When the water temps start to drop is when I start changing my techniques, first of all you have to know where to find the fish. I start by finding the wintering holes. A wintering hole doesn't have to be the deepest water in the stretch but with the most suitable conditions. Most of the places I find have little to no current and or a good current break. You find the right hole and the fish will be stacked up.
Next thing I think that is important is downsizing baits. During this time I usually will use a piece of cut bait not much bigger than a quarter. The best baits I've had success with is small chunks of Shad, Sucker or even Chubs. A lot of guys also have much luck with cut Minnows and Nightcrawler. I also will drop my hook size to the bait. I will run a size 5/0 to 6/0 hook, J style. I also like circle hooks but a lot of times at this time of year the fish are a little more sluggish and don't load the rod up enough for the hook to work properly.
Another thing I do is lighten my gear. I will use a light to med light action rod and say 10 pound line. At times the bite is so soft that with heavier gear you might not even feel the bite. Alot of times I will use my bass tackle the colder the water gets.
The last thing is patience! You might have to hit quite a few holes before you find the right one, but when you do find the right one, it can make for some non stop channel cat action.......Smooth
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