I wear my Bass Pro Tourney jacket, wear fishing gloves, face shield, and a cowboy hat with rubber boots. The face shield is very important when there is wind & cold. Dress in layers-Redhead Henley shirts with hunter's vest. I also wear gloves with splits in the fingers so you can cast. I catch my biggest fish when it is cold & there is less traffic.

1. Rainbow trout 2. Black crappie 3. small freshwater catfish-fried. 4. bluegill 5. freshwater Drum. I do not include crawfish in this list (which is not a fish).

Largemouth bass is a "catch & release" fish for sport only.

I fish for sport. Largemouth bass is America's most popular fish. Like it when my drag is going & big bass go airborne. It is an experience you will never soon forget.

You did not state where you live. In Louisiana the rainbow trout in stocked public ponds by the LDWF last for 3 weeks because they are fished out. The survivors die when the temperature reaches over 70*. Since the ponds are shallow to begin with, this means middle of February. They simply cannot take the heat & have nowhere to hide. This is why they stock them after Christmas or January. Rainbow trout are not a native species here. You need cold water.

I talked to Ott Defoe. He told me to fish the wacky rig Senko (BP stickbait version) in black/blue. Two days later I caught a 7 lb. bass. I was sold. Been catching large bass ever since. Best advice I ever received. Heard this before but never practiced it until my talk with Ott. This was 3 weeks before he won the 2019 Bassmaster Classic. True Story!

Some of this seems too good to be true. Let the buyer beware. Especially the reels.

The temperature will be in the 30's Saturday morning here with rain. At night it reaches the 40's now. Right now at 3pm it feels better outside than inside. No fishing today too much going on. Maybe Wednesday afternoon.

Baton Rouge is my neighboring parish. Soon BREC will start stocking public ponds with rainbow trout; probably after Christmas. I like to catch my limit of 5 and redeposit them back in my pond. A few of them I keep to eat. I was fortunate enough to win the team competition twice in the rainbow derby. Since these trout are grain fed it is probably best to use corn or crappie nibbles until they learn how to chase baits like the rooster tail or the Rebel crickethopper.

The temperature is in the upper 30's now. All I caught was a small dink bass on the Ned rig but got late start. I acquired my Welsh Harlequin ducks from Metzer Farms in California by mail. I originally had 4 but the predators (hawks, vultures, etc.) took 3 in a 4 year period. So she is alone now(her brothers & sisters are deceased) but mingling with the mallards & Peking. Tonight bites nearly nonexistent & bass lethargic. I fish all year long. Winter does not stop me.

Last night the air temp was in the 50's, no idea what the water temp was. Tonight the air temp will be around 37*. Sunday (last night) it rained all day. I fished after the Saints game at night. Good duck weather but with rain & cold not ideal for fishing. It turned colder as the night progressed. Bites get hard but the few bites you get are worthwhile. Plan on going fishing tonight in 30's temperature. If I catch anything real will let you know Fred. I have my golden Welsh Harlequin female duck to keep me company. She usually stands behind me when I fish.

I caught bass in cold weather tonight on the Ned rig turd worm (green pumpkin) & cold cranking -Rapala DT-4 (craw). For the Ned rig a technique is needed. Sounds to me like you need to move around to find the location of the bass which is grouped together & figure out what lure to use given the conditions present. I fish the crankbait when there is current. In calm water I use the wacky rig Senko or Ned rig. Spend more time on the water to figure things out. Sometimes self discovery is the best teacher. Good luck.

A spybait worth about $15.00. Now I have only 1 of them. Fish popped my line running into grass. Can't buy it retail in stores. Had to buy it online.

Albert, I took this seminar on Crappie Madness at Bass Pro given by Jim Breaux & his wife, Cindy. He also teaches Bass to juniors & fishes in Crappie tournaments. I get education credits for this for LDWF. Why I did not remember this before I do not know. In South Louisiana crappie spawn in February and in North Louisiana in April when the temperature reaches 60*- 65*. The males seek firm bottoms & guard the nest. The female spawns several times and lays over 30,000 eggs with different mates.
My question is: do you know how to recognize a white crappie from a black one? This should be an easy one. How do you tell a male crappie from a female one? If you want to know where to fish for slabs, go to Jim. He's the go-to guy for Crappie.

Go online and ask the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries. They will have an answer for you about spawning periods for crappie.

I caught 4 bass on my St. Croix spinning rod last night. It has a good feel, lightweight, and doesn't wear you down. Got a good deal on it when I bought it. $$$ Can't go wrong...