It's the most wonderful time of the year!  You'll hear me bellowing out those words on nice windless 40+ degree days from November through March.  River smallmouth bass are hunkered down into their wintering areas and will stay there.  High water may force movement from time to time, but they'll find areas where they can be secure regardless of the flows.  It's the cold water period, and it means the jig bite is on and big fish are to be had.

One of my favorite lures for tempting cold, lethargic smallies is a hair jig.  Hands down, my favorite material is rabbit hair.  Fox and bear are also very effective.  I like rabbit because it's bushier and creates more of its own life under the water.  Here's what I mean.  Other hair materials tend to mash together and lessen the profile of the lure.  That may work well in clearer water.  However, bulkier rabbit hair jigs, like the Millennium Jigs made by BC Dampman Lures, have a larger profile in stained water and they pulsate while setting on the bottom without the angler moving the lure.  That is so key to enticing strikes in the cold water, less movement but it looks alive!  To give the jig even more life, I'll add a small trailer if fish dictate they want it that way!

Check out the Millennium Jigs here . 

And keep watching Backwoods Angler TV as we often show you episodes where we're in pursuit of cool or cold water smallmouth! 

Good Fishin!

Blaine