Crankbaits also work well around docks in both lakes. A No. 5 or 7 Shad Rap run by dock pilings should draw strikes from winter bass. Natural colors like shad or black-and-silver are good. Just as with the jig-and-pig, fish with the current. Run your crankbait at a slow, steady retrieve, going even slower when the water's colder.

At Oconee, the docks from Long Shoals Ramp up to the State Route 44 Bridge are good. Stay on main-lake areas whose docks are over deeper water and concentrate on outside posts and sunken brush this time of year. Work your jig-and-pig or worm slowly in the cold water, dropping it to the bottom and jiggling it in one spot by a post.

At Sinclair, the docks in Beaverdam Creek are good, since the discharge from the steam plant keeps the water warmer. Some current is almost always present here, too, as the discharge moves water even when no current's coming out of the dams. Also try the docks from Beaverdam Creek to the dam. If the water's muddy, go into Rocky and Island creeks and flip to docks in the clearer water there.

Targeting riprap is an excellent pattern at both lakes in the winter. A spinnerbait slow-rolled just over the rocks, ticking them as it eases along, is a smart choice. Fish it with the current. Crankbaits are also good. Use different sizes to reach different depths. For rocks 5 feet deep, cast a No. 5 Shad Rap, but go to a No. 8 size for rocks down to 10 feet. Fish all the lures with the current, reeling them down to the desired depth and then crank in slowly.

At Sinclair, you can usually find current around the rocks at the U.S. 441 bridges; the one in Beaverdam Creek has the added advantage of warmer water. Also check out the riprap around the steam plant outflow in that creek. The riprap at Crooked Creek can be good, and rocks around houses and docks on points on the main lake often hold fish, especially if the sun is warming them.

At Oconee, the bridges in Lick Creek area always are worth your while, as is the SR 44 bridge over the river. You can catch fish on the Interstate 20 riprap up the river, too.

Many of the houses on the main lake have riprap protecting their shoreline. Rocks in front of a seawall that drops into deep water are best. Current is the key; the bass bite much better when some water is moving across the rocks.

On the main lake at both Oconee and Sinclair are a lot of long points and humps good for jigging a spoon in cold water. Bass stack up in deep water and hold there all winter long. A shallow point or hump with a good drop on it is ideal for finding a school of bass. Most such structure is near creek and river channels.