the easiest way to catch fish during this seasonal transition is by going with a 1/4 once Carolina rig (2 foot leader) with a 6 inch straight tail worm (my fav: Robo in ox blood) or a 4 inch cut tail worm (my fav: Yama in watermelon red flake) and simply dragging it from the deepest parts of the pond towards the shallower areas until you find "the zone" or depth where the fish are hanging out. Back in the day, all I cared about was catching fish not how I caught fish. Now that I'm a crankbait aficionado, my go-to technique during this period is throwing a crankbait using a straight retrieve because there are always some nice bass that cannot pass up an easy meal swimming by.
Locations
Be prepared to make a couple of laps around your pond. You have to keep moving from spot to spot during the late fall to early winter transition until the weather stabilizes (that's around January where I live). That being said, here are some of the areas that I tend to spend more time on and make extra casts when I use a straight retrieve:
Moving water--areas near small artificial water falls or pipes that feed water into the pond. The water quality tends to be clearer and sometimes even warmer in these areas in comparison to other areas of the pond.
Sunny areas or the side of the pond that gets hit by the sun first or the most.
Mini-ledges or areas near the bank where you can visible see the depth change where the water goes from light to dark.
Why use a straight retrieve?
The quick answer is that you want to cover as much water as possible and not spook the fish while doing it. This time of year, you need to be comfortable with not knowing where the fish are and how they're going to react to what. I've found the most success by going with the least aggressive approach--the straight retrieve--and picking off fish here and there that are willing to cooperate and at the same time building a better sense of what's going on in the pond and figuring out the pattern. In baseball, sometimes batters just won't bite on a curve or some kind of off-speed pitch. When fish are like batters that are just sitting and waiting for a fastball, a well-placed four-seam is the way to go to get them to strike. Although there is nothing wrong with taking a "junk fishing" approach in figuring the fish out, constantly changing lures (I'm sure like me, you usually only carry two rods, not 8 or more like professional bass anglers on boats) can be a hassle and I've experienced more success covering lots of water using a straight retrieve when the fishing is tough this time of year than picking a spot and trying a variety of lures. That being said, some days it literally takes throwing everything in your tacklebox to catch a fish when it's especially tough.
Lures I like: Crankbaits that swim in a way that doesn't look "panicked"
While you should experiment with a variety of baits to figure out what works in your pond, in most situations, I must agree with the advice that you've probably already heard before: crankbaits that have more of a tight wiggle than a wide wobble tend to do better as the weather gets colder. However, in addition to that, I've realized that some baits give off a more natural swimming action than others. These baits almost work like magic when nothing seems to work. The only way that I can describe how these "magic" baits swim differently from others is that they don't look "panicked" as it moves through the water; that is, the swimming action is very smooth and controlled.
My favorite crankbaits for using a straight retrieve:
Lucky Craft Clutch MR (shallow)
Rapala DT-6 (mid-range)
Bomber Fat Free Guppy (deeper water)
*Note: I remove the belly hook on the deeper divers because I like to fish them near the bottom as possible without making contact. I tend to get hung up more using the straight retrieve when covering water than when I'm purposely hitting structure in key areas because of the angle of the lure. By removing the belly hook you get far less hang ups and it can give the lure "hunting action" at certain speeds.
AND...My new #1: Lucky Craft USA LC ??? (prototype)
Recently, I had the honor and privilege of testing out a prototype crankbait by Lucky Craft USA that is actually designed for pond crankbait fishermen like us! It is a search-bait type crankbait made to quickly find fish around shallow banks. And, during testing this bait did not disappoint!!! A 100% MAGIC BAIT as far as I'm concerned. Mr. Segawa--President of Lucky Craft USA--explained to me that the smooth consistent swimming action of the LC ??? has the ability to stimulate the lateral line of a fish without making it spooked or wary, which makes it ideal for highly pressured public small ponds. All in all, my mind was blown when I got a firsthand glimpse of the meticulous research and development process behind each of the high quality lures designed by Lucky Craft USA. I can't wait to see the final version of these lures when they hit the shelves!
