Give Up On Bass During Colder Months? 2025
Jucas97 reply :
Hey folks, has anyone ever gaven up on the ever so line shy finicky bass and decided to fish for cats instead during colder months? I never have done this before until last night and caught a new PB blue catfish. I strongly encourage picking up a rod and reel and fish for some cats. Unlike bass you don't have to have a box filled with all the newest KVD lures, invisible line or a boat. Catfishing can be easily done off the bank and have just as much luck as on a boat. No lures, no effort just hit or miss opportunity. I like catching bass better because catching a bass means I actually tricked a mobile fish into thinking that worm was a tasty meal. I love having to figure out what the bass want on that given day, and bass will always remain my favorite. Although now the colder months have arrived in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina I think it's safe to say I will be Catfishing until spawn season, tight lines!
Jucas97 reply :
Here it is:)
Todd2 reply :
Nice... I still get out for bass during winter. It's usually slow but it seems like when you stick one, they are bigger on average than warm water fish. Seems that way anyway.
flyfisher reply :
As long as the water isn't frozen I will fish for bass. I also agree that the bass are generally larger in the winter for me too. My largest bass of he year came on Jan. 1 and the water temp was in the high 30's. Not sure of the weight but she was 23".
aceman387 reply :
I will keep shore fishing until the ice comes. I kayak fish solo and I have a hard time motivating myself to take my kayak out as the temps drop. I wish I had a friend or partner who kayak fished so I could get motivated to take my yak out in the colder months .I'm sure I would have better luck.
BassnChris reply :
I would love to fish in the cold. But my joints and back do not play well with cold. Really kind of painful.
I do fish in the cold on occasion....but not much at all.
I *** those with good joint and back health.......at least I still have my looks! ;-)
Mainebass1984 reply :
I would keep on fishing for bass. In the winter you may not catch that many but its a great time to catch a lunker. Just today I broke through 200 feet of ice to get out to the main lake to catch some bass.
Bluebasser86 reply :
The rounded anal fin on that cat is a sure sign of a channel cat. Blues have squared off anal fins and more rays but it's impossible to count them on that fish.
I actually find catfish to be more finicky and line shy in cold water than bass are. Have to sit through a lot of little tap, tap bites before a fish finally takes the bait good and a lot of times that never happens, they just quit messing with it. Bass on the other hand, may not bite hard but they really seem to suck the bait in and hold it for a long time in cold water. 3 of the biggest fish I caught this year were caught from January to March including the 7.76 in my avatar.
Oregon Native reply :
Reasons I like winter fishin:
Less boats....including jet ski's and pleasure
There's some cold days but I dress for it and use had warmers in each front pocket
Fishing can be OUTSTANDING...even shallow sometimes
Tight Lines
vikingbear8 reply :
You are missing the best bass fishing that the piedmont has to offer by skipping winter.
On 11/16/2013 at 4:51 AM, Jucas97 said:Hey folks, has anyone ever gaven up on the ever so line shy finicky bass and decided to fish for cats instead during colder months? I never have done this before until last night and caught a new PB blue catfish. I strongly encourage picking up a rod and reel and fish for some cats. Unlike bass you don't have to have a box filled with all the newest KVD lures, invisible line or a boat. Catfishing can be easily done off the bank and have just as much luck as on a boat. No lures, no effort just hit or miss opportunity. I like catching bass better because catching a bass means I actually tricked a mobile fish into thinking that worm was a tasty meal. I love having to figure out what the bass want on that given day, and bass will always remain my favorite. Although now the colder months have arrived in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina I think it's safe to say I will be Catfishing until spawn season, tight lines!
Jucas97 reply :
Oh I would have never knew that about catfish, I know almost everything about bass, not cats. So i correct myself to catching a new *channel cat! @bluebasser86 really? I had on 20lb trilene mono on and that channel cat nailed my bait. It was 15* that night, and I was slaying catfish like it was nothing, none under 5lbs so it was pretty fun. @aceman387 Kayak fishing is so fun! I had been doing that earlier that day catching some cats and they'd pull me around the lake till I got them in the boat! It was very cold in the yak that day.
SirSnookalot reply :
The colder months are the only times I fish for bass, but that's 70 here, I don't fish for them in the summer. Right now is actually a very good time to fish here, we have had 8-10 surf this past week, that means snook all over the place. Afternoons I go bass fishing which has been pretty decent.
Mike L reply :
You guys remind me of the reasons I live in Fla.
It gets cold here too, just not months of it.
Mike
Bankbeater reply :
As long as there is no ice and I don't have to work, I will be fishing for bass.
hookset on 3 reply :
Your going to miss some beautiful, serene days like we had here in New England today. 60 degrees, with lights winds and no other boats.
I like to observe nature from shore or on the boat. We watched flocks of geese and other waterfowl flying overhead in the telltale V formation of birds migrating South for the Winter.
Oh, I did get skunked but my cousin got a 2lber. on a Reaction Innovations 4 inch Skinny dipper.
Lil'Gunner reply :
I'm going to try my first-ever all-season bass fishing, if I can stand the cold. I use a float tube, and I'm just starting to notice the chill with the water at 54F some places here. No way I'd switch to catfish ever, but that's just me..
Brian Needham reply :
they got to eat , so I gonna be there to feed them.
iabass8 reply :
I don't get a choice. I don't believe they make a rod/weight to effectively punch ice.
Jucas97 reply :
I get everyone's reason fishing for bass because there is actually technique involved in doing it so youd feel more accomplished catching something like that rather than just letting something sit on the bottom of the lake. How ever catching some cats from the bank while camping out or when your just relaxing is fun as well. Those channel cats put up one heck of a fight... & everyone says there good eating, now me myself could never catch and kill something to eat it unless I was actually starving.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/16/2013 at 11:57 PM, Jucas97 said:Oh I would have never knew that about catfish, I know almost everything about bass, not cats. So i correct myself to catching a new *channel cat! @bluebasser86 really? I had on 20lb trilene mono on and that channel cat nailed my bait. It was 15* that night, and I was slaying catfish like it was nothing, none under 5lbs so it was pretty fun. @aceman387 Kayak fishing is so fun! I had been doing that earlier that day catching some cats and they'd pull me around the lake till I got them in the boat! It was very cold in the yak that day.
Next to bass catfish are probably my favorite thing to fish for and we have all of the big 3 (channel, blues, and flats) readily available in several lakes and rivers all around here. Blues and channels both bite pretty well in cold water, even through the ice at times. My old PB blue (42 pounds) was caught in October several years ago. I broke that PB a couple years ago in July or August with a fish that bottomed out my 50lb scale. The good thing about cold weather cats is if you find them they'll often be very grouped up, which sounds like was the case for you! Good job on the nice catfish, and channels from cold water can be very good eating.
Jucas97 reply :
On 11/17/2013 at 2:00 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I broke that PB a couple years ago in July or August with a fish that bottomed out my 50lb scale. That is awesome.. I couldn't imagine catching a 50+ lb Catfish, as I said before for the most part during the day I was kayak fishing and five pounders would pull me around like i was a feather. A 50lb one would've pulled me under and they'd have to have Jeremy Wade investigate about a 16 year old pulled under at lake badin in NC lol
fish_oil reply :
Large catfish don't taste as well as the smaller ones. Large catfish have a lot of yellow fat that runs down their backs. The fat gives the catfish a stronger fishy taste.
Felix77 reply :
On 11/17/2013 at 11:53 AM, iabass8 said:I don't get a choice. I don't believe they make a rod/weight to effectively punch ice.
x2. I would love to but ice fishing doesn't do it for me. Tried it for two winters and I just don't enjoy it like I do after ice out.
basshole8190 reply :
I spllit time during winter to kill stuff and fish bass stripers and crappie until feb or march then its primarily bass fishing again till november
Gatorbassman reply :
I never skip bass fishing in the winter. It's when the biggest fish can be caught. I may switch to crappie after a front but I've always got bass on my mind. I still look for the baitfish first, then look for the bass and then slow way way down with a jig or a jerkbait.
Pensfan87 reply :
I will fish all day long for bass and when night hits I'll switch rigs for catfish. I live in greensboro and fish for blue and channel cats in the Adams farm community lake with a PB of 19 lbs..... Y not have the best of both worlds? Although if it is a super cloudy day I'll just fish for cats all day seeing as the lake I fish is highly pressured for largemouth
SirSnookalot reply :
The colder months are pretty much the only times when I do focus on catching bass, I do get out in the summer but not everyday like now. My day always starts with saltwater but the bite is not real good now, have caught only 1 snook in the last week, being a die hard I won't give it up. I am doing quite a bit of bass and peacock fishing now, I just have developed a terrible taste for fishing heavy vegetation, even though there are some great fish out there. I'm fishing pretty much ponds with a light power rod, the fish aren't much more than a few pounds but I'm enjoying it more.
Jon G reply :
Well this is my first "winter" since i moved here from SoCal 6 months ago but during the winter in SoCal the halibut bite is pretty amazing this time of year so i usually take a little break from bass but now that im here and theres ice everywhere id be happy if the ice melted and i only caught a minnow
*Hootie reply :
On 11/16/2013 at 12:05 PM, Mainebass1984 said:I would keep on fishing for bass. In the winter you may not catch that many but its a great time to catch a lunker. Just today I broke through 200 feet of ice to get out to the main lake to catch some bass.
MAN!!!.....That is some THICK ICE!!
Hootie
whitwolf reply :
Jucas,
I say fish for what you want and most Importantly, have fun!
Pens, welcome to BR from the Hickory area!
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