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DonF
Active member
Been thinging they still have to eat.
Has anyone fished for bass in the winter?
plumbertom
Active member
Yes, they do.
But they feed much slower and are less inclined to chase a bait.
That's why plastic worms, fished very, very slowly across the bottom or just inches above, have always been my winter bait for bass. Larger worms, as long as 12 inches, will get a better bite.
Be prepared for a less aggressive strike, as they will tend to pick the bait up and hold it before swallowing.
This is also the time of year when scent/taste enhancers come into their own. Give that Hot Sauce, Smelly Jelly or Berkley Strike a try.
When the water is cold, it burns more energy to chase a food item than they can get out of eating it.
So you really have to fish an area intensely to get bit.
You pretty much have to hit them on the nose to entice a strike.
But they feed much slower and are less inclined to chase a bait.
That's why plastic worms, fished very, very slowly across the bottom or just inches above, have always been my winter bait for bass. Larger worms, as long as 12 inches, will get a better bite.
Be prepared for a less aggressive strike, as they will tend to pick the bait up and hold it before swallowing.
This is also the time of year when scent/taste enhancers come into their own. Give that Hot Sauce, Smelly Jelly or Berkley Strike a try.
When the water is cold, it burns more energy to chase a food item than they can get out of eating it.
So you really have to fish an area intensely to get bit.
You pretty much have to hit them on the nose to entice a strike.
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bass
Most Featured
I catch some bass out of Hagg each winter. It is usually just a few fish at best for a fair bit of effort.
In PA I would fish for bass until the lakes iced over. The lake I liked to fish was a small impoundment that was canyon-like and had a lot of laydowns sitting upside down along the vertical banks. Once again I would fish all day for a few fish but usually there they were mostly over 5lbs. For some reason I would only catch big fish in the winter.
I have not tried to fish the rivers around here for smallmouth in the winter. I think about it each year but just end up going sturgeon fishing instead. I am not sure where smallies go in the rivers in the winter. I would assume they like to be around eddies and just off of the current but that is just a guess. Maybe I will give it a go this year.
If you go out, please report back!
I will have to get some big plastic worms and give those a try @plumbertom ,
In PA I would fish for bass until the lakes iced over. The lake I liked to fish was a small impoundment that was canyon-like and had a lot of laydowns sitting upside down along the vertical banks. Once again I would fish all day for a few fish but usually there they were mostly over 5lbs. For some reason I would only catch big fish in the winter.
I have not tried to fish the rivers around here for smallmouth in the winter. I think about it each year but just end up going sturgeon fishing instead. I am not sure where smallies go in the rivers in the winter. I would assume they like to be around eddies and just off of the current but that is just a guess. Maybe I will give it a go this year.
If you go out, please report back!
I will have to get some big plastic worms and give those a try @plumbertom ,
D
DonF
Active member
I will report back is I make it. Thinking about going to LaPage park with the boat. Mostly looking for cats and crappie but will use auger tail's on a lead head and have caught a fair number of bass on them.
