The coldest water you can consistently catch LMB 2024

Micro reply :

What's the coldest water in which you can consistently catch LMB? We'll define consistently as at least a few decent sized bass on a bass technique (not as a bycatch while jigging for crappie) for an average outing.

For my neck of the woods, once the water temps drop much below 50, the fish seem to get lock-jaw. I might be able to pick up a few in the high 40s, but otherwise, I usually wash out.

Anyone have the same experience? If not, what's your cold-water technique?

thetr20one reply :

I am in Ohio and plan on Fishing Erie for largemouth Friday. Temps are problably in the low 40s to mid 40s. I will let you know how that turns out . We went out the same time last year at the same time and cleaned up! there has been as much as 13" of snow fall up here already.

Gatorbassman reply :

I've had great success even when the water was in the high 30s. You still have to find them and then figure out what they want and how they want it. But studies and some of the biologists that I know concider the magic temp to be 53. That's usually when they shut down for the winter.

Troutfisher reply :

Bass can be caught in any situation, you just have to know where they are and how to get them to hit, even when they aren't hungry for anything. I caught a bass in a 4 ft section of unfrozen lake, and the rest was frozen solid. Any time during the week when it is warmer than usual can be killer to catch them. Just remember to work slow.

Micro reply :

What are you getting them with in temps that low? The water today never made it to 42 degrees. That's really cold for this time of year where I am. Water around here usually only gets down to 41 in the dead of winter (Jan or Feb), after I've usually hung it up for the season.

I tried jigs (blue/black with okeechobee Paca Chunks and blue/green Berkley Craws). I tried carolina rigging blue/green 7" Rage Anacondas. And, of course, deep diving cranks. All I got was a few blue cats and a bowfin on the jigs (one hit on the rage tail, which I'm assuming was another blue cat). I know where the fish are because I've killed them this time of year in years past. I just couldn't buy a bite today. It's too early to give up bass fishing for the year.

MattStrykul reply :

I'd say low 40's for me. My favorite thing to do is throw a 1/2 oz evolution jigs UP points. I pull my boat up into the shallows of the point and throw off of it and bump the jig up. Give it a try.

BassinBoy reply :

Im in the same temperature range of high 40's to low 50's. Its the minimum temp ill try to catch them in.

HPBB reply :

There is something you might want to re-think?

look at you last post and see if you see it?

you said the water is 42degree

and only get down to 41degree in jan-feb.

then later you said you know where the fish are becasue you have killed them in the past this time of year.

you see it yet?

Ok,its Nov now. the fish might not be where they ussialy are this time of year because it as cold as it gets in jan-feb. the fish are mostlikely not where you think they are.

I have caught bass in temps as low as 40, most if not all of them off of a jig (jig & Pig and tube). and when to hang it up? when the water gets hard. If I get a free day here in the near future I plan on getting out.

Micro reply :

In years past, the water temp was normally in the lower 50s, high 40s, this same time of year. I think the fish are in the same place. The deepest part of this lake is where I was fishing. I saw incredible numbers of fish on my finder bunched up around deep structure. This time last year I caught fish on that structure. This time nothing. I think the only difference in the water temp. Could be wrong, though.

Matt 825 reply :

We fish for them and catch them with water temps in the mid 30's. We catch them right before the ponds freeze over, then we catch them through the ice and then once again the day after it melts.

The key to catching LMB in water below 40 is location, location, location. Look for the best weeds in the deepest areas that they will grow. Some lakes that may be 4-6 ft other lakes 18-20ft. I have had the best success for LMB in shallower lakes fishing with jerkbaits. You have to fish it very slow with a 15-45 second pause in between jerks.

If you find them in water with temps in the 30's you can get them to eat your bait and they will probably be quality fish.

Siebert Outdoors reply :

usually for me its the high 30's.

SuskyDude reply :

I've had pretty good day's through the ice. Is that cold enough? ;D

Tokyo Tony reply :

In the spring, low 40's temps are beautiful and I can catch a bunch on jerkbaits. In the fall, low 40's temps mean I'm probably not catching much of anything.

My favorite fall technique this year is slow-rolling a 1/2 oz chatterbait along the bottom, so that the blade barely vibrates. I think I'm pretty much done for the year though. Water temps in the high 30's, low 40's, and it's been really windy lately.

detroit1 reply :

For me, 48 degrees (water) is the coldest i caught a bass. Usually once it dips below 50, i have a problem scratching out more than 1 in a 4 hr. outing. Thats when i hang it up for the season. If i could stand being out in that cold weather for 8 hrs, who knows - i might be able to find a school of gooduns...

eatnsleepfishing reply :

I went out this last Sunday and the water temp is at 55 but going down every day.I'm still catching bass very shallow but they are changing from Large mouths to Kentucky bass.Large mouths are starting to move out to main lake points and bluff ends.I have a tournament this Sat. I will let you know what the temp and how I do.I'm using Shakey Head and Football jigs and Square bill Bagley.We have tournaments all winter long here but you do see the total weight for the day go down as the water cools down.

MNBassguy reply :

upper 40's cranks and a slow rolled spinnerbait when the water lower 40,s till ice up Jigs,tubes and c-rigged plastics.It was said earlier its all about location!!!!!!!

bilgerat reply :

Here in New Jersey I was catching fish all winter last year, although pickeral outnumbered the bass. Water temps in the mid thirties. Gonna hit it again this year, will try some new techniques and strageties to get more bass. I hear winter is a good time to get hogs, I just need to dial in to them.

5bass reply :

Micro, the bass should be somewhat grouped up around the baitfish. If the baitfish move into or out of an area, you can bet the bass will follow them. Its not uncommon here on Smith Mtn to catch a good bag with the water temp hovering around 40. The best technique once you find a school is the jigging spoon.

paul. reply :

i have caught plenty of bass in 35 degree water. jigs, tubes, small plastics (zoom ultra vibe speed craw is a killer), suspending baits. live baits work well too if you can find them this time of the year. the trick seems to be finding the windows where the bass are active/feeding. these are few and far between when the water is frigid cold. but if you can time it right it can be really great. you will be fishing for bass that might not have seen a lure in 3 months. i remember a couple of years ago i found a hot bite in 35 degree water. i was catching 'em left and right in 3-4 ft. of water with a suspending bait. good ones too. i got 2 over 7 in that trip. i haven't experienced anything like that since then, but i do have fairly consistent results when i go in the winter using the above mentioned baits.

Paul Roberts reply :

paul,

Do you have a date for that trip?

Do you know what the forage was at that time?

paul. reply :

other than remembering it was in january, i'm not exactly sure about the date paul. i don't really keep detailed records. too much work. ;D forage was probably a mix of shad/shiner minnows/bluegill.

Paul Roberts reply :

OK. Thanks.

5bass reply :

Are we talking about fishing from a boat on a big lake or walking the banks of a pond? Knowing this will help and will allow more detailed answers.

My earlier response was from my experience fishing a big lake where you use your electronics to locate schools of bait that have bass following and drop a jigging spoon down to 'em. This would obviously not be the best tactic walking the banks of a small private pond.

Micro reply :

Yes, fishing from a boat. I'm finding fish holding at anywhere from 15-25 feet in 25-30 feet of water. They are holding around hard structure and what look like tall weeds. And yes, there ae always very small signatures that look like small fish, and other signatures that look like bunched baitfish. So I'm confident I've found bass, and not catfish or bowfin.

I talked to my tackleshop owner friend and he stated lots of fishermen were having luck jigging "Silver Buddies" straight down into the bunched up fish. It saw these flat, crude jigs and I'm wondering if that might be worth a try. I think it's consistent with what 5Bass was saying, even if it isn't exactly the same lure.

http://www.silverbuddy.com/

Andrew Coleman reply :

I would think that you could catch bass even in the low 40s. Remeber, bass dont just stop eating, they just dont eat as often and are not willing to go after baits like they do in the spring because they dont want to expend the energy.

senile1 reply :

The answer to this question depends on one's definition of the word "consistently." Micro, what is your definition of consistently catching bass when it is cold?

5bass reply :

After fishing thru winters on a big lake, on a boat, for almost 20 years, the most consistent bait/technique has been the jigging spoon. The bass school up and attach themselves to big groups of baitfish in the winter. Where ever the baitfish go, the bass go with 'em. That's how they eat in the winter, its easy for them and doesn't take much energy to bust up into a ball of shad a few times, get a few mouth fulls and then go back to just hanging out.

I never go out in the winter months just burning banks or fishing known spots that dont have any bait present. I won't wet a line until I am on top of baitfish. The more the better. Good electronics really come into play during the winter months.

Sure, you can luck out and catch the Lone Ranger Bass in 2 ft of water while burning a bank but there's no way I'd even consider fishing like that in the winter anymore. That method has proved itself ineffective too many times.

In the mid 30's on up to about 45-46, it's jigging spoon all the way. Once the water gets to 45 or so, I will look a little shallower with a jerkbait, still in the areas where the baitfish are. I won't leave the baitfish deal until the water stabilizes at 49-50. Thats when the craws emerge and the bass start looking to get shallow to spawn. It turns into a whole new ball game then.

Micro, the Silver Buddy is a good choice in the winter months. It puts off some good vibrations. A Hopkins spoon is probably my favorite but they are all along the same line. The Hopkins has a more erratic action on the up stroke but they both flutter on the drop, etc...

senile1 reply :

That's good advice from five.bass.limit. And it brings up a question that was discussed in another thread. What if the main forage on a lake is bluegill? Bluegill behavior is different compared to shad. Paul Roberts and I were discussing this in another thread and we were wondering if the bass in a "shad lake" would have more opportunity to feed in winter compared to a "bluegill" lake. Both of us seem to notice that we catch more bass in cold water when the main forage is shad, as compared to bluegill.

Paul Roberts reply :

FBL wrote:

Quote
In the mid 30's on up to about 45-46, it's jigging spoon all the way. Once the water gets to 45 or so, I will look a little shallower with a jerkbait, still in the areas where the baitfish are. I won't leave the baitfish deal until the water stabilizes at 49-50. Thats when the craws emerge and the bass start looking to get shallow to spawn. It turns into a whole new ball game then.

That is just a really great, and concise, synopsis.

As to bluegill-based (or other) waters, I can only go on what other anglers have brought to the table, especially ice fishers. They continue to catch bass. It seems that bass and (at least mature) 'gills (and perch) winter in similar areas. Like any other time of year location and presentation are key. It's not unlikely that some waters and years may be tougher than others. I haven't ground-truthed this in my own waters to know.

Micro reply :

5Bass. How do you jig? I mean, I know how to jig, but how do you do it? Straight up and down around the baitfish?

5bass reply :

Quote
5Bass. How do you jig? I mean, I know how to jig, but how do you do it? Straight up and down around the baitfish?

Once I find an area that is heavily populated with bait, I watch the electronics for the biggest schools and take note of the depth they are hanging. After I get over top of them I just drop the spoon and try to count it down to the lower depth range of the bait school. (If you find the right school, it can be as 'tall' as 15'- 20', as in, you see bait stacked from 15' down to 30' - 35' down.) I fish the thick schools whether I see any bass on the graph or not. There are so many baitfish in these schools that the bass are often covered up.

Once I get the spoon into the school, I just start the up and down jigging. Using the buddy type baits I try to keep the line just tight enough to keep the hooks from fouling while its on the drop. I don't do that as much with the Hopkins types. The main things in jigging spoon fishing is keeping your spoon in the strike zone and keep it moving. Keep an eye on the baitfish on your graph. If they move, move with them. If you notice that the shad are somewhat shallow you can always make the longest cast possible and yo yo it back.

If you notice the bait is really close to the bottom, try a drop shot. Jigging a spoon on the bottom can be very expensive. They grab anything and everything when they hit the bottom. Sometimes you get them back, sometimes you dont.

Micro reply :

Loosing spoons and I go together. It's one of he reason I never fish them. I will pick up some Silver Buddies and try them like you said. Everything you said about seeing baitfish on my finder is exactly what I saw last time I was out.

5bass reply :

Quote
I will pick up some Silver Buddies and try them like you said.

See if you can locate a Hopkins too, or maybe a War Eagle. Both have just one set of trebles. You really should try a few different kinds or at least have them on hand. Cold bass are picky.

Quote
Everything you said about seeing baitfish on my finder is exactly what I saw last time I was out.

That's awesome, especially if they're still in the same spot when you go back. If not, just cruise around til you find 'em again.

This past winter we found the mother load of shad piled up in this creek arm right off the main lake. The arm was probably 200 yards long, 60 yards wide and 40-50' deep down the middle. That load of shad stayed in there for about 5-6 weeks straight before moving out. Once we found them again, they had moved up the lake into another cut about 1/4 mile away and they stayed in there for another 2 weeks. Last winter was good times. ;D

5bass reply :

As far as the bluegill/shad debate goes, this is my opinion. In a lake heavy populated with shad, the bass will most likely hang with the shad thru the winter. Typically there are far more shad than there are bluegill, the shad are usually somewhat smaller and easier to eat and shad like to stack up in big groups. It's easier on a fish that is not wanting to expend much energy to feed to run into a ball of shad and get a whole mouthful rather than chase one or two bluegill all over the lake. I'm not saying that if a bluegill came swimming slowly by a bass that he wouldnt get the hammer dropped on him because he would. I just think bass like the convenience of following the shad in the winter.

I don't know about ice fishing but you see on the underwater cameras that there are all kinds of species hanging out together in one area whether there is shad present or not. Could be that the lake is not heavily populated with shad or the shad have died off during the icy months (which DOES happen)

D.Cox reply :

I have had one of my best days when the water temp was 36 deg but usally this temp is slow. I live in East Tennessee and as a general rule the following applies. The lake here are TVA lakes with deep water over 100 foot and not any aquatic grass. When the Temp reaches 49- 45degs, the jigging spoon, silver buddy and the float and fly will produce. This bite is very predictable and a 20+ pound bags a common. When the temp drops below 45 the bite slows and a spoon or float and fly will work the best. When the Temp gets to 43 degs, a lot of the thread fin shad die off and it gets hard to catch fish for a while. Fish can easily feed on dyeing shad early in winter. Our lake temps in winter are 45 mild winter to some ice over in cold winters. In late winter I catch more bass when it gets over 43 degs and the temp is steady or rising. The fish will get pretty active. All of my winter fish is on deep structure, points and bluffs and usually happen from 17-25 feet, but on cold winter 25-35 foot. The large mouth feed good down to temp of 45 and get hard to catch below 42. When it get below 43 I catch more small mouth than large mouth.

In a couple if ponds, I gave had some great days on small jerk baits or suspending spots. These pond might be 6 foot and were 39-45 degs. Had to let the baits sit and make short jerks and pause, caught 40 Large mouth from 3-6 pound. By the way it was a deep ditch that had the deepest water 6 foot.

If you find a sweet spot in a lake, they will be there every year . I have some spots on the GPS and I can go there and catch 5 that weigh 15 pounds and never move the boat. But some of these spots probably took me 40 hours of fishing, and they can be great!

I keep a log of water temps, lake level, weather that day and few before, good day and bad

Hope this helps.

cart7t reply :

In this neck of the woods, Missouri, I'm betting the lake temps have also dropped below normal for this time of year. We've been in a North Westerly upper air pattern for a few months now. If I was going to go fishing I'd probably do the following.

Pick a clearer lake. I've always done better this time of year on lakes that aren't normally off colored.

Jerkbaits. In late fall you'll start to notice shad die off. It's usually the larger fellows. They'll be floating on their sides barely kicking waiting for their maker to take them to the promised land. They're easy pickins for larger bass. I'd look for wind blown banks with cover and work the baits much like in the spring.

Spoons. Find deeper shad pods and look for the fish under them. I'd concentrate around the ends of points that end on a creek channel.

Jig n frog. I like bottom bouncing these on steeper rock banks or bluff ends.

Spinnerbaits. Choose a heavier bait, at least 1/2oz with a smaller willow and s-l-o roll it. The smaller willow blade will spin easier and allow the bait to stay deeper vs a colorado or Indiana which tend to cause the bait to rise.

Crankbaits. I've never had much luck with cranks. You can load them with suspend dots or strips to keep them down but for some reason the aggressive nature of the bait just doesn't seem to draw the strikes.

Catt reply :

A bass's metabolism is finally tuned to its circulatory system temperature which is the same as the surrounding water temperature. In cold water their metabolism slows down, their brain slows down, so the bass slows down. In cold water a bass's instincts are less finely tuned, it has less appetite and it mostly stays suspended in a hiding place near the bottom.

It is fairly easy to catch bass in cold water, if you can find them and if you use the right techniques. This means putting bait in front of a bass that looks right, makes the right sounds, and smells right. The colder the water, the slower the bass's brain operates so the slower you must present the bait or the lure is gone before the bass's brain tells it to bite.

There are two ways to approach bass during winter, one is to fish for suspended bass and the other is to locate bass either on the bottom or in close proximity to the bottom.

For suspended bass I use the following; Cotton Cordell's C.C. Spoons & Gay Blades, Hopkins Shorty Spoon, & Bomber Slab Spoons

For bass either on the bottom or in close proximity to the bottom I use a Texas Rigged Craw Worm or a Jig-N-Pig

bladeslinger reply :

I think it depends on which strain of LMB you have in your area. The Florida strain does not seem to be as tolerant of colder waters and do really slow down in the 50's. The Northern strain seems like they can go much lower.

GiggleWart reply :

For me, the colder the better (water temp and it's still got to be in liquid form).

Importance in my opinion?

1) Me not being miserable. (no 20mph winds and if it's falling from the sky, it had better be frozen).

2) Stable water temps. 45 degrees or colder and been that way for at least a week.

3) Baitfish "near". I won't be fishing in the baitfish. I usually see balls of baitfish on the graph 10'-20' deep suspended over deeper water, I'll move over to the nearest bank and fish the bottom 5'-20' deep.

4) It will be a crankbait or suspending jerkbait that I cast to 5' of water and work it back to the boat which is setting lots deeper.

5) SLOW SLOW. I just barely want to feel a crankbait wobbling. I want a suspending bait to stay stopped in one place for at least 15 seconds, then I give it a slow tug. Pulling it about 2'. Then let it set still again.

I like small diameter flourocarbon. Keeps the lure down there and helps it get deeper than advertised. Braid will hold water and freeze instantly to guides and reels.

Sometimes you will feel em hit it. Sometimes you'll see your line jump. But, most times you will begin a "pull" and a fish will just "be there". 9 times out of 10, if you get a good hard thump, It's a Drum.

The suspended jerkbait works best for me when the fish are suspended. Might be a slight break in the shoreline under the water and you drag that bait over the break and the fish will come up and hit it.

Crankbait around wood due to most minnow jerkbaits will get snagged if you get them within sight of a stump. And for some reason I've had better luck with BRIGHT colors on crankbaits. Reel it down, kill it, and a bass will just inhale it. Or, just reel it back very very slow and they will just sort of load-up on it.

I don't think anything swimming around in 39 degree water is Firetiger colored, and have no idea why that works better than a natural color in winter?

But, one thing is certain for me. From Nov-Feb, The colder the better for BIG Limits.

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The coldest water you can consistently catch LMB 2024

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