I cant catch a fish in under 50 degree water... HELP ME!

I have been fishing Lewisville the last few weeks and cant buy a bite.

Fishing from my Bass Hunter boat I am very limited on range.

I have access to a short creek arm that is FILLED with timber and brush and 10-12 feet deep as far back as I can get, a mile or so of flooded brush in 0-18 FOW, a few secondary points and a boat ramp. I can mark fish in all those spots and occasionally some bait balls.

BUT I cant buy a bite. I have been fishing Drop shot, shakey heads, C-rigs, Deep diving cranks, spoons and jigs... just nothing seems to work.

Got to thinking I dont think I have caught but 1 or 2 fish ever in water under 50 degrees.

Any tips?

Build a power plant in that creek arm. Build it so that it is underground and not visible on side imaging. Anchor or tie up next to the hot water discharge.

Ok that is one option.

find deeper water

BROOKSHIRES!!

Look for shallow rock. Since the is off color I wouldn't look too deep.

I would suggest you throw a hair jig and natural pork rind and slooooooooowwwwwww waaaaayyyyyyy Doooowwwwnnnnn.
The greenies get way sluggish in cold water.

Right? The water is very off color. Almost muddy back in there. So shallow rock ok thats a good idea.

Dude the other guy said stay shallow since its muddy water.

Not sure I have access with my little rig to much beyond 20 feet in that area.

Is 20 feet "deep" enough you think?

Remember that cold muddy water is by far the toughest condition to catch bass. If you can find a pocket with cleaner water that will help. I'd slow roll a chatterbait or spinnerbait, slow crank a red craw crankbait, or drag a black blue finesse jig.

This is where you get to try both and see which one is right. I'm 100% positive that in cold muddy water you need to key on 8' or less rocks. Let us know which one works for you.

Throw it tight to cover, or anywhere you see sunlight shining on it. Chatterbait, real slow, and isolated structure. They dont move real fast, and wont chase stuff like when the water is in the 70's IMO.

They migrate back and forth from deep to shallow giving the conditions and temps for the day. They could be in either but they are not going to travel far away from their stable winter time water which is deep. Find deep...20 / 30 plus, preferably a steep ledge real close to a shallow ....5' flat.

James is 100% correct 8' or less in cold muddy water my go to bait is a red wiggle wart in those conditions.

Ok gotcha good info. I know a spot just like you mentioned Huckleberry but its kind of bare... not much in way of cover.

I am going to figure out how to catch these guys yet.

In the cold muddy water yall think its worth the time to flip that brush in the 8-10 foot range?

There is just tons of it. I have tons of confidence fishing it in warmer water but cant seem to buy a bite out of in this cold stuff.

Listen to this guy. ^^^

I have caught fish in 4' of water in 46 degrees on a spinnerbait and 8' on a Rattletrap in 38 degree water. The day we caught them on a Trap in 8 foot there was ice around the shorelines.

Take a crappie pole and rig it with a slip bobber/small jig. Seems like when I concentrate on crappie, I'll only catch bass... Lol

Try a ZZ Lures "T Worm" in Trainwreck with a 1/8oz weight. Its killer in winter!!

In cold, muddy water bass WILL be both shallow and deep. If they're shallow it'll usually be over substantial amount of rock and in sunlit areas, usually out of wind, so if you find a creek inlet with those conditions I'd fish it. They'll also look for deeper pockets out of underwater current and will hug structure/cover. Either way you need to work baits real slow to catch the fat gals. You will get reaction bites on faster lures (red craw crank and spinners) but you probably won't catch numbers. Those faster baits will be good to locate bass.

In real cold water though them bass can get real deep, especially if the water is clear. In clear water they don't mind getting down 30' on a steep wall and just looking up, waiting for bait to swim by. Then they'll dart up and catch it and swim back down to warmer water. Your trick is getting that right bait where they can see it.

I wouldnt flip any 95% of the time your catching them off a reaction bite so use moving baits.

Get into dead sticking man. Hair jigs with flukes on them. Find those suspended fish and drop it down in the middle of them - then wait.

I thought this was for sandies?

You dead stick vertical for bass?

If You are fishing Lewisville go get up in Pecan Creek, The warmest water will be in there. Black and blue Bitsy bug will get the job done.

Pecan Creek sounds good... Looking at maps though not sure I can launch close enough to get there in a Bass Hunter.

I bet all that land around there is posted.

But I will look into that good tip!

This probably isn't what you want to hear but I've always done better in smaller bodies of water-small lakes and
ponds. Dragging a football jig real slow or a jerkbait if I think they're suspended.

Quit throwing Lateral Perch.

I fished out of one of those for years! Take two batteries with you, you double your range!

I've seen fish caught on suspending jerk baits off submerged jetties in cool water with about 1 ft of visibility. Bait was intermittantly contacting the rock. Also I like the Wiggle Wart or CRS+.

Find you a lake with some grass and go yo-yo a big red trap in it.

It's one of my go to's in winter when the bite stops. Anything you do this time of year is gonna require patience unless you're throwing an A rig. So I get comfortable in my seat, drop that fluke down there, and work it very little. I spend a lot of time staring at the graph. You'll even start seeing the fish come check it out and swim off. Lol it'll make you nuts.

I've even started tying a couple of smaller jig heads above the main jig, a foot or so apart. Kinda like a suspended drop shot. It does catch crappie and whites too, but if you can find bass it'll catch them just as well.

And this is a technique I've used on Lewisville on multiple occasions. Especially last winter.

I caught the only 2 fish I caught today in 2 feet of water in 47 degree water. They like to get their backs warm when the sun shines this time of year...

Not to discount any of the suggested techniques, but one of the guys that gave you advice is an flw tour pro

Fish the rocks with a black/blue jig or a suspending jerkbait.

Find a pond somewhere.

You would be wise to listen to James and Brandon. Trust me on this. They each have some big wins under their belts and have fished that lake for years and years.

Yup...

This is great info thanks fellas.

Going to focus on that 8feet or shallower water with any rock I can find.

There is not much in my area but I know some. Thats gonna be first places I try.

As far as fishing ponds, I do a lot of that as well. Its equally as frustrating in the cold water for me.

Have always struggled in cold water but I am going to get it figured out if I die trying.

I have the same problem. Once the first few freezes come I am skunked. 2 baits I have never caught a fish on are jigs and traps so I am going to throw those a lot.
I just need to learn to sloooow down.

Hey James,

Would cold water in this instance, and this suggestion be different dependent upon the body of water?

For example a power plant lake at say, 60 degrees instead of the usual 75?

I'd sleep in, and fish south facing banks. I'd simplify my approach and take two rods. I'd use a red or chartreuse crankbait and a black and blue jig. I'd use the crank to cover water, once I got bit, I'd pick apart the cover with a jig. A good choice for this in the cooler water would be a Rapala DT10/16 or a SK 5XD. No matter the bait, slow down.

I'd key on rocks, or any BIG stumps that come up out of the water, bridge pilings, anything that will increase the water temp, and hold fish. Fish are going to tend to group up this time of year, so once you get a bite, stick around, you'll likely catch more.

Its' winter, its tough, fish those high probability areas, and grind it out.

i know you were asking James but No to your answer

When you drag that jig, slow means very slow. I like to think of it like this. Every time that jig stops I like think of it like I do when fishing a bed. When i move it, I let it sit for 10-15 seconds followed by a shake, then another 10-15 seconds before moving it 6 inches or so. It's a grind but u have to talk them into biting it just like u do when bed fishing. Also if I'm in a spot that I have confidence that they are there, I'll spend alot of time in the area for 1 bite.

What Brandon said. Power plant lake are a different beast. They are arse backwards. They spawn as the water cools off not as it warms up.

Alot of people can go whack'em at a power plant lake right now. A 12-15lb sack at lewisville or eagle or worth right now is way more impressive to me. That is why my goal this winter is to master the jerkbait. Any tips on this technique from mr. Biggs or Hollinshead will be implanted in the ole memory box.

A rule of thumb on jerkbaits and water temp. for me is 42-45deg water temp let the bait set for 15-18 sec between jerks, 45-50deg 10-15sec and 50+deg 8-10sec, just play with the timing working your way up. Sometimes they like a set of hard jerks in sets of 3-4 or just a couple light jerks then let set. 95% of your bites will be on a pause. James may have a different theory behind jerkbaits, but that is what has always worked for me very very well. Good luck let us now how it works out for you.

Throw red trap. Crash into wood. Tip top of grass. Bite is best after 3-4 warming days or just before front.

Lewisville is notorious for slow fishing when they a pulling a bunch of water. They are pulling 5886 cpf. They can pull up to 7200 cpf but I've rarely seen them pull that much. When they shut it down the bite gets really good within an hour. If it stays under 500 cpf fishing is consistent but when there is no current the bite is best even in the winter. I here guys that fish fork a lot say the same thing. I've really been tracking this for 10 years and it is pretty accurate.

Jerkbait fished slowly in clear water. If dirty water get shallow and grind a square bill or a spinner bait. You are looking for more of a reaction bite than feeding bite in shallow water