Warm Wishes

Tomorrow's forecast of rain and highs in the 30s makes me dream about days I've spent in warmer places - like those with Tim Mann of Jacksonville, Fla., sight-fishing for largemouths in springs that feed the St. Johns River. The springs stay warm all winter, and by now they should be loaded with beds and bass.

While northern Florida has its cold days, they are the exception, not the norm. And there's something about a double-digit-weight largemouth bass that will break the chill on any winter day.

The water's as clear as you would expect from spring water, so the fish can be tough customers. That's not all bad, though. You learn an aweful lot about spawning bass behavior and sight-fishing stretegies when dozens of bass are on beds, you can see them clearly, and they are all decidedly fussy. Of course, the learning is magnified, when you're tagging along with one of the best sight-fishermen on the river!