Northern Indiana Open Water Success

[keithdog]

For the past 6 weeks the area lakes have been frozen over solid. However, last weeks unusually warm temps and heavy rains melted all the ice and gave us here in northern Indiana a chance at some mid winter open water bass fishing. I recieved a Cabellas Prestige casting reel for Chrsitmas and matched it to a BPS Proqualifier rod. I had to get out and try that new outfit. I was fishing off shore at a local lake and headed to a point where I knew there were some deep water weedbeds within casting range. Trying out a couple crankbaits worked slowly back to shore brought no strikes. I was hoping maybe I'd snag one of the walleyes in this lake. I did snag an underwater something? and lost one of my nice cranks. So I switched gears and thought I would try casting for bass. I didn't expect to have any success as the water was very murky and only in the mid to upper 30's in temp. In fact, I noticed one of the ponds I passed on the way to the lake had skimmed back over with ice. I tied on a white Chatterbait with a chartruese twin tail trailer. Casting into deeper water about 30 feet from shore brought zip. Finally I decided to concentrate on the flooded brush and grass along shore. These are areas that are normally well up on shore and dry. I was in the back of a sheltered bay where there was plenty off flooded brush and grass, "kentucky blue", I suppose. Standing well back from the target, I cast my chatterbait well past the brush in water less than 2 foot in depth. As soon as my bait neared the brush, I had my first bass on. I actually lost that one as he hit so softly I thought I had snagged a thin wispy twig under water. I was tugging softly to pull the chatterbait free from the snag when it zipped out in front of me and shook free. That was no twig I said as the bass did a half hearted jump and slipped away. From there on I kept working flooded brush in water only knee deep and landed two more. By now it was 3:30, and I had to leave. I have T-Bones waitting to grill. But in that 1 1/2 hours, I learned a little about the hows and where of bass fishing in northern parts when you have that freak warmup and open water returns. The chatterbait was my top early ice out lure last season and that is why I opted for that particular lure today. It proved itself again today for cold water early season fishing. And by the way, the new Cabelas Prestige reel I recieved for Christmas was a pure joy to cast. I am placing an order for a second today.