Putting in the work....earning the bite. Searching for that big winter bass.

There is no two ways about it, catching largemouth in the winter is tough. Being cold blooded creatures their metabolism is linked to water temperature and by extension, how much they need to eat diminishes. Knowing this, and coupling it to keen observations of our bass fishing forbearers has lead to a strategic plan of attack for this time of year. Go very big, or go very small.
Why the BIG BAIT? Many a swimbait angler can attest to giant catches in cold water by c-r-a-w-l-i-n-g large trouts along the bottom or painfully slow stop-and-go retrieves of wake baits, with some of the stops lasting for 15 seconds or more. A huge meal that is moving ultra slow adds up as 'worth the effort' to a big bass. They may not need to eat for days if successfully catching a large meal. If predation was business....that'd be considered a fantastic deal.
Why the SMALL BAIT: Because their metabolism is slowed the fish simply do not need to eat as often as in warmer weather. However, because they do not hibernate or go into a true suspended animation they do still need to fuel up their tank. As such, a small meal can satisfy their caloric needs. And, because small, yearling fish, have a tendency to die off more than their older brethren many predatory fish can sustain themselves on these year old babies as they flutter to the bottom.
Keeping those two key ideas in mind (either very big meals, or very small meals) I set with my 8" Huddleston trout, 8" wake bait, 4" underspin, and 2" blade bait in hopes of connecting with an elusive winter giant.