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Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish #11370024 01/26/16 02:01 AM
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TxRanger1 Offline OP
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I am looking for some pointers in locating cold weather fish. The water temps are in the high 40's to low 50's. Where did the fish go? I haven't found a fish in 3 weeks. They may be where they always were or maybe they left and started swimming south for the winter. The lake I fish is not a deep water lake. Maybe 15 to 20 feet deep with maybe a hole here and there that will get to 40 feet. The water is not clear ever and on a good day pretty stained. Any pointers on what kind of water to look for or bottom structure. There are several boat houses on the lake but they sit in 3 to 5 feet of water..... I throw jigs, every worm hook up there is, slow roll chatter baits and have tried a couple of crank baits. And yet these rascals have eluded me.
What would you guys look for or do to get on some fish?

Moritz Chevrolet - 9101 Camp Bowie W Blvd, Fort Worth, TX - Monte Coon (817) 696-2003
Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11370206 01/26/16 02:40 AM
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Cold, muddy water is a bad combo.

Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11370361 01/26/16 03:26 AM
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Sounds like waxahachie. Haha.


Eat. Sleep. Fish.
Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11370374 01/26/16 03:32 AM
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Slowly working a chartreuse chatterbait around structure deep in the water can land some. But it can take awhile before you land your first fish. king fish

Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11370843 01/26/16 01:20 PM
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TxRanger1 Offline OP
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And this is " The Best Place in Texas To Talk Fishing"? Just looking for a little help here and I get Pro Angler states the obvious, Extreme Angler, I don't know, trying to guess where I am at? And the new guy on here like me, tries to help me expand my abilities with actual input. Looks to me like you guys on here are experts on everything but fishing.
Thanks jhauk for the suggestion.

Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11370865 01/26/16 01:34 PM
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raveon Offline
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Aren't we all? It's tough in cold,muddy water no matter were you go. Hell it's tough in warm muddy water sometimes. I am in the same boat so not much help from me. I will also go ahead and say with a tude like that you may not get much more help from anyone.


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Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11370872 01/26/16 01:37 PM
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Im by no means a Pro Angler. I am dealing with cold muddy water myself and am only catching a couple each trip. Drop shotting fish suspended over the shad, video game fishing, or flipping are the only thing I'm catching fish on..if I could help more I would, good luck!

Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11370893 01/26/16 01:48 PM
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I usually don't catch much fish in December and January. I think the fish are still around just no interest to eat. I would just jig fish slow.

Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11370902 01/26/16 01:54 PM
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This past weekend my wife and I won a tournament on a cold, stained lake with 23.72 lbs. We had only one fish for the majority of the day. Then in early afternoon we hit on a school of fish outside of a spawning pocket and really whacked them in 6 to 8 fow on the a-rig. She even got big bass of the tourney with a 9.14. all this in water that was 47 to 49 degrees. We tried everything during the day, deep, shallow, in between, all manner of baits, then just finally hit the right spot and pattern. Next closest competitor in two days was 9.67 lbs. So... that might not give you much to go on but, it's my weekend story about finally finding them in cold dirty water.


Harley Riding Hawg Hunter!
Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: Scuppernong] #11370912 01/26/16 01:58 PM
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Originally Posted By: Scuppernong
This past weekend my wife and I won a tournament on a cold, stained lake with 23.72 lbs. We had only one fish for the majority of the day. Then in early afternoon we hit on a school of fish outside of a spawning pocket and really whacked them in 6 to 8 fow on the a-rig. She even got big bass of the tourney with a 9.14. all this in water that was 47 to 49 degrees. We tried everything during the day, deep, shallow, in between, all manner of baits, then just finally hit the right spot and pattern. Next closest competitor in two days was 9.67 lbs. So... that might not give you much to go on but, it's my weekend story about finally finding them in cold dirty water.


This is spot on. The fish are there, it's a matter of if you are lucky to be around the school when they fire.

Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: Brent S] #11371151 01/26/16 03:12 PM
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Originally Posted By: Brent S
I usually don't catch much fish in December and January. I think the fish are still around just no interest to eat. I would just jig fish slow.


There are always a few people who bring in a big sack, but for the most part fishing this time of year is a beating. Two or three years in a row we started our tournament season fishing water that was in the upper 30s to low 40s. Most people aren't going to get very many bites in water that cold. And after all, we're still in the middle of winter.

This year the water isn't as cold so maybe it won't be quite so tough a start. But maybe that's just wishful thinking.

Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11371191 01/26/16 03:28 PM
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Originally Posted By: TxRanger1
And this is " The Best Place in Texas To Talk Fishing"? Just looking for a little help here and I get Pro Angler states the obvious, Extreme Angler, I don't know, trying to guess where I am at? And the new guy on here like me, tries to help me expand my abilities with actual input. Looks to me like you guys on here are experts on everything but fishing.
Thanks jhauk for the suggestion.


Complain much dude? You posted the topic at 8pm on a weeknight and then complain about the first 4 posts... not a good way to start your TFF life off. And your response and attitude means I wont bother making any suggestions. Because you will probably just complain about it anyways. Good luck to ya out there. Winter fishing is tough.

Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11371306 01/26/16 04:18 PM
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I posted a few weeks ago about my struggles as well and had some great replies.

Big tip I got was find rocks!

You can use the search feature as well to find that post it had tons of great info.

I have not really be able to convert it into fish yet but I aint quitting.

(I also started fishing for some blue cats ha ha just to get a tug on my line in winter)

Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11371316 01/26/16 04:23 PM
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Check this post out amigo.

Some great tips here.

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/11349066/1

Re: Trying to Learn How to Find Cold Weather Fish [Re: TxRanger1] #11371508 01/26/16 05:38 PM
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TxRanger1 judging from the 11 hours it took you to go from OP to rant because you did not get the response you were looking for tells my you have little to no patience. Here is a tip that will get you more out of life, slow down some times, be patient. I am guessing you work retail and are probably a very hard worker to boot. But trust me I am speaking from experience you need to learn how to shift gears, you will be a lot happier in life. I know it is easier said than done but you can do it.
Having given that unsolicited life advice here are some tips from the most un-knowledgeable professional / armature want to be bass fisherman I know... ME. When fishing stained to muddy water one thing to remember is it is more difficult for the bass to find your bait. Add in colder water temps and the strike zone tends to shrink. You almost have to hit them in the head in order to get a bight. I would go with black and blue flake baits that move a lot of water (jig). Maybe dip your trailer in chartreuse dip. I say that color because blacks and blues are the last colors to fade in the color spectrum and it will stand out the most, google "colors underwater" and there is a lot of info you can read up on. Then add a scent to your lure, your choice. If it is a lake that does not have a lot of pressure you could add rattles to the equation. If you opt for a jig then I would recommend Tight Lines UV Beaver, I have heard good things about these baits in muddy water conditions. Or just TX rig one. I recommend that style of trailer because it has less action and when the water is cold most of the bait fish are going to be slow moving. That covers what to throw.
Where to focus in, my opinion most Bass tend to go deep or close to deep access this time of year. If you have good electronics get on the lake for a day and just idle around (do not throw a bait) and look for them on main lake points, creek channels, and ledges. The next day go out there and try to get them to bite. As far as shallow water goes anything that will hold heat is going to be your best bet, especially when the sun is out, but keep in mind deep water access, timber, rock, bridges, boat docks..... you get the idea. It is my experience you will always find some fish shallow and you will always find some fish deep but some will move between at different times. So consequently, depending on time of year, there will be more shallow than deep or more deep than shallow. You just have to spend time on the water to figure out which one applies to your lake.
Next tip for cold muddy water is to fish as slow as humanly possible. One of my favorite ways to fish this time of year is to drag a football jig down the edge of a slope. Go from the 11 o'clock position to 12 o'clock. Let it sit for a second and reel in the slack. Do it again and again and again and again...... If you are around fish you will get bit. You can also take a finesse jig, pitch and flip around boat docks, bridges and standing timber. Now if you want to just get bit and not looking for better fish go with something TX rigged. But all of this is just my 2 cents take it or leave it........

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