When the water temperature dips below 50 degrees
bass fishing becomes a real challenge. When the cold water temperatures
of winter arrive bass head toward deep water. While in the fall you
were able to find bass back in shallow coves and creeks where they were
busy foraging preparing for long periods of winter inactivity, once the
water temperatures drop they migrate away from these areas into the
main body of the lake where they are able to find areas with deeper
water. Often they will be found along sharp drops where they can move
in and out of the deeper water into a more shallow area to feed. A
depth finder will be an invaluable tool during this time of year.
It
is important to remember that because a bass is cold blooded, a
decrease in temperature also brings a decrease in the fish's activity
level. This decrease in activity is a result of a decrease in the
fish's metabolism. Put simply, because a bass does not digest his food
as quickly in winter he does not need to feed as often. Food that is
digested within a few hours in the summer may take up to a couple of
days to digest in winter, depending upon the water temperature. Unlike
the spring pre-spawn period when the bass have a seemingly endless
appetite, during the winter months they will feed only a few hours
during the day. This will generally be during the warmer periods of a
day - often in mid afternoon.
When searching for fish it will be
very helpful to look for schools of bait fish. When you locate a school
of baitfish located along an elevation change described above you will
have located a prime opportunity to be successful in your search winter
bass. By fishing along a drop at the depths where the baitfish are
located you will swing the odds of catching bass in your favor.
It
is important to remember that in addition to being less active, what
activity a bass does have during the winter will be much more sluggish
than at other times of the year. For this reason the retrieval of bait
should be done at a much slower speed than in spring or summer when the
fish will respond much more quickly. During this colder time of year a
jig, Jig-n-pig
or worm type bait that you can drop down and let drift in front of a
bass may be more effective than any type of lure that requires any
degree of movement to be effective. You should also keep in mind that
strikes will be less forceful during this period of reduced activity
and you will need a lighter touch to pick up hits before the bass has a
chance to spit out your bait. You might even consider using a lighter
rod than you would during other times of the year in order to increase
your sensitivity.
To sum up winter bass fishing... Slow down your
warm weather techniques, fish close to around near drop offs, slow down
some more, look for schools of bait fish, and finally slow down even
more.
