Winter bassin' 2024
wackyworm66 reply :
Ok, I can catch fish from mid Feb. until end of Oct., but when the water drops below 50 degrees I start smelling like a skunk. I went out today, went to Guntersville. Water temp was between 42 and 46 degrees. I started on a shallow wind blown flat throwing a spinner bait and a trap. (no good). Then, I moved to a wind blown rip-rap bank dropping into about 15 ft of water. I threw a spinner bait, crank bait, jig, and texas rigged worm. (no good). I moved to a transition bank and continued throwing same lures. (no good). Next I moved out to a protected rip-rap bank with a creek channel. Water started at 20 feet and gradually got to 8 feet. I threw a jerk bait, spinner bait, crank bait, jig and worm. (no good).
I am out of ideas. I read articles, watch videos and tv shows. I try all the things that should be working, but I can't get bit.
Are any of you guys/girls willing to offer ideas? I am getting frustrated.
Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions.
wackyworm66 reply :
Ok, I can catch fish from mid Feb. until end of Oct., but when the water drops below 50 degrees I start smelling like a skunk. I went out today, went to Guntersville. Water temp was between 42 and 46 degrees. I started on a shallow wind blown flat throwing a spinner bait and a trap. (no good). Then, I moved to a wind blown rip-rap bank dropping into about 15 ft of water. I threw a spinner bait, crank bait, jig, and texas rigged worm. (no good). I moved to a transition bank and continued throwing same lures. (no good). Next I moved out to a protected rip-rap bank with a creek channel. Water started at 20 feet and gradually got to 8 feet. I threw a jerk bait, spinner bait, crank bait, jig and worm. (no good).
I am out of ideas. I read articles, watch videos and tv shows. I try all the things that should be working, but I can't get bit.
Are any of you guys/girls willing to offer ideas? I am getting frustrated.
Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions.
wackyworm66 reply :
Ok, I can catch fish from mid Feb. until end of Oct., but when the water drops below 50 degrees I start smelling like a skunk. I went out today, went to Guntersville. Water temp was between 42 and 46 degrees. I started on a shallow wind blown flat throwing a spinner bait and a trap. (no good). Then, I moved to a wind blown rip-rap bank dropping into about 15 ft of water. I threw a spinner bait, crank bait, jig, and texas rigged worm. (no good). I moved to a transition bank and continued throwing same lures. (no good). Next I moved out to a protected rip-rap bank with a creek channel. Water started at 20 feet and gradually got to 8 feet. I threw a jerk bait, spinner bait, crank bait, jig and worm. (no good).
I am out of ideas. I read articles, watch videos and tv shows. I try all the things that should be working, but I can't get bit.
Are any of you guys/girls willing to offer ideas? I am getting frustrated.
Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions.
jacobhookem reply :
I always look at the water that i am fishing and find areas that you would fish in the summer (deeper cuts and drops) then choose a big bait. I really like to throw baitsmith swimbaits or hudds this time of the year. Choose bait your size depending on the size of the fishing in your body or water, 2-4 pounder are main size throw a 6" baitsmith or hudd, 4-10 use the big stuff 8" hudds and the 9.5" magnum trout by baitsmith. I would also recomend reeling them as slow as you can, and try throwing jigs fish in he winter time some reason always eat a jig!!
Hope this helps man and tight lines ;D
jacobhookem reply :
I always look at the water that i am fishing and find areas that you would fish in the summer (deeper cuts and drops) then choose a big bait. I really like to throw baitsmith swimbaits or hudds this time of the year. Choose bait your size depending on the size of the fishing in your body or water, 2-4 pounder are main size throw a 6" baitsmith or hudd, 4-10 use the big stuff 8" hudds and the 9.5" magnum trout by baitsmith. I would also recomend reeling them as slow as you can, and try throwing jigs fish in he winter time some reason always eat a jig!!
Hope this helps man and tight lines ;D
jacobhookem reply :
I always look at the water that i am fishing and find areas that you would fish in the summer (deeper cuts and drops) then choose a big bait. I really like to throw baitsmith swimbaits or hudds this time of the year. Choose bait your size depending on the size of the fishing in your body or water, 2-4 pounder are main size throw a 6" baitsmith or hudd, 4-10 use the big stuff 8" hudds and the 9.5" magnum trout by baitsmith. I would also recomend reeling them as slow as you can, and try throwing jigs fish in he winter time some reason always eat a jig!!
Hope this helps man and tight lines ;D
jeb2 reply :
Depends on the body of water. Here on Beaver Lake in NW Ark, we have about the same water temps as you saw. The major food source is shad and they are between the shallow coves and main lake right now. Fishing all kinds of spoons and flukes/caffeine shad have been killing them the last few days for me. 25 keeper sized yesterday, 12 today (short day). Wind velocity and direction as well as sun vs cloudy moves them around some, but they want quick access to 30-40' deep water off steep breaks.
jeb2 reply :
Depends on the body of water. Here on Beaver Lake in NW Ark, we have about the same water temps as you saw. The major food source is shad and they are between the shallow coves and main lake right now. Fishing all kinds of spoons and flukes/caffeine shad have been killing them the last few days for me. 25 keeper sized yesterday, 12 today (short day). Wind velocity and direction as well as sun vs cloudy moves them around some, but they want quick access to 30-40' deep water off steep breaks.
jeb2 reply :
Depends on the body of water. Here on Beaver Lake in NW Ark, we have about the same water temps as you saw. The major food source is shad and they are between the shallow coves and main lake right now. Fishing all kinds of spoons and flukes/caffeine shad have been killing them the last few days for me. 25 keeper sized yesterday, 12 today (short day). Wind velocity and direction as well as sun vs cloudy moves them around some, but they want quick access to 30-40' deep water off steep breaks.
5bass reply :
Winter in my opinion is probably the easiest time of the year to catch fish. There are less variables in the winter. The baitfish are grouped up into huge schools and arent doing much moving around like they do so the bass dont have to work as hard to eat. They get very predictable this time of year.
I know you mentioned that you fished certain structures and spots with no luck. I'd forget all that and find some bait first. Just ride around for a while and watch your graph for shad. The bass will be around the shad during the winter. If I ride thru an area and see no baitfish on the graph, I keep going.....even on the better looking spots. No shad = no fishing.
Once I find an area with some bait, I note the depth the bait is using and drop a spoon and just vertical jig until I run into something. Another bait I will throw in the shad is a jerkbait but I make sure that I have a jerkbait that will get in the strike zone.
The bass group up in the winter and they follow the shad where ever they may go. Sometimes you can find areas that the shad will stay in all winter and you can catch bass in those areas all winter as well. Most of the time, for me at least, the areas that can hold shad and bass all winter are cuts, pockets or small feeder creeks just off the main channel. The key thing in these pockets and cuts is that it has deep water, at least 30 ft deep down the middle. As long as I see bait activity in these spots, I'll just line up the boat and troll (float) real slow right down the middle with the spoon, then turn around and come back out on either side, then go back in down the other side with my eyes glued to my graph the whole time.
Watching your electronics for bait is key in the cold months. The bass will be near the bait. You may catch one here and there by fishing certain spots but if you find a big load of bait, you'll probably catch multiple bass. Find the bait, find the bass.
5bass reply :
Winter in my opinion is probably the easiest time of the year to catch fish. There are less variables in the winter. The baitfish are grouped up into huge schools and arent doing much moving around like they do so the bass dont have to work as hard to eat. They get very predictable this time of year.
I know you mentioned that you fished certain structures and spots with no luck. I'd forget all that and find some bait first. Just ride around for a while and watch your graph for shad. The bass will be around the shad during the winter. If I ride thru an area and see no baitfish on the graph, I keep going.....even on the better looking spots. No shad = no fishing.
Once I find an area with some bait, I note the depth the bait is using and drop a spoon and just vertical jig until I run into something. Another bait I will throw in the shad is a jerkbait but I make sure that I have a jerkbait that will get in the strike zone.
The bass group up in the winter and they follow the shad where ever they may go. Sometimes you can find areas that the shad will stay in all winter and you can catch bass in those areas all winter as well. Most of the time, for me at least, the areas that can hold shad and bass all winter are cuts, pockets or small feeder creeks just off the main channel. The key thing in these pockets and cuts is that it has deep water, at least 30 ft deep down the middle. As long as I see bait activity in these spots, I'll just line up the boat and troll (float) real slow right down the middle with the spoon, then turn around and come back out on either side, then go back in down the other side with my eyes glued to my graph the whole time.
Watching your electronics for bait is key in the cold months. The bass will be near the bait. You may catch one here and there by fishing certain spots but if you find a big load of bait, you'll probably catch multiple bass. Find the bait, find the bass.
5bass reply :
Winter in my opinion is probably the easiest time of the year to catch fish. There are less variables in the winter. The baitfish are grouped up into huge schools and arent doing much moving around like they do so the bass dont have to work as hard to eat. They get very predictable this time of year.
I know you mentioned that you fished certain structures and spots with no luck. I'd forget all that and find some bait first. Just ride around for a while and watch your graph for shad. The bass will be around the shad during the winter. If I ride thru an area and see no baitfish on the graph, I keep going.....even on the better looking spots. No shad = no fishing.
Once I find an area with some bait, I note the depth the bait is using and drop a spoon and just vertical jig until I run into something. Another bait I will throw in the shad is a jerkbait but I make sure that I have a jerkbait that will get in the strike zone.
The bass group up in the winter and they follow the shad where ever they may go. Sometimes you can find areas that the shad will stay in all winter and you can catch bass in those areas all winter as well. Most of the time, for me at least, the areas that can hold shad and bass all winter are cuts, pockets or small feeder creeks just off the main channel. The key thing in these pockets and cuts is that it has deep water, at least 30 ft deep down the middle. As long as I see bait activity in these spots, I'll just line up the boat and troll (float) real slow right down the middle with the spoon, then turn around and come back out on either side, then go back in down the other side with my eyes glued to my graph the whole time.
Watching your electronics for bait is key in the cold months. The bass will be near the bait. You may catch one here and there by fishing certain spots but if you find a big load of bait, you'll probably catch multiple bass. Find the bait, find the bass.
SeanW reply :
There is alot of information on winter bass fishing. Its all good info, but there are alot of factors that they rarely include as to why it was effective. Here in California our lake get around the same temps, some just a few deg higher. Looking for bait is not always the answer, its a good start, but its not a definite. I fished today, and the bait meant very little when it came to catching. Why? The fish were not interested in bait I guess.
Winter is my favorite time of year, the lake is free of lake lice(jet ski's and wake board boat), the eagles are out fishing, and deer and turkeys are along the shore line. Best of all its jig time. We are through the winter solstice and the days are growing longer. So, some of those bass are eating high protein meals to prepare for their call of duty in a few months. Today and last week the fish were on the sides of main lake points, on or near the transition to deeper water. This is where we caught em.
I throw swimbaits down to 45ft and work em up hill at a crawl. Deep diving crank baits also crawled along. If the fish are feeding on a ball of bait a spoon or drop shot can be deadly. One thing to remember, different species are in different phases. Smallies will be ahead of the largies, and the spots are somewhere in between.
Winter is a great time to catch a big fish, but ya gotta read your electronics. Pay attention to where fish activity is, suspended, on the bottom, on the bank. Are they active, or sluggish? Knowing how to read your electronics is big. What I really want is deep water close by, real close. Fish a jig, fast, slow, crawl, hop it. Ya gotta experiment. If you know your in a high percentage area, dead sticking can be great.
SeanW reply :
There is alot of information on winter bass fishing. Its all good info, but there are alot of factors that they rarely include as to why it was effective. Here in California our lake get around the same temps, some just a few deg higher. Looking for bait is not always the answer, its a good start, but its not a definite. I fished today, and the bait meant very little when it came to catching. Why? The fish were not interested in bait I guess.
Winter is my favorite time of year, the lake is free of lake lice(jet ski's and wake board boat), the eagles are out fishing, and deer and turkeys are along the shore line. Best of all its jig time. We are through the winter solstice and the days are growing longer. So, some of those bass are eating high protein meals to prepare for their call of duty in a few months. Today and last week the fish were on the sides of main lake points, on or near the transition to deeper water. This is where we caught em.
I throw swimbaits down to 45ft and work em up hill at a crawl. Deep diving crank baits also crawled along. If the fish are feeding on a ball of bait a spoon or drop shot can be deadly. One thing to remember, different species are in different phases. Smallies will be ahead of the largies, and the spots are somewhere in between.
Winter is a great time to catch a big fish, but ya gotta read your electronics. Pay attention to where fish activity is, suspended, on the bottom, on the bank. Are they active, or sluggish? Knowing how to read your electronics is big. What I really want is deep water close by, real close. Fish a jig, fast, slow, crawl, hop it. Ya gotta experiment. If you know your in a high percentage area, dead sticking can be great.
SeanW reply :
There is alot of information on winter bass fishing. Its all good info, but there are alot of factors that they rarely include as to why it was effective. Here in California our lake get around the same temps, some just a few deg higher. Looking for bait is not always the answer, its a good start, but its not a definite. I fished today, and the bait meant very little when it came to catching. Why? The fish were not interested in bait I guess.
Winter is my favorite time of year, the lake is free of lake lice(jet ski's and wake board boat), the eagles are out fishing, and deer and turkeys are along the shore line. Best of all its jig time. We are through the winter solstice and the days are growing longer. So, some of those bass are eating high protein meals to prepare for their call of duty in a few months. Today and last week the fish were on the sides of main lake points, on or near the transition to deeper water. This is where we caught em.
I throw swimbaits down to 45ft and work em up hill at a crawl. Deep diving crank baits also crawled along. If the fish are feeding on a ball of bait a spoon or drop shot can be deadly. One thing to remember, different species are in different phases. Smallies will be ahead of the largies, and the spots are somewhere in between.
Winter is a great time to catch a big fish, but ya gotta read your electronics. Pay attention to where fish activity is, suspended, on the bottom, on the bank. Are they active, or sluggish? Knowing how to read your electronics is big. What I really want is deep water close by, real close. Fish a jig, fast, slow, crawl, hop it. Ya gotta experiment. If you know your in a high percentage area, dead sticking can be great.
Catt reply :
Think Vertical
Think Deep
Think Bottom
Think Slow
Catt reply :
Think Vertical
Think Deep
Think Bottom
Think Slow
Catt reply :
Think Vertical
Think Deep
Think Bottom
Think Slow
5bass reply :
QuoteLooking for bait is not always the answer, its a good start, but its not a definite.
Correct, because there are no definites in fishing. Bass cannot eat if they dont have anything to eat. Bass dont generally like to travel much or very far in cold water to feed. It benefits them to stay with the shad once they bunch up in the winter.
In my experience here on the east coast in the winter months, finding bait is key and when you find the bait, you are fishing the higher percentage area.
5bass reply :
QuoteLooking for bait is not always the answer, its a good start, but its not a definite.
Correct, because there are no definites in fishing. Bass cannot eat if they dont have anything to eat. Bass dont generally like to travel much or very far in cold water to feed. It benefits them to stay with the shad once they bunch up in the winter.
In my experience here on the east coast in the winter months, finding bait is key and when you find the bait, you are fishing the higher percentage area.
5bass reply :
QuoteLooking for bait is not always the answer, its a good start, but its not a definite.
Correct, because there are no definites in fishing. Bass cannot eat if they dont have anything to eat. Bass dont generally like to travel much or very far in cold water to feed. It benefits them to stay with the shad once they bunch up in the winter.
In my experience here on the east coast in the winter months, finding bait is key and when you find the bait, you are fishing the higher percentage area.
Catt reply :
Bass feed efficiently (maximize food intake and minimize energy output)
They aint gonna be to far from the bait 
Catt reply :
Bass feed efficiently (maximize food intake and minimize energy output)
They aint gonna be to far from the bait
Catt reply :
Bass feed efficiently (maximize food intake and minimize energy output)
They aint gonna be to far from the bait
RandySBreth reply :
Slow swimming big grubs, swimbaits, and suspending jerkbaits. When fish are tight to the bottom, hair jigs.
That's pretty much Winter Bassin' to me.
RandySBreth reply :
Slow swimming big grubs, swimbaits, and suspending jerkbaits. When fish are tight to the bottom, hair jigs.
That's pretty much Winter Bassin' to me.
RandySBreth reply :
Slow swimming big grubs, swimbaits, and suspending jerkbaits. When fish are tight to the bottom, hair jigs.
That's pretty much Winter Bassin' to me.
SeanW reply :
QuoteQuoteLooking for bait is not always the answer, its a good start, but its not a definite.Correct, because there are no definites in fishing. Bass cannot eat if they dont have anything to eat. Bass dont generally like to travel much or very far in cold water to feed. It benefits them to stay with the shad once they bunch up in the winter.
In my experience here on the east coast in the winter months, finding bait is key and when you find the bait, you are fishing the higher percentage area.
Fair enough. Here in my area I catch better fish that are feeding on craws and trout. Your right, there is usually fish close to bait, but in Jan and Feb here in Nor Cal, the bigger fish are on crawdads and trout. More protein, less work. We are also catching em from 1 to 70ft.
SeanW reply :
QuoteQuoteLooking for bait is not always the answer, its a good start, but its not a definite.Correct, because there are no definites in fishing. Bass cannot eat if they dont have anything to eat. Bass dont generally like to travel much or very far in cold water to feed. It benefits them to stay with the shad once they bunch up in the winter.
In my experience here on the east coast in the winter months, finding bait is key and when you find the bait, you are fishing the higher percentage area.
Fair enough. Here in my area I catch better fish that are feeding on craws and trout. Your right, there is usually fish close to bait, but in Jan and Feb here in Nor Cal, the bigger fish are on crawdads and trout. More protein, less work. We are also catching em from 1 to 70ft.
SeanW reply :
QuoteQuoteLooking for bait is not always the answer, its a good start, but its not a definite.Correct, because there are no definites in fishing. Bass cannot eat if they dont have anything to eat. Bass dont generally like to travel much or very far in cold water to feed. It benefits them to stay with the shad once they bunch up in the winter.
In my experience here on the east coast in the winter months, finding bait is key and when you find the bait, you are fishing the higher percentage area.
Fair enough. Here in my area I catch better fish that are feeding on craws and trout. Your right, there is usually fish close to bait, but in Jan and Feb here in Nor Cal, the bigger fish are on crawdads and trout. More protein, less work. We are also catching em from 1 to 70ft.
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