Last winter was my first time deadsticking, and now I feel like a little kid at Xmas waiting on that time again. Lol
When will birds start diving and fish start gathering? Certain temperature perhaps?

Water temps in the 50's.
Johnny

explain deadsticking...just throw it out and let it sit???

Good electronics are critical. Find balls of bait, drop a single jig head, usually one ounce is minimum , attach fluke, preferably not paddle tail, drop jig and fluke close and above bait ball.Use cadence, pounding boat floor, wait or anticipate tap. set hook via wrist twitch or straight upward pull. This time of year a lot of push-ups occur, whereby fish push jig upward therefore, removing weighted feel on your line.Set hook right left, or easier, attach stinger hook. BTW it isn't time, at least on the lakes we fish around W'ford . I am one of several " dead Stick" junkies here in W'ford and we fish at least two to three times per week, especially in the winter. Sleet , snow , ice and wind are part of an avid dead sticker's environment. Now, some proficient dead stickers will chime in and underscore and plus the afore mentioned. Tandem jigs have a place, however, we get too many break-offs even with 20 lb. line.

thanks...but u killed it with the sleet/snow/ice/wind...believe i'll sit n a crappie barn with the heater/coffee

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These will solve your break off issues,
https://moestackleshop.com/product/drop-shot-clips/

Yep. When water temps get in low 50s and upper 40s it's on!!!!

Fish with two rods in each hand.

Moe's rocks.

hese will solve your break off issues,
https://moestackleshop.com/product/drop-shot-clips/

Good thread, however, even fishing with the drop shot set-up and line between the tandem less than 14 inches, does not stop two double digit fish on at the same time whereby one slices via gill plates tag line. It maybe me using med-heavy 6' fast action mini eye rods. ? Any input is always accepted and appreciated.

It is not quite dead sticking time, but they like a slow presentation now as opposed to a fast one when the water is warmer. I have had better luck with small slabs than with plastic on a jig head. It could just be me.

What size and color flukes should I be using for Ray Hubbard? 1oz jig head?

I am just north of Tawakoni and my pond just now is 59 deg

Don I am with you last year for the first six weeks of dead sticking we did a lot better with slabs than flukes.
Some people thought it was because I make slabs. People believe what they want to.
Johnny

Johnny we did the same last year, one had a slab on bottom we all had flukes we all caught but clearly the slab worked better then we all changed and were catching better, white or chartreuse.

Matt convinced me to go to 50# line between the two lures and I have not had a break off yet. It also has not reduced my bite frequency. I picked up two 8# fish at the same time near the mid-lake trees on Tawakoni with no problem. We need an automatic thumper. After two hours of beating the boat I am tired.