I'm trying to console myself for my lack of catching today. Is 39 degree water temp a good excuse?

The lake was Lloyd Vincent (NW Oklahoma), and if my sonar was halfway correct, I fished over/through thousands of fish (including bait fish, of course) with nary a bite. No idea what all of the fish were but surely some were bass. Any time I hit 20 feet or deeper, there were sizable fish on my screen. I tried a drop shot, Damiki rig, blade bait, spoon, deep jerk bait and a few others, worked slow but nada.

Any recommendations other than "keep plugging" or "wait for warmer water"? I'm not discouraged, btw, mainly based on the fish images and success last Spring and Summer, but just curious if there's something I haven't considered.

Any suggestions for offshore fishing in cold water other than methods mentioned above?

Slooooooooooooowwww doooowwwwwwnnnnnnnnn. That temp is frigid for oklahoma. I'd throw a jerk bait, with super long between twitches.

If it makes you feel any better, I blanked yesterday in 53 degree water. Once the temp went below 58 it's slowed way down for me. Only thing I've caught a bass on in January is a C-rig with baby brush hog.Threw jerk bait, chatter bait, cranks along rocks. I got one bite on a drop shot but didn't land it.

backlash/deadsticking technique?

Well I’m in Central TX (Lake Waco) the water is 57-59 and I can for sure say there are no fish in 15’ of water or less coming out from the bank. I went all over the lake twice with almost nothing to show for it.

Hopefully the worm will turn soon...

I simply don’t know how to catch them this time of year til they begin to move up.

I am fishing Skiatook and the water temps are 45-47. Fishing is super slow. Nothing deep is biting it seems. I have ran a jig, umbrella rig, jigging spoon, ned rig, shaky head and deep diving cranks with a few bites, but no catches. Frustrating to see balls of shad and then heads around it and not get bit. It is driving me crazy, but I am catching a fish here and there on rocky banks with crankbaits. I keep telling myself it is winter fishing, but wondering too if I am not fishing correctly.

Bust out the Ned rig stuff

Skiatook is your main problem. Pitiful bass lake.

This time of year, the shad ball in huge schools on the main lake, which is less prone to temperature shifts which can kill the shad. I think this concentration of bait fish makes it super easy for the fish to feed. Because of this, and their low metabolism this time of year, I think they have ultra short feeding windows. So unless you happen to smack one in the face during one of these short windows, your throwing at suspended fish that just aren't feeding.

At least that's my theory why I only boated one 3lb fish yesterday in 54 degree water!

Dead stick a fluke?

[/quote] Skiatook is your main problem. Pitiful bass lake. [/quote]


This is my 3rd year on the lake and have done pretty well in spring & summer. Fall and winter have been struggles.

I'm convinced water freezes at 32 degrees and bass freeze below 58 degrees.

Wait'll March and you'll be a bass whackin' hero again.

This is kind of true. In the summer when their metabolic rates are high, bass need to eat everyday. In the winter, that can drop to once every couple days. In real cold water up north, it can drop to as low as once every 5 days. Add to that, highly concentrated bait, and it makes for ultra tough fishing.

bass are crazy. they can survive being frozen solid in a block of ice.