Winter Fishing, Store The Boat Or Brave The Cold 2024
ABit reply :
I am in South Texas so first off, our winters aren't brutally long or cold like some. The humidity cuts straight to the bone but overall, it isn't that bad. However, growing up, we never really went fishing during the winter and now that I have a nice boat, I'd like to maximize the opportunities. So the question at hand is if it's even worth the gas, time, lures, and lack of sleep to hit the water during the winter? So many people talk about storing their boats for the winter that I have a tear roll down my face when I think about not using my boat for an entire season.
What are your experiences or preferences when it comes to winter?
flyfisher reply :
i fish from a kayak so i am not making some 50mph runs or anything but i have learnt to real enjoy the cold weather. While i rarely catch a lot of fish, the ones i do catch are pretty good. Two years ago my largest (length) fish of the year was caught on January 1st in mid 30 degree water.
I am looking forward to getting out there this year with my new fish finder and really take the time to learn the lake without vegetation in the way.
Montanaro reply :
Catching bass when others don't even leave the house is highly satisfying. If you wish to maximise success hit a power plant lake or go during or immediately after a warm rain and fish the feeder creeks.
Bankbeater reply :
As long as the wind isn't blowing too bad and the water hasn't frozen I will be out fishing. I don't catch many fish in the winter, but I am usually the only one on the lake.
Bassguytom reply :
I fish up until the lakes are frozen and then drill through and fish. With no ice on the lake I would fish right through. It's rare but does happen on occasion that we have a mild winter and do not have any ice. It's fun learning how to catch fish in different seasons. We use completely different lures and techniques in the winter so it's a nice change.
Dtree11 reply :
On 10/16/2015 at 7:02 AM, ABit said:The humidity cuts straight to the bone but overall, it isn't that bad.
I live Michigan. Our winters cut straight to my dead grandmothers bones. (Horrible attempt at a joke.) My point is that, if I had your opportunities for winter fishing, I would fish year-round.
Jd_Phillips_Fishin reply :
Norman is really good in the winter time, and you have the lake pretty much to yourself. So I fish through the cold months. As for the tough runs, invest in a good mask and wear lots of layers.
Dogmatic reply :
Texas really? Fish year round! Post pics too, so you make us up here jealous as we stare at the hard water for most of the winter.
ABit reply :
On 10/16/2015 at 7:32 AM, Dtree11 said:I live Michigan. Our winters cut straight to my dead grandmothers bones. (Horrible attempt at a joke.) My point is that, if I had your opportunities for winter fishing, I would fish year-round.
I thought it was funny, haha
Thanks for the input you guys. That will keep me from feeling stupid when I am the only one on the lake!
ABit reply :
On 10/16/2015 at 7:39 AM, Dogmatic said:Texas really? Fish year round! Post pics too, so you make us up here jealous as we stare at the hard water for most of the winter.
Wilco!
PourMyOwn reply :
I fish until Ice, then store my boat and grab my auger. It's totally worth it.
Catt reply :
Winter = Jigs 
Fishing Rhino reply :
Winter = hibernation.
I do all of the renovations on our house. Replace a door, I do it. Remove carpet and put in hardwood flooring, I do it. Need to replace a lighting fixture or outlet, I do it. Install built in wall ovens, I do it.
I do it from November - March. From April - October, when fishing needs to be done, I do it.
Senko lover reply :
On 10/16/2015 at 8:04 AM, Catt said:Winter = Jigs
I live with jigs in the winter as well, great cold water technique.
Catch 22 reply :
Winter ? what is this winter you speak of
I live for cool/cold weather fishing. Not great bags,but its mine aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhahhahaha=all mine
everythingthatswims reply :
If you get 3 or more days of stable weather around here, winter fishing can be great
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
If the river's not iced over, I take my boat out all year.
Being the only person on the water is awesome, but also makes it more dangerous. Be sure to wear a PFD at all times, and keep your phone/radio someplace where it'll stay dry if you go in. Also keep a change of warm clothes in the boat in a waterproof container. The lack of other boats on the water is a dream come true, but it also makes the chances of being rescued by another boater pretty slim in the winter. So do whatever it takes to maximize your chances of survival if the worst should happen. A working (dry) phone or VHF radio can mean the difference between life or death in an emergency. Not trying to be a buzzkill, just trying to be realistic. Get all of your safety gear in order and go fishing!
I'm not always targeting bass, though. I do a lot of walleye and crappie fishing in the colder months. When there is a warming trend I can catch smallies in shallow water that's in the 30's. Stable weather, as mentioned above, and the bite is pretty good for almost any species. Any place where there is a warm water discharge will be a hot spot, no pun intended.
edit: Also exercise caution at the ramp if the air temp is below freezing. They can get pretty slippery when covered in ice.
HoosierHawgs reply :
Depends on how much you like fishing
Catt reply :
Winter time bass fishing
Think Vertical
Think Deep
Think Bottom
Think Slow
roadwarrior reply :
On 10/16/2015 at 6:54 PM, Catt said:Winter time bass fishing
Think Vertical
Think Deep
Think Bottom
Think Slow
Around here it's all about brown fish. The smallmouth are on fire!
ABit reply :
You all are great! I'll be showing this to my wife so she doesn't try to have me committed when I start loading the boat this winter. Haha
On 10/16/2015 at 6:54 PM, Catt said:Winter time bass fishing
Think Vertical
Think Deep
Think Bottom
Think Slow
I like this. I'll certainly keep that in mind!
On 10/16/2015 at 10:13 AM, Snakehead Whisperer said:If the river's not iced over, I take my boat out all year.
Being the only person on the water is awesome, but also makes it more dangerous. Be sure to wear a PFD at all times, and keep your phone/radio someplace where it'll stay dry if you go in. Also keep a change of warm clothes in the boat in a waterproof container. The lack of other boats on the water is a dream come true, but it also makes the chances of being rescued by another boater pretty slim in the winter. So do whatever it takes to maximize your chances of survival if the worst should happen. A working (dry) phone or VHF radio can mean the difference between life or death in an emergency. Not trying to be a buzzkill, just trying to be realistic. Get all of your safety gear in order and go fishing!
I'm not always targeting bass, though. I do a lot of walleye and crappie fishing in the colder months. When there is a warming trend I can catch smallies in shallow water that's in the 30's. Stable weather, as mentioned above, and the bite is pretty good for almost any species. Any place where there is a warm water discharge will be a hot spot, no pun intended.
edit: Also exercise caution at the ramp if the air temp is below freezing. They can get pretty slippery when covered in ice.
Great points! I will be applying all of the above!
buzzed bait reply :
On 10/16/2015 at 7:33 AM, Carolina Bassin said:Norman is really good in the winter time, and you have the lake pretty much to yourself. So I fish through the cold months. As for the tough runs, invest in a good mask and wear lots of layers.
fished plenty of cold weather on lake norman from the kayak, it's better than during summer with all the pleasure boaters.
oddly enough, everytime i fished mountain island lake in cold weather it would be somewhat crowded. of course a lot of that is duck boats flying around, but still plenty of guys fishing there in cold weather.
BUT if i lived in texas, no doubt it would be year round for me there as well (i'm still fishing year round here in GA)
WIGuide reply :
Texas actually has a winter? Haha I guess i forget that to some what you guys have down there is considered a cold season. The last few winters up here in northern WI we've had weeks straight where the high temps didn't get above 0*. I always fish as late into the year as possible, and if I lived down there I have no doubt I'd fish straight through. I believe I have a tee shirt that answers your question the best though. It states, "To fish...or not to fish... what a stupid question"
ABit reply :
On 10/17/2015 at 3:16 AM, WIGuide said:Texas actually has a winter? Haha I guess i forget that to some what you guys have down there is considered a cold season. The last few winters up here in northern WI we've had weeks straight where the high temps didn't get above 0*. I always fish as late into the year as possible, and if I lived down there I have no doubt I'd fish straight through. I believe I have a tee shirt that answers your question the best though. It states, "To fish...or not to fish... what a stupid question"
Haha, I think that does sum it up. I was stationed in Mannheim, Germany and truly discovered cold winters. However, I still end up with long johns and a double layered coat when it drops below 80....
lo n slo reply :
On 10/16/2015 at 10:00 AM, everythingthatswims said:If you get 3 or more days of stable weather around here, winter fishing can be great
Smart man
WRB reply :
Winter bass fishing out west isn't any different than other seasons except it's colder with rain, so dress for the weather. We fish deep, slow normally, however use swimbaits more in the winter when trout are being planted.
Structure spoons, ice jigs, pig & jig, drop shot soft plastics, deep diving crankbaits, swimbaits, wake baits, glide baits, big slow soft plastic worms T-rigged or split shot rig, it all works.
Learn to rely on your sonar and fish deep structure.
Tom
bigbill reply :
Well I say think cold n snow in the northeast. I lost the biggest bass I ever had on during snow flurries. Just before thanksgiving. From shore. Big slow soft plastics. I have upgraded my rods power, line test and bigger hooks.
desmobob reply :
I usually bundle the boat up for storage right around Thanksgiving. That gives me a month to get out my ice fishing gear and put it in order, sharpen my auger, and deal with the ice fishing bait monkey. :-)
Tight lines,
Bob
thomas15 reply :
We were out on the water for about 2 hours today. Now I'm thinking it's time to get the seafoam out.
Seriously, I will have my wessel tucked in for the long night within the next three weeks. I hope to get out at least one more time but it's getting close to the end of the season for this camper.
Jeff H reply :
Put my boat in storage today. I'm going huntin'....
Catt reply :
Hey! It's 59° right now!!!!
Klebs01 reply :
Hey! It's 34* right now!!! I'm heading out to fish until the packers game starts.
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 10/18/2015 at 9:43 PM, Klebs01 said:Hey! It's 34* right now!!! I'm heading out to fish until the packers game starts.
You aren't going to the Packers' game are you?
bigbill reply :
It's in the 30's with flurries on and off go fishing with soft swimbaits.
Use the dying minnow presentation. Twitch it
wnybassman reply :
South Texas..............
Suck it up and put a sweatshirt on. lol
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 10/19/2015 at 4:05 AM, wnybassman said:South Texas..............
Suck it up and put a sweatshirt on. lol
:laugh5: :laugh5: :laugh5: :laugh5: :laugh5: So True!!!!
Klebs01 reply :
On 10/18/2015 at 11:06 PM, HoosierHawgs said:You aren't going to the Packers' game are you?
Didn't go to the game. Some old neighbors have a place on a lake and were having people over for the game. Figured I would do some fishing before the game started. Ended up being a beautiful day in the fifties and got 8 fish on lake I've never fished. Then the packers pulled out an ugly win. Overall a great day.
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 10/19/2015 at 9:51 AM, Klebs01 said:Didn't go to the game. Some old neighbors have a place on a lake and were having people over for the game. Figured I would do some fishing before the game started. Ended up being a beautiful day in the fifties and got 8 fish on lake I've never fished. Then the packers pulled out an ugly win. Overall a great day.
Nice, I can't imagine being such a die hard fan to go sit out in the wind, snow, sleet, rain, or bad weather from a football game. It did look like the weather was pretty fair. I turned it on mid-game, and thought they were in San Diego!
Klebs01 reply :
On 10/19/2015 at 8:25 PM, HoosierHawgs said:Nice, I can't imagine being such a die hard fan to go sit out in the wind, snow, sleet, rain, or bad weather from a football game. It did look like the weather was pretty fair. I turned it on mid-game, and thought they were in San Diego!
Ha, I was at the game a couple years ago that was supposed to be -8* at kickoff. I think it was closer to 0 with all the people. Wore my blaze orange hunting gear and was comfortable. Had to take my gloves off at times to cool off. It's an amazing place to watch a game. I would recommend going if you ever get a chance.
corn-on-the-rob reply :
Was out yesterday, low of 29, high 41, 15-25 mph winds. Water still in the upper 50's. Had a blast, caught some bass and musky. As long as you are adequately prepared for cold weather, cold isn't actually cold.
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 10/19/2015 at 10:24 PM, Klebs01 said:Ha, I was at the game a couple years ago that was supposed to be -8* at kickoff. I think it was closer to 0 with all the people. Wore my blaze orange hunting gear and was comfortable. Had to take my gloves off at times to cool off. It's an amazing place to watch a game. I would recommend going if you ever get a chance.
Yeah I've always thought about adding seeing a Packer's v Bear's game if the weather is like that to my bucket list. I had a friend do it after graduating from high school and he really enjoyed it. I can think it would be a cool experience.
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 10/20/2015 at 1:21 AM, corn-on-the-rob said:Was out yesterday, low of 29, high 41, 15-25 mph winds. Water still in the upper 50's. Had a blast, caught some bass and musky. As long as you are adequately prepared for cold weather, cold isn't actually cold.
What's your typical cold weather gear to keep warm?
Logan S reply :
Quality outwear goes a long way, but the best thing you can do to keep warm is layering underneath. A t-shirt, a few loose long-sleeves, and a sweatshirt under your jacket will keep you comfortable. Wear boots instead of regular shoes to keep your feet warm and maybe an extra pair of socks. I also usually wear my bibs/pants from my rain gear as an extra layer on my legs, even when it's dry. For me, the hardest part is my hands...If it's really cold I'll wear gloves, but even on days with no rain they will eventually get wet from casting.
The boat runs are the worst part, it usually feels much warmer once you get off plane from the first run of the morning on a cold day .
As for the fishing, the fish aren't going anywhere . I've had great days and tough days in the winter, but that's no different from any other season. I typically fish through the winter, not quite as often, but still enough to never winterize the boat.
desmobob reply :
I always forget to mention the one accessory that can turn an uncomfortable day into an enjoyable one: disposable chemical heat packs. For about a buck or so, you can have eight hours or more of warmth in your gloves or pockets. "HotHands" brand is the one I usually buy.
Tight lines,
Bob
Bluebasser86 reply :
I catch some of my biggest fish of the year every year during the winter. My biggest 5 fish limit ever in Kansas was in February.
Early March, you can kind of tell it was snowing at the time.
January 20th
Same January 20th, cold and raining/snowing
March 7th, weather was more like the "winter" in south Texas, low 50's.
April 18th, 39* for a high with 30mph north winds
April 4th
Lots more where those came from. We have real winter in Kansas, but I fish through it every year.
Montanaro reply :
"Real winter" means the lakes are frozen.
baxtervol reply :
If I lived in south Texas I would definitely try and fish through the winter. Living in Tennessee and it being my first year of boat fishing for bass, I plan to be on the lake plenty during the winter. I may not be on the water at daylight, or when temps are below freezing, but if we are gonna get to 40 degrees I plan on fishing. I won't run the lake like in the summer though. I will try to use ramps close to the areas I want to fish and cut down on the need to run full throttle. I hope you land a couple of big toads this winter!
DevinFishing29 reply :
If the lakes were not all frozen and there was not much snow on the ground I would definitely try. I can't fish at all in the winter. 
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