The water in my area is unseasonably cold, and the bass aren’t biting. What can I try to stimulate some bites?

I have found that cold water fishing requires changing things a bit. The bass are slow and do not move as fast, so you should try a tube jig. The tube jigs allow you to fish slowly and they are about the right size of the food that the bass usually eat during the colder months. You should not only use the tube jig, but also your technique has to change a bit. You want to present the bait slower. This means you want the bait to drop slowly in the water. During the warmer months, you want the jig to fall faster, but when the water is cold, the bait has to descend slowly. Since you need the jig to descend slowly, use a lightweight jig. The color of the jig will have an impact on how you attract the bass as well. If the water is murky, use chartreuse and if the water is clear use watermelon or gray. Play the rod a little to give a little movement, but not to much to startle the fish. Some anglers like to a use a rattler, but I have found that the best is a quiet approach. I believe the bass get a little used to the noise and soon become uninterested in anything that makes a noise. If you use these suggestions in cold water bass fishing, you should find that your days are filled with catches instead of emptiness. It just takes a little patients and the right jig.