winter, just like in the summer. But where I might drop- shot a 6 inch Roboworm in the summer, I'll scale down to a 4 inch or a 3.5 inch Roboworm when it's colder." " Also, with crank baits in the win-ter, I scale down to 6 pound test fluorocarbon line because feel and sensitivity are so much more im-portant," Welch said. " During the winter, just about the best lure to use is a # 5 Shad Rap Rapala." Much like Welch, full- time fish-ing guide Randall Kirkpatrick also loves searching for bass during the winter on Georgia's lakes. Kirkpat-rick, who owns Fish Atlanta Guide Service, said that many fisher-men miss out on what the winter months have to offer because they think that the fishing isn't as pro-ductive. Kirkpatrick said that paying at-tention to the weather during the

winter can go a long way in deter­mining the success of a bass fish­ing trip. " My tackle doesn't really change that much from summer to win­ter," Kirkpatrick said. " But looking at the weather on a particular day during the winter is very impor­tant. On overcast days during the winter, you can usually do real well bass fishing in shallow water." " On bright, sunny days during the winter, the bass are going to be deeper, especially if it has been sunny for at least three days in a row." he said. Kirkpatrick said that during the winter months, a person isn't go­ing to catch as many bass as they will during the warmer months. He did echo Welch's sentiments by saying that the size of the bass is usually bigger when the weather is cold. One reason for this, accord­ing to Kirkpatrick, is because the fish aren't as active and their me­tabolism is slower than during the spring and summer. Another key to successful winter bass fishing, Welch said, is real­izing that touch and feel are much more important than during more traditional fishing months. Dur­ing the winter, Welch said that fish aren't as aggressive and don't hit a bait as hard. He said that pull­ing a lure more slowly and paying close attention to any movement is the key in landing a winter bass. Both Welch and Kirkpatrick said that if fishermen pay attention to certain things, their winter bass fishing trips could be very pro­ductive. Here are some tips from Welch and Kirkpatrick to ensure that you get the most out of your winter bass fishing: # 1 Don ' t go out on the water early in the day. Wait until after­noon when the water temperature is going to be at its peak and the fish will be more active. # 2 Fishing near vertical breaks ( points and steep drop- offs) is best during the winter months because fish typically use them to trap their prey. # 3 Dress in layers, with insulated coveralls as the top layer. Be sure to remember that the temperature out on the water is going to be much colder than it is where you are when you're loading up for the fishing trip. # 4 Change your fishing line to at least a 6 pound test. Fish aren't as aggressive during the colder months and they won't hit a lure as hard as they do during the summer. Sensitivity is the key to landing a winter bass. # 5 Use clear fishing line, as the