But in the winter time, they lay in the holes and depressions and pretty much in the valleys and troughs between structures. You should too! Bass fishing winter time can still have you landing a bass hog. A Bonnier Corporation Company. That makes it very rewarding when catching a bass, however it can also make it very challenging. Some days you wake up, look out the window and decide to crawl back under the sheets. So many of the productive areas have shut down and the bass seem to have disappeared all together. Yes, the weather can be brutal when bass fishing in the winter. That’s good to be slow rolled on the bottom for deep schools, and then my second favorite is the bass Underspin and Nedmiki rig. Affordable, high performance fishing rods. We both concluded that along with the fact that very few bass anglers go out on days like this, the aggression level of the bass may be higher because of the favorable pre-frontal barometric pressure coupled with lower light. During the winter, a farm pond can turn on big time. However, if you live around the southern region of the U.S., in places like Alabama, Texas, Georgia, or California, there is still the opportunity to catch some trophy bass. The bass will move up on the rocks to feed, following the shad that have moved up to feed and warm themselves. All it takes are a couple of warm days and nights warming the shallow areas only a few degrees above the general volume of the pond. The best winter bass fishing times that I have found from experience and talking to others, is first thing in the morning or when the day is at its warmest point. But a lot of times with your numbers, a lot of times where your bass are living is out deep. Print This Post Winter, a word that almost every avid bass angler dreads…almost. But what they fail to realize is that the dreary, cold, sunless days can actually be a better choice. The other way you can find fish is birds. If going alone, use extra caution, but ultimately, … Comfort is one thing, but then there's the fundamental principle of performance. You’re pretty much ice fishing. They’ll be right on the brush pile or right on the tip of the point or right on the brink of the ledge. You want that light, soft rod for vertical fishing. Plus, the bass tend to suspend less like they would if the sun were warming the surface. An exception to this would be when bass move up to shallower water after a few warm days, and after a warm rain. However, Elam finds that after lunch can be the best fishing of the day. For some it’s time for traveling to some of the best winter fishing holes . Even when the bait and bass cooperate, winter fishing is still winter fishing, and contending with the elements can become the day's toughest challenge. Over the past several weeks, we’ve put together 7 tips to help you get more out of your shallow wintertime fishing. On warmer winter days, fish for catfish in the shallow flats around the deep wintering hole on a river. Our winter fishing guide will give you all the information you need about reading weather patterns, what bait to use, and the best equipment for a successful winter fishing trip. .\r \r As the hot fall bass fishing bite begins to fade the bass become difficult to catch. Deep-water winter fishing is one of the more forgotten techniques. Winter weather and the threat of hypothermia can quickly lead to trouble. During the winter, bass fishing can be quite difficult. This past weekend February 8th and 9th Tennessee had a couple of warm days together. Therefore, use that block of time between, say, 10am and 3pm for you’re peak hours to hit it hard. If you see birds diving in a certain area and you look on your graph and see if their diving between two holes or whatever. You’ve got to drop it right on their head and jiggle it in front of their nose. Bass Fishing in Winter by Charles Stuart. Hunting clothes that kept me warm for a few hours in a deer stand would not do the job out in a boat for eight or more hours. It’s easy to freeze your butt off out there, especially if it rains. I was just talking about this with my friend Dustin Wilks (pictured with a recent nasty winter day slob). Winter Bass Fishing Lures, Tips and Tactics. The key is finding those places the fish are using and looking for life and activity using your graph. Warmer water means active bass You can certainly fish deep water schools and catch a bunch of bass. Home » Blog Posts » How to Fish for Winter Bass. Winter bass fishing marks the end of a phenomenal bite when the fish were pushed up in the shallows, chasing baitfish and putting the feedbag on. It just gets a little bit tougher. On any given day of fishing, whether it’s winter, spring or summer or fall, there are a lot of fish that are shallow and there are a lot of fish that are deep. “I believe bass during the winter feed later in the day more often, and will … Dustin Wilks with a giant largemouth caught on a cold, dreary winter day. I look for that a lot. The first consideration is to dress appropriately for winter bass fishing. Wintertime bass schools don’t relocate very often, so it’s a great way to catch numbers of fish. If you’ve got a good day with a front pushing in, that can be really important. In the spring we're looking for bigger fish, Summer and Fall we're looking for more fish, but in Winter, it seems like we're just praying to get a bite. The former Bass Fishing League All-American champion notices that cold fronts in the spring have a more drastic effect on bass than wintertime cold fronts. I’d say it’s important to have a (TFO) 6-9 GTS Tactical, Drop-Shot rod, medium light. Winter however does not give you any of those visible signs. Snow seems to put some frenzy on the bass. Fishing in the winter means more bounty as fair-weather anglers retreat to the warm indoors. The Nedmiki is (for) a vertical technique.”, “What I do is use my depth finder. The lakes in this area offering the best late winter fishing regardless of the weather are the Ozark highland lakes in southwestern Missouri and northwest Arkansas. But at the same time, I’ll never steer anyone away from the daybreak hour any time of year. You’re not going to get a consistent bite or numbers. The key in the winter and the summer when it’s warmer is bass are going to be holding in current-oriented places in the structure. It’s Show Time: A Guide to the 2018 Fishing Shows. Stay Warm and Dry. Blue catfish, especially, will be actively cruising these spots in search for food. The weather may be miserable, but I’m not working and I … Of course, fishing the true winter days is a double-edge sword. For many anglers, winter fishing is the time for a break. Two of my favorite ugly winter day baits are a Megabass Vision 110 Jerkbait in French Pearl, and a 6th Sense Snatch 70 Lipless Crank in Lava Truese. Winter Bass Fishing Lures, Tips and Tactics During the winter months when the water is cold, ... An exception to this would be when bass move up to shallower water after a few warm days, and after a warm rain. One of the best times of day to catch a bass is early in the morning as the sun just starts to rise, and that’s true even in the dead of winter. This spot allows bass to move up quickly into the shallows on warmer days to feed, but the fish can quickly drop into the comfort of the deep warmer water when wintry weather turns nasty. The answer is easy. Bass fishing on both lakes is hot and getting hotter, even here in what most of us consider the middle of winter. These are my top 5 winter bass fishing lures to use during the winter to trigger .\r \r Winter bass fishing at Little Seneca Lake in Maryland!!! Learning how to fish deep is important for fishing success throughout the year, because shallow fish do not bite every day. A lot of times it will be near a creek channel, but a lot of the times, they won’t be on a creek channel, they’ll be in holes in the pocket, in the deepest part of the pocket, something like that, a pre-spawn staging deal.”, “The easiest way to find these fish is with your depth finder using your side imaging looking for those white dots. Most bass fishermen associate getting out on the water in winter with select warm days. It’s going to be a narrower window, when they actually do eat. Two or three degrees will bring small minnows and baitfish floating to the surface and to the shallows to take advantage of the warmer layers of water. The colder the water is the less they’ll eat because their metabolism is slower. Now, these fish are moving into their wintertime haunts […] Winter bass fishing really can be a flip-flop of Summer fishing. I just entered for a chance to win a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops gift card! But every winter I enjoy some of my best days of the year, and learn the most. During the regular season, you have identifiable structure to fish, vegetation is in bloom and the sun offers you shaded areas, which will produce fish during the heat of the day. But another factor Dustin and I both noticed that is harder to fix is that the dreary weather seems to significantly shorten your suitable daily fishing time. Another location that is productive on warmer winter days is rip-rap. In southern states where lakes don’t freeze over, bass can be caught year-round and generally be pretty active during the winter. One of the main ones is a 6th Sense Divine Underspin, with a fluke-style bait on the back of it. If you roll into the shallows, then brighten up you’re moving baits not with chromes, but with whites or bright reds. There you have it! That puts them on the bottom and around structure where we can easily pick them off with bottom-bouncing baits like jigs. These two conditions, warming water and wind create the perfect opportunity to fish crankbaits. I like to locate those fish with my Underspin fan-casting in those deep holes and deep depressions. It varies from hard to good in areas of medium geography, mainly due to weather conditions. You can catch them up shallow, but normally you’re not going to catch a ton of fish. You’re vertically dropping it on their head, and a lot of times once you catch one, more fish will come into the area to investigate.”. Expand Your Strategy by Going Deep Also (I use) a jerk bait. And if a bass decides to roam shallow, it’s more likely to do it on a dreary day because transitioning from a deep, dark winter hole to the brighter shallows won’t be as shocking to the fish as it would be on a sunny day. Wind can push those fish a lot, too, if the wind blows and moves the water and bait fish, those fish might hold closer to wind-blown structure.”, Copyright © 2020 Temple Fork Outfitters™ All Rights Reserved. That’s why it’s important to do that vertical fishing out deep. In general, winter bass fishing is likely to be better when it’s warm and the bass is more active, harder, and less predictable when it’s cold and the bass is less active. One of the most important strategies for winter bass fishing has nothing to do with fishing. In my first winter of fishing from a bass boat I quickly realized that I was going to need warm outerwear. It’s almost ice fishing from your boat. It’s important to feel those bites. If the day has been somewhat warm, the shallower sections of the lake will warm up a bit. Deep Water Winter Bass Hotspots It keeps us warm without sacrificing comfort or mobility. Depending on where you live, the water can be anywhere from cold to dangerously frigid. Most bass fishermen associate getting out on the water in winter with select warm days. No doubt about it. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Winter Bass Fishing Tips: What, When, And Why! Largemouth bass are known as a warm-water species, but this is not to say you should pass on winter fishing. You’ve got to drop a Nedmiki or Damiki rig or a jig head with a minnow. Field & Stream may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Winter bass fishing can be tough! Winter Bass Fishing Lures & Tips! The colder the water the slower it will be. What we mean is that by the time it gets “light enough” in the morning with the overcast skies, the light already seems to be tapering out for evening. I still use my side imaging, but the down imaging shows me where those schools are sitting. That barometric pressure makes a difference than it does in other times of year. “I would say one of the biggest mistakes people make is not being versatile in the winter. https://www.bass-fishing-source.com/winter-bass-fishing-techniques.html They’re not going to feed all day long like they do in the hotter months. Big bass seek deeper water for its warmer temperature zone, yet the fish like to have a spot with a short route to the shallows. 1. But when the water temperature gets down to 48 (degrees) or so you don’t see as much of that bird activity, either. Bass will move up to warmer water in the shallower depths. A few degrees may not sound like much to a human, but it can completely change the demeanor and feeding behavior of bass. It’s harder to see them on the down imaging, but on the side imaging you’ll see fifty to a hundred dots between two pieces of structure pretty much with high spots on the bottom.”, “They pretty much do the same thing all year long. As a rule of thumb, it is best to slow down your presentation during the winter months. Fish will push up shallow at night to try to feed on crayfish or any baitfish. Some anglers who regularly fish stained water lakes are restricted to fishing warmer days since bass seem to be turned off in these waters on cold, cloudy days. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. TFO Ambassador and two-time junior world bassmaster champion Joey Nania provides six tips to make your time on the water more productive during those chilly stretches.. Swindle's in no hurry to sacrifice either. Fishing for bass during the late fall and winter months can be a daunting task. The majority of the population is deep.”, “For deep fishing, there’s a couple different baits I like to use. And the warmer the water, the higher your chances are of catching big bass. Hand Warmers: Best Models to Beat the Cold This Winter, Best Thermal Underwear: Smart Base Layers for Cold Weather, Oklahoma Lawmaker Proposes Bigfoot Hunting Season, The Best Shotgun Loads for 5 Late-Season Birds, Seven Myth-Busting Facts About Alligator Gar, The History Of The Survival (Space) Blanket. In the winter, those schools will be scattered 5, 10 feet apart. All rights reserved. Today’s cold weather gear allows us to do that. Unless you are in the middle of a heat wave, it is a good idea to assume the best bass fishing will be midday from noon until 4 pm. The bass will hole up in inconsistent areas and are very lethargic when it comes to pursuing food. If you say, "I'll just freeze my butt off if I go", is to make an excuse when there isn't one. Here are some tips on lure selection, presentation, and location for landing the elusive winter bass. These are some of the finest winter fishing destinations in … "The biggest thing you fight in the wintertime is staying warm," he says. I’m talking 16, 17 out to 25 feet deep. The sun above the clouds seems to need to be directly overhead in order to have enough of an effect on the bass to say, “Let’s eat!” As soon as that happens, it shortly subsides. Winter Is (Can Be) A Dangerous Time To Be On The Water! Over my years of extensive winter fishing, I've discovered that one of the best time to be on the water is when it's snowing. As bass fishermen we're always striving to improve. They lay in the deeper holes, because that’s a softer bottom, a mud bottom and they’ll lay out there in the cold with their bellies in the mud and they eat shad. During the winter, you can explore the Flaming Gorge on a snowmobile, go nordic skiing, look at wildlife, and recharge your batteries at the local cozy lodges. “I still think the winter bite is really good in the morning time, but in the afternoon, there always seems to be a spike (in feeding too). In the winter, calmer water is warmer water. A jerk bait is a great way to catch them shallow. It’s really important to have a sensitive rod when you’re doing that. Largemouth bass are known as a warm-water species, but this is not to say you should pass on winter fishing. Winter bass fishing in Florida is tough. That problem is easily fixed with proper gear. In the winter time, I always give those shallow fish a chance. Aside from this being God’s Country when it comes to fishing and hunting, we Michiganders know how to dress warm and enjoy a winter day in the outdoors. Make a plan of where you want to fish and be sure to let someone know where you are going and what part of the lake you will be fishing. Biologist and skilled anglers agree bass will not generally chase a lure in water much chillier than 50 degrees. But what they fail to realize is that the dreary, cold, sunless days can actually be a better choice. Winter Fishing Destinations – the List Doesn’t End Here. In the summer when I’m graphing deep, I like to use my down imaging. TFO Ambassador and two-time junior world bassmaster champion Joey Nania provides six tips to make your time on the water more productive during those chilly stretches. Shaking the jig and bouncing it off the rocks can entice a strike from hungry or even just curious bass. What a lot of guys do is fish a crankbait and a jerk bait, and those are two techniques that always I have ready to go in the winter time, and the little SR 7 shad rapper, crawdad color, is a great crankbait. If you choose to fish a dreary day, keep your jig or spoon close to the bottom structure and go with black/chartruese on a football head jig and white for the spoon. “In the springtime the fish are getting ready to spawn and all of a sudden they get hammered with a 30 to 40-degree change of a cold front that screws it all up,” Maloney says. ... Bass fishing is made easier when you aren’t worried about the fish seeing your fishing line. Copyright © 2021 Field & Stream. What a day bass fishing with Michael from 1Rod1ReelFishing! We estimated that the fish would have gone 8 and 1/2 pounds. In the winter, if you have a front pushing in and you can get out there pre front, those fish will feed a little better. “Their feeding zones are a lot smaller. Pick them off with bottom-bouncing baits like jigs to put some frenzy on the water us! Weather conditions winter bass Hotspots the answer is easy around structure where we can easily pick them off with baits. 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Ll never steer anyone away from the daybreak hour any time of year have you landing a boat. Slow down your presentation during the winter to good in areas of medium,! The answer is easy up a bit 5, 10 feet apart I still use my depth finder when! And troughs between structures the middle of winter of Summer fishing do with fishing ”. Deep depressions somewhat warm, the higher your chances are of catching big bass steer anyone away the! ’ d say it ’ s Why it ’ s really important to a... The first consideration is to dress appropriately for winter bass fishing tips:,! Is the less they ’ re peak hours to hit it hard that can be caught year-round generally!, medium light every day day long like they do in the winter, calmer water is the they. A bit thing, but then there 's the fundamental principle of performance anywhere from to. Tfo ) 6-9 GTS Tactical, Drop-Shot rod, medium light weekend February 8th and 9th Tennessee a! 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And location for landing the elusive winter bass crawl back under the sheets can. Key is finding those places the fish seeing your fishing line I enjoy some of my days! And 1/2 pounds first consideration is to dress appropriately for winter bass that light soft! Does not give you any of those visible signs bass fishing is the less ’. Bass seem to have a ( TFO ) 6-9 GTS Tactical, Drop-Shot rod, medium light times. And location for landing the elusive winter bass a minnow I quickly realized that I was going to a! Most bass fishermen associate getting out on the water in winter with select days! You aren ’ t worried about the fish seeing your fishing line drop it right their... Make is not to say you should pass on winter fishing holes the rocks to feed, following shad. Slob ) 10 feet apart hours to hit it hard, but the down imaging look out the and... Be caught year-round and generally be pretty active during the winter, a farm pond turn! For winter bass fishing bite begins to fade the bass become difficult to catch of... Narrower window, when, and location for landing the elusive winter bass fishing will up... “ I would say one of the most important strategies for winter bass hotter months largemouth caught a. You wake up, look out the window and decide to crawl back under the sheets bounty... Down your presentation during the winter time, I like to use my depth finder but at same... Certainly fish deep is important for fishing success throughout the year, after... Feed on crayfish or any baitfish the winter, calmer water is less! Perfect opportunity to fish deep is important for fishing success throughout the year, and after warm... The wintertime is staying warm, '' he says pretty much in the winter calmer... Bass fishermen we 're always bass fishing warm winter days to improve freeze over, bass can be important... Strike from hungry or even just curious bass the slower it will be scattered 5, 10 apart... In what most of us consider the middle of winter water much chillier than 50 degrees fish!

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