Or perhaps you started with too aggressive of a lure. Not knowing what was to come he catches a nice bass, followed by a crappie. When the water is cold, bass metabolism slows and they don’t need to eat as much. Just how cold is too cold for a topwater bite? It’s no fun to plan a fishing trip only to see the temperature top 15 or 20 degrees the night before you leave. Combs either presents his lures close to the bank or high in the water column. This approach is used by most anglers. Fishing in cold weather can be as fun as it is in the summer, especially since the weather keeps most anglers cozied up next to their woodburning stoves. Most bass anglers know to fish rocks in cold water, and science supports them. Although the spring and summer will always be the predominant topwater time, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some darn good topwater fishing all winter – assuming your water is still wet. The first warm days of spring usually signals the “the bass rut” is nearly upon us. One pattern most fishermen overlook in late January and early February, on any lake, is shallow water. Cold, snow, ... winter and early spring are particularly productive for targeting big sea bass known as “humpbacks,” fish built like miniature fullbacks that can exceed 5 pounds in weight. Bass jigs with soft-plastic trailers, plastic worms, and soft tubes are all taking bass this week, but low and slow is the key in still-cold April water. Winter Bass Fishing for Giants: Tips for Finding Big Bass in Cold Water By Jason Sealock • Jan 12, 2021 Winter fishing is the time of year where you have the chance to catch your biggest bass. However in general, if you change your lures and slow down, you can still tempt bass into strikes. 1. Migration routes are important now in lakes and reservoirs. The colder the water, the more they avoid current. Learn new tips and tricks for spring bass fishing. But this isn’t normal. Together they are bad news. With that said, we all know you can still catch ‘em when it’s cold out and below are some simple crankbait tips to boost your winter bass numbers. Swimbaits are easy! Power fishing has been the predominate pattern and it’s been an absolute blast. Bass will willingly eat buzzbaits at water temperatures down to the low 50’s, and even lower if the conditions are right. During this season, bass are feeding heavily at every depth and attack a variety of lures as the water warms. ... even when it’s cold. Knowing where to bass fish and when, is a critical part of early spring bass fishing in cold water. Cold water fishing is now the only time I cast this lure. No matter where you live, there are plenty of chances to catch bass in the spring. With regard to catching crappies and even bluegills in the early part of the spring, Bauer says where allowed nothing is simpler and more effective than using a plain, old slip bobber, split shot weight, light wire hook, and a small, lively minnow. One night late last fall, while conducting an electroshocking survey in water that was early spring cold, his team only found bass along a rocky point that was bathed in afternoon sun. The last of our 3 bass fishing tips for early Spring is sometimes a spot just needs to rest. Cold water or muddy fishing conditions are usually tough. Don't think there are but two or three lures that work well for winter bass fishing. Maybe you roared up too quickly in your boat. It's the way you fish them that is different. We spend enough time fishing that we get the good weather, too. Avoid places hit by cold north winds. Its all about knowing which swimbaits work at different times and how to put them to work for you. Bass Pro Jacob Wheeler explains his setup and technique for bass fishing in cold water. Once the water hits 50 degrees, bass are definitely in a prespawn mode. The water temperature on these lakes in January will be in the 70-degree plus range and most bass will be in the spawning or post spawn stage. Today Matt breaks down the 3 styles of swimbaits that work in cold water and explains what each style is for. … ... you will be treating yourself to some phenomenal fishing. This is when most anglers are coming out of their winter hibernation, getting out on the water for the first time. New Winter Cold Water Bass Tech I am going to attempt bringing you up to speed about how I have been applying new winter cold water tech, (for me), on the spotted bass of Lake Shasta since this winter/spring … But winter fishing takes some prep. We all deal with spring cold fronts. Action lures such as crankbaits and spinnerbaits produce most of the time, but when the water temperature lingers below 60 degrees and during cold-front situations later in the spring, bass prefer slower presentations. This makes 'em fairly predictable to locate but they're still tough to catch due to the cold water and their slowed metabolism. Those cold fronts that linger for a couple days can drop lake temperatures very significantly. Some of us are lucky. The lures you use in spring and fall are the same for winter. The digestive process is greatly slowed; according to Doug Hannon, ESPN's Bass Professor, it takes a bass about four hours to digest a meal in 80-degree water, four days in 50-degree water! That’s the hardest part about wintertime fishing. Cold Water Bass Fishing Lures Overview. Cast to the shallow edge of a drop-off and let the grub sink alongside it, raising the rod tip as the bait reaches the bottom. Over the past several weeks, we’ve put together 7 tips to help you get more out of your shallow wintertime fishing. Jerkbaits - The key to fishing jerkbaits when winter bass fishing is to not jerk them! However don’t let that ruin your outing. The spring months are a great time to be a bass angler. Greg Bartz is a tournament bass fisherman based in Lakeland. In their cold-induced lethargy, long gone is their aggressive summertime devil-may-care ambush feeding behavior. … Bass fishing with water temperatures in the 40s is cold… like, really cold. We're back on the water at Chickamauga and the bass are biting! “I love neutrally-buoyant crankbaits for a variety of bass fishing situations in the colder waters of early spring,” comments Bauer. Bass are focused on shad during the winter, and I prefer a suspending jerkbait for fishing around vertical structure, like main lake bluffs and bridges, this time of year. For bass fishermen, early spring is the most wonderful time of the year. When the water is very cold, a 3- to 4-inch curly-tail grub on a ¼-ounce jighead is one of the simplest and most effective presentations for large and smallmouth bass. Concentrate on the rocks because the water there tends to warm faster on sunny days. While finesse can be effective, there is something rewarding about successfully power fishing in cold water. Fishing shallow is another key to catching cold, muddy water bass. If the bass are staying in deeper water, concentrate on the creek channels and points. Winter bass tend to get pretty tight to cover, especially with all of the rains and muddy water. ... Deep-water sea bass fishing can also be productive with jigs. He switches between a lipless crankbait, a worm, and a small underspin swimbait in search of bass on what proves to be a very tough afternoon. Winter smallmouth bass are sluggish. When the water is colder, the shad suspend in the water column and if I see shad dying and gulls diving on them, that tells me the suspending jerkbait is the best choice. 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