I try to make the best use of my offseason time and that comes down to a mix of deer hunting, business organization and fishing.
I do a lot of deer hunting this time of year in Southern Illinois and Central Alabama, but I’m also very busy with various aspects of sponsor relationships. Also, I’m selling the boat I used for the 2025 season and getting my new Blazer 625 Pro Tour rigged.
I hunt in the early mornings and afternoons, so I use the time in between for my business coordination. I’m in the tree by 5:30 and I’ll be out by 8:30 or 9. I’ll be back in the tree by 3, so I’ll give myself about five hours a day to make phone calls and take care of business.
I also like to fish as much as I can during the offseason, but I have found it’s important to maintain a balance. This year, I’ve hunted more than I’ve fished because last year, I think I fished too much.
The excitement to get the 2025 season started wasn’t the same as it was the year prior, when I didn’t fish as much in the offseason. I think it’s good to have a slight break from it, so you’re more excited when the season comes around.
Of course, when it’s time to get back into tournament mode, you want to make sure you’re ready to go. That’s why the most important part of offseason fishing is maintaining your skill set.
You don’t want the first time you pick up a rod to be the beginning of a new Elite season. You want to focus on the fundamentals of fishing through repetition, after repetition, without the pressure of tournament performance.
I spend most of my offseason fishing time on the lower Coosa River, where I split my time between Lay Lake, Lake Mitchell and Lake Jordan. There are a lot of nomadic floating fish to be caught, but when the weather presents the right conditions, I catch them swimming a jig and flipping.
What I mean by the right conditions is a warm front in the winter. Nightly lows are what determine a warming trend and that usually means a south wind.
After a cold night, it takes those fish the full length of the day to be present again in those same places, versus when you have a warm night, those fish have made that transition and not many of them leave.
You’ll have more fish present the next morning and throughout the day — the south wind positions more fish on those shallow places. You always want fresh ones coming to you.
That goes along with my basic advice to folks who want to fish during the late-fall through winter period — fish the conditions. This time of year is the most fickle, so let the day tell you what’s going on.
If it’s a high pressure, hard north wind cold front day, stay out there and scope. You’re not going to have that many opportunities up shallow.
If you start the day with low pressure and no sun, but then the sun peaks out and you’re on a warming trend, get up there shallow and try to catch one. The sun and the south wind are your best friends.
