Getting cats to bite in cold water

There's a smallish lake about 5 minutes from our house near Boerne, and sometimes I run down there and relax and fish for cats. It's not huge - it's about 1/4 mile long and about 200-250 feet wide. Probably about 25-30 feet deep in the middle. In the warmer months, I sit on one of the piers and catch one channel after another on #6 trebles and CJ's or Danny King's, with a shot of attractant. They bite so fast, I barely have time to sit down.

Last weekend I was out there for the first time in a couple of months. We've had some freezing weather lately, with a little snow, sleet, etc. That water was COLD! When I reeled the bait in to check it, that little wad of CJ's was cold as an ice cube. I was out there for 4 hours and didn't get the slightest nibble. Absolutely nothing. Zero. Zilch. No fish anywhere - bottom, middle, surface. But they ARE in there.....

Thoughts? Tips? Should I just hang it up until May?

Nope I have better luck when it's cold using cut bait.

Thanks, but how do you get cut bait when there's no fish to cut?

Cast net

Go to a Chinese supermarket, most of them have excellent seafood/fish sections. The Hong Kong market in Arlington used to be my go to for cut bait. They will even cut it to how you like for bait. Best no contest is Buffalo.

If you are fishing from a pier, there are perch around it. Take some corn or nightcrawlers and catch them.

We don’t have any trouble getting the channel cat to bite in cold weather.

They were biting like crazy Saturday. 49.2 water temp.