Winter Bass Fishing Tips

Bass are more lethargic during winter months, but they are far from being a creature that hybernates, so they must feed to live. And any fish that feeds, can be caught with the right bait and the right combination of tactics for the lure. Lures with thin metal baldes can work wonders on a trophy winter largemouth. Use them for ledge hopping, walking down points, and along channel edges. Try jiggling slab spoons right in the face of slow to strike fish.

I often like to work a jig n grub in cold weather to lure fish into strike mode. Working them slow right off the the bottom, and along the edge of lilly pads, brush, docks, and heavy grass. Alot of times, depending on the water depth, a 3/8 or 1/2 ounce jig will provoke a lunker to strike in these conditions. Spinner baits can work a miricale on bass as well. Cast it and let it flutter as it sinks, then roll it back.

The bigger lipped crank baits can work well if the fish are in a moterately aggressive feeding mood. Keep the retrive smooth and steady, but try pausing and twitching from time to time, especialy near cover. Remember that you may have to make a few trips to the same pond or lake to figure out the feeding habbits of the bass, what they want, and how the largemouth want it.

Presentaion is essincial for cold water bass fishing, especialy when a cold front is upon you. Largemouth react to the changing weather and so you must react to their changing patterns. Fish tend to move close to cover and hang in cold weather. Thus their strike distance is alot shorter than warm weather bass. Also, pay attention to where the fish are hitting your bait during cold fronts, and concentrate on casting to those type of areas. You'll spend more time catching those lunkers and less wasting time casting to non-productive spots.