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Dec 30th, 2023
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 Question: Fishing in the colder months
#11936832
11/16/16 03:04 PM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 79
Casey Borgers
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 79 |
I usually mothball my fishing gear during hunting season but not this year. I've never really fished past October before. Any advice on what the bass do and want that's different? Thanks
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Casey Borgers]
#11936863
11/16/16 03:25 PM
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Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 539
Bulletman99
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 539 |
It all depends on the water temp, weather, depth. Sounds like any other time of year huh! When the water gets cold you just have to fish a little slower than you normally would. Cold fronts will shut the fish down for days. For some reason the Florida strain do not tolerate the cold as do the northern strain (At least that been my experience). A jig, Texas Rigged Worm, Shakey Head with a trick worm, Drop Shot, and my favorite winter bait a Alabama Rig. Sometimes you may have to simply down-size your bait to get them to bite. These are what I use and have success with them. Bass will try and locate the warmest water they can find which is usually in deep water. At times when the sun is out they will move up onto points, humps where the sun warms up the water, rocks etc... At times when their up like this I catch them on a lipless bait. Also the shad will really bunch up in the cold water and the fish may be seen down below these huge bait-balls.
Hope this helps
Nitro Z21 XL
Merc 250 ProXS
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Casey Borgers]
#11936896
11/16/16 03:43 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 20,116
Donald Harper
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 20,116 |
Don't be afraid to go shallow in the heaviest cover you can find. Big Bass move up there daily; but you have to work hard to find those spots on your favorite lake. What ever depth you choose you will have to work just as hard during the Winter months to find them.
On your warmest and calm days these big fish will move into a foot of water and snug up to that heavy cover to get the warmth. You will find that the presentations will vary form day to day. Of course feeding fish are much more productive in the shallows on a nice calm sunny day and a spinner bait will whack them. Non-feeders are the problem. They are there: so extremely slow down when the cover is right. Target the biggest pieces of hard wood in that one to two foot of water. Rocks are a big PLUS. A jig will be your best friend. Around the dead heavy grass pods use a square bill wobbled very slow around all sides of it. I like the darker colors for this application. For the bushes, a small pinch weighted Fluke allowing the Fluke to spiral down into the bush will work great.
Each person you work with holds some promise to your future success. Websiite Sponsors: www.eletewater.com - Staying Hydrated www.lakeoviachic.com - Booking Mexico Trips 20 Hot Spot Mapping - GPS Contour Chips - Custom Spinner Baits - Jigs -Spooks Pure Extracts - Minnow-Night Crawler-Crayfish-Craylic
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Casey Borgers]
#11936901
11/16/16 03:45 PM
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,101
epicoutdoors
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,101 |
Winter fishing can be great. Many days you may have the lake to yourself, except on power plant lakes. Being prepared with the right clothing will make a big difference in your enjoyment.
Trending weather makes big differences in bass movements in winter. 48 deg water can be tough if it was 54 deg two days ago but 48 may have them active if it was 44 two days back and the sun has been out. You may find them very shallow to very deep. It's just fishing like any other time so get out there and have fun.
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Casey Borgers]
#11936914
11/16/16 03:51 PM
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Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 683
PaPa@fork
Pro Angler
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Pro Angler
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 683 |
I usually mothball my fishing gear during hunting season but not this year. I've never really fished past October before. Any advice on what the bass do and want that's different? Thanks You are going to love fishing this time of year, run with what the three previous post said too do and you will have a blast.
Last edited by PaPa@fork; 11/16/16 03:51 PM.
If it was easy, everyone would do it
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Casey Borgers]
#11936925
11/16/16 04:02 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 20,116
Donald Harper
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 20,116 |
Another Note:
Fish all the North shore cuts. They warm up the best on sunny days. The SE wind will hold that warm water against the North shores. After a North wind target the coves that are very narrow that run East and West. Any cove with a dog leg which is a hard bend will help keep the warm water trapped. Just move across to the South bank in these narrow coves watching the water temp. readings.
The very best stringers for me have come after two or there extremely warm days; then really bad weather sets in. Sleet and light snow shouldn't keep you off the lake that day if the wind is calm. If it does you are going to miss the best trip of your life. Go shallow in this same heavy cover as mentioned above. They will be very active to a particular bait. Give a orange single bladed spinner bait with orange/black/brown skirt a chance through and around this cover. Use a jig with lots of orange in the skirt if they are not on the spinner bait bite; but I assure you if you find a small flat on the inside bend of a small creek way in the back the Halloween spinner bait will be the ticket.
Each person you work with holds some promise to your future success. Websiite Sponsors: www.eletewater.com - Staying Hydrated www.lakeoviachic.com - Booking Mexico Trips 20 Hot Spot Mapping - GPS Contour Chips - Custom Spinner Baits - Jigs -Spooks Pure Extracts - Minnow-Night Crawler-Crayfish-Craylic
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Donald Harper]
#11936928
11/16/16 04:05 PM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 19,756
Huckleberry
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 19,756 |
Another Note:
Fish all the North shore cuts. They warm up the best on sunny days. The SE wind will hold that warm water against the North shores. After a North wind target the coves that are very narrow that run East and West. Any cove with a dog leg which is a hard bend will help keep the warm water trapped. Just move across to the South bank in these narrow coves watching the water temp. readings.
The very best stringers for me have come after two or there extremely warm days; then really bad weather sets in. Sleet and light snow shouldn't keep you off the lake that day if the wind is calm. If it does you are going to miss the best trip of your life. Go shallow in this same heavy cover as mentioned above. They will be very active to a particular bait. Give a orange single bladed spinner bait with orange/black/brown skirt a chance through and around this cover. Use a jig with lots of orange in the skirt if they are not on the spinner bait bite; but I assure you if you find a small flat on the inside bend of a small creek way in the back the Halloween spinner bait will be the ticket. Do you use anything besides a spinner bait ??? 
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Casey Borgers]
#11936940
11/16/16 04:14 PM
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 8,106
Rudy Lackey
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 8,106 |
Caught a 10# & a 9# in 3 cast Feb 46 degree water 6' deep ,
firetiger SB.
Rudy
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Casey Borgers]
#11936941
11/16/16 04:15 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 9,501
Jake Shannon(Skeet4Life)
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 9,501 |
Jig jig and a trap then a jig then a chatterbait if ur in rock grab a crank
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Huckleberry]
#11936986
11/16/16 04:38 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 20,116
Donald Harper
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 20,116 |
Another Note:
Fish all the North shore cuts. They warm up the best on sunny days. The SE wind will hold that warm water against the North shores. After a North wind target the coves that are very narrow that run East and West. Any cove with a dog leg which is a hard bend will help keep the warm water trapped. Just move across to the South bank in these narrow coves watching the water temp. readings.
The very best stringers for me have come after two or there extremely warm days; then really bad weather sets in. Sleet and light snow shouldn't keep you off the lake that day if the wind is calm. If it does you are going to miss the best trip of your life. Go shallow in this same heavy cover as mentioned above. They will be very active to a particular bait. Give a orange single bladed spinner bait with orange/black/brown skirt a chance through and around this cover. Use a jig with lots of orange in the skirt if they are not on the spinner bait bite; but I assure you if you find a small flat on the inside bend of a small creek way in the back the Halloween spinner bait will be the ticket. Do you use anything besides a spinner bait ??? Many other baits as mentioned depending on the day and how active the fish are. On inclement weather days your answer is not very often, only the jig. The spinner has caught too many big stringers of bass in fog, sleet, snow, thunder and lighting. Winter time is the very best after a warm front is knocked out by bad weather.
Each person you work with holds some promise to your future success. Websiite Sponsors: www.eletewater.com - Staying Hydrated www.lakeoviachic.com - Booking Mexico Trips 20 Hot Spot Mapping - GPS Contour Chips - Custom Spinner Baits - Jigs -Spooks Pure Extracts - Minnow-Night Crawler-Crayfish-Craylic
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Casey Borgers]
#11937023
11/16/16 04:54 PM
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,435
Mike_Soriano
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,435 |
Baits: Jig, chatterbait, lipless crank, spinnerbait, weightless plastics, suspending jerkbaits, swimbaits.
Colors: Black/blue, red craw, fire tiger, green pumpkin, white, clown, gold/black, chartreuse
There's my base of winter fishing as far as lures/colors go.
Biggest thing about winter fishing is SLOW DOWWWN
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Casey Borgers]
#11937030
11/16/16 04:58 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,729
Ken A.
Groovy
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Groovy
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 13,729 |
Caught them good on Fork in January in 48 degree water in 4 feet on a spinnerbait and lipless rattling bait pulling it relatively fast around scattered grass clumps. It was in a small creek that ran back to the NE well protected from the NE wind. Like several have said the bass will move & feed shallow in cold water if it is on a warming trend.
Probably wouldn't fish 4' of water fast with a spinner or Trap if the water temp had dropped from 54 to 48 in a few days but if the water had warmed from 44 to 48, it can be really good. Don't fool yourself into thinking there are hard fast rules about bass fishing any time of year. You will limit yourself too many times.
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Casey Borgers]
#11937206
11/16/16 07:06 PM
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,120
Jeezy
TFF Celebrity
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TFF Celebrity
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,120 |
I fish for reaction bites pretty much exclusively. Traps, spinnerbaits, cranks. I'm looking forward to work harder on being patient, flipping cover this year.
“The more you know about Donald Trump, the less likely you are to vote for him. The more you know about his business enterprises, the less successful he looks. The more you know about his political giving, the less Republican he looks.” - Lindsey Graham, 2016
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Casey Borgers]
#11937239
11/16/16 07:40 PM
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Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,751
Peepaw on Fork
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,751 |
When fishing in cold weather it's a good idea to take a change of clothes in case you accidentally go swimming. Been there, done it. Not fun
H. Burns
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Re: Question: Fishing in the colder months
[Re: Bulletman99]
#11939441
11/18/16 02:15 AM
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Joined: May 2016
Posts: 79
Casey Borgers
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 79 |
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