We won’t know why fishing is good one winter, poor the next until the day comes when we can ask the fish.

A lot of anglers are singing the slow-fishing blues during this big chill of a winter. Black bass and crappie fishermen may have forgotten what a bite feels like, the catching has been so slow.

Word is that it’s taking only 10 pounds to win a bass tournament at Beaver Lake this winter when it sometimes takes twice that weight. In one contest, not one angler had a limit of bass.

The bulk of crappie fishing takes place on the southern half of the lake.

Garland Villines, a Beaver Lake crappie ace who lives at Hickory Creek, said nobody is even trying to catch crappie on that part of the lake.

Water temperature is 38 degrees and the lake is muddy south of Horseshoe Bend park, Garland reports. Water that cold, plus mud, equals fish sticks for dinner.

The first clue of impending slow fishing this winter came on New Year’s Day during the annual Polar Bear bass tournament. Most years it takes 18 pounds or so to win. This year’s winning weight was 14.45 pounds.

The weigh-in was quick.

Few anglers in the 74 boats entered bothered to bring their fish to the scales.

An Alabama rig is one of the top winter lures at Beaver. James Whittle at Hook, Line and Sinker fishing store in Rogers said even that hasn’t kicked in.

Word is they’re catching bass at Table Rock Lake with Alabama rigs, Whittle said, but it’s not getting bit much at Beaver.

Jerk baits are a favorite winter lure on the Beave’, but Whittle reports the bass aren’t taking them.

This winter, area bass anglers are heading over to Swepco Lake west of Gentry to remember what a bite feels like. Fishing has been good at the warmwater lake heated by the outflow from the Flint Creek Power Plant.

Plastic worms in green colors are about all a fisherman needs this month at Swepco Lake.

Not all anglers are blue. Trout fishermen are smiling big time. Fishing is excellent for trout this winter at Lake Atalanta in Rogers and the Murphy Park pond in Springdale.

The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission stocks both with rainbow trout for winter fishing.

Trout fishing is excellent at Lake Brittany in Bella Vista as well, where the Bella Vista Property Owners Association picks up the tab to stock the lake. Those rainbow trout are purchased from a fish hatchery in Missouri.

Only property owners association members and their guests are allowed to fish at Lake Brittany.

At Lake Atalanta, white Power Bait seems irresistible to the rainbow trout this winter. Whittle, at Hook, Line and Sinker, said they can’t keep it in stock. In the lure category, small spoons are getting the most bites.

It’s the same story at Murphy Park and Lake Brittany. Trout fishing is excellent.

Fly fishing may be worth a try. I’ve never fly fi shed at Murphy Park or Lake Brittany, but I’ll bet you a handful of woolly buggers you can catch them at Lake Atalanta.

One Sunday a couple years ago I loaded up the canoe and my fly rod and headed to Lake Atalanta.

It was 35 degrees, calm and overcast. I figured I’d have the lake to myself, but there were at least a dozen anglers fishing from shore. That points to the popularity of trout fishing at the scenic lake.

I launched the canoe at the little concrete ramp on the east side of the lake and had myself a time.

Brown woolly buggers did the trick to keep my fly rod bent. There’s something about a leaping rainbow trout that keeps the cold at bay.

This year of the horse in China. It’s the year of the trout in our corner of the Ozarks.

FLIP PUTTHOFF IS OUTDOORS EDITOR FOR NWA MEDIA.

FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER:@ NWAFLIP.

Outdoor, Pages 6 on 01/23/2014