How cold is too cold for bass fishing? Does it get too cold? Or can you keep going year round? I realize colder the water probably means less active the bass, but it seems like people are still catching a lot of fish (lots of impressive trips/catches posted lately). Basically, I've been skunked the last 5 or 6 mornings out (and the last time I had a catch it was two perch that I think accidentally got hit by my crankbait, haha) and just kind of wondering if I'm standing out in the freezing cold at 6am for no real reason. Any insight/advice would be appreciated!
It's definately reaction bait time...jerks and cranks! Like Rich said...change up your retrieve and cover water until you find one and then be patient there because chances are you'll catch a few.
It's tough for me to fish a jig so slow..........but maybe I'll try that Saturday too.
ive caught bass through the ice on spoons!!!
shallow ponds or small pond with deep holes are the way to go!!!!
screw deep ponds when you need a fishfinder!!!!!
find some local ponds! walk around them cast jigs and jerkbaits!
ive caught bass through the ice on spoons!!!
shallow ponds or small pond with deep holes are the way to go!!!!
screw deep ponds when you need a fishfinder!!!!!
find some local ponds! walk around them cast jigs and jerkbaits!
It's tough for me to fish a jig so slow..........but maybe I'll try that Saturday too.
Jeff, never leave home without a jig tied on. All it takes is for that water to come up a couple degrees during the day and the bass will pull up into cover, especially on shallow bog like ponds. I have caught plenty of fish shallow in trees, bushes and rocks with water temps in the 40*
Its not to cold but getting close for us in kayaks. Tomorrows another day.
Yet it was still better than a good day of work or a lazy ass day of Xbox!
It's just about time for reaction baits, jerkbaits and super shallow cranks like minus -1. You want to keep moving and cover a ton of water. Fish start to bunch up for winter. When you get 1 spend a little more time trying to trigger another. keep changing up the cadance of (shawn will love this) your jerking..... jerk, pause, jerk jerk pause, jerk LOOOONG pause, jerk jerk LOOONG pause, jerk jerk jerk pause. saem thing with the crankbait. Start with a stright retrieve and then work in pauses. Spped it up, slow it down, bump it into things. When you catch one remember the retriev you were using and duplicate it. Revisit areas where you caught multiple fish. Affter letting them "rest" you can trigger more. Change color and size to trigger more. I will break through thin ice in the am to get out on a pond to do this. Shallow ponds are best because the fish do not have deep water to retreat to and you always have the bait infront of fish.
I also jerked it all different ways the hole time I was out and still got skunked
Well just got back. Got to my favorite river, kayak in about 10:15 and fished at 11:45. To make a long story short, fished for 20 minutes until the kayak turned into an ice breaker. One corner of the river was completely frozen with a thin layer of ice. As I was having trouble breaking through I turned around and fished back with not luck, skunked. Threw my last cast only to have a giant birds nest have way down my line and lost a crank bait on a bottom structure.
Yet it was still better than a good day of work or a lazy ass day of Xbox!
Rivers can be notoriously slow in cold water. The fish do not want to be in any current where they have to expend energy just to maintain position. Most fish will migrate out of the main river onto flats if available or drop down into deep holes where available. If you can find the holes the fish use..... Bonanza!!!