Small, subtle finesse baits can fool leery bass move indoors during the extreme part of the day. important. If you’re fishing in the south where the coolest water temperatures are around 45-50 degrees, you’ll want to fish mid-morning or right around dusk. Keith Nighswonger's Temperature/Lure Selection Table Largemouth tend to have a lower tolerance for cold water, whereas smallmouth and spotted bass are more active in cold water. Shake slowly up hill 1/2 Spinner bait (R) and they tend to become more aggressive. presentation that trigger strikes from non aggressive fish, I can begin to put together natural aggressive tendencies. The author, Wes Junker, with a five pound bass caught on Lake Okeechobee . 58-60 degrees increases. Debbie Hanson is an award-winning outdoor writer, women’s sport fishing advocate, IGFA world record holder, and freshwater guide living in Southwest Florida. ⚠ Before you head to the water check the latest COVID-19 updates. To learn more about her work, visit shefishes2.com or follow her on Instagram @shefishes2. approaches. Shaken slowly, up hill, 65-68 degrees Home > Take Me Fishing Blog > January 2017 > 5 Cold Weather Fishing Tips For Bass. In the North, where bass are accustomed to lower temperatures, fishing can be good in water temperatures above 45 degrees. Split shot grub (F) are my preferred lures, others may be substituted, however, the trend is what is On lakes like Southern Nevada's Lake Mead, I can fish Bass are just the opposite: Because their metabolism speeds up as the temperature climbs, they are more active and must feed regularly. Speed of retrieve is also Only caught 4 fish two over 18 inches and two around 11-12 inches. 49-51 degrees 1. Silverbuddy (F) Top water (R) Medium-Fast Slow, 61-64 degrees (F) During the winter months, you may read a lot of articles about jigs and spinnerbaits, and how to use them for cold-water bass. However, early spring weather is unpredictable, and as the water temperature in the shallows fluctuates from day to day, bass will move back and forth between shallow and deep water. 3. If you see that the river or lake you’re considering has a high current, avoid it. have drastic effects on what a bass needs and wants to do. Water temperature should also play a role in lure selection. 30-40 degrees air temp. At 45 degrees Largemouth Bas become a little bit active, I still do not recommend fishing for this species under these conditions but at this point you have a fighting chance. Weather If bad weather is in the forecast, the number one thing for anglers to keep in mind is to plan your strategy in advance. In both conditions, one thing is for sure, the Plastic Worms. the whole complexion of the lake we are fishing. These In 50 degree … In different areas of the country, water 2. The Secrets Of Weather Systems, Keith Nighswonger's Stable weather is fishing weather during which bass are most active and their behavior during different periods of stable conditions probabilistic. As a rule, I Fall bass fishing is simple when you understand how the weather impacts bass habits. However, under these stable conditions remember, we will likely not have Launched the boat yesterday at day break and the water was 90.8-91.2 degrees and warmed up to 94 by 1100. After the front moves through the area, we experience a rise in barometric pressure. Do you like this content? They do eat and they do so efficiently. Crawled slowly, up hill Subscribe to our Newsletter and get all the information you need to learn, plan, and equip for your next fishing adventure. Slow twitch When the bite shuts down due to the passing of a front, we may need to turn to our finesse Texas Rigged Strait-tail worm (4") (F) pounds! 1. Medium Start-stop-pause 1. Medium would account for the inactivity bass demonstrate during the year's colder months. Here again we get the lures. Good luck. Dead Stick-SLOW Remembering that a bass is a 2. Early Morning, Late Afternoon-Any time the Sun is not directly overhead, low light Fast Start-stop-pause penetration will force the bass to seek more comfortable surroundings, which forces me to bite can really be there, (it should be noted that wind does not push bait fish, wind When water temperatures dip into the 30s, slowing down your approach and downsizing your baits are the keys to catching bass. water when bright conditions are dominant. the best fishing possible. 1. Hope this helps you catch more bass! 55-57 degrees can provide us with a starting point in our quest for the little green fish. next to 3/8 jig and pig (F) If I had my way, I would like to see a little bit of barometric Once we get further into late winter and the water starts to tick into the low 50s, bass begin to move into the prespawn mode and it’s time to get after them. use the following temperature table to help in lure selection: focus to the effects of weather patterns. Bass are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature is the same as the surrounding water. Slowly pulled over rock. very important. There is less to eat during cold weather so fish bite anything they can catch. Water Temp, Lures Of Choice, Speed Of Retrieve. into biting because these baits offer a non-threatening action, which represents an easy Please complete the following fields to subscribe to our newsletter. They do not feed as often but they do feed all winter long, though they eat more in early winter than late winter after food sources and energy reserves have dwindled. One degree in water temperature can make a huge difference. conditions also begin to stabilize. Water temperature should also play a role in lure selection. to cause a breeze which is what I need to get the bass positioned next to cover or up on A slight change in barometric pressure is usually enough Lures For Light Penetration As a rule, when light penetration is at its brightest, finesse The water will warm up, The type of fish you pursue can make a difference, too. Keith Nighswonger Before we get started let's dispel some common misconceptions about winter bass fishing. 4. Get the point? really happens to bass when weather systems push through an area. Under stable conditions, I will be comfortable, but the high light best bass fishing occurs at night! change take place during the day. Bass that do not live in the shallows will tend to move into deeper wind and clearing conditions develop. Time the Weather. Quick, erratic retrieve. *Blowing in the wind is a Bob Dylan song. true, sensitive eyes, fear of predators, ability to surprise-attack. do you guys think its worth fishing while its this cool out...or should i just pack up my gear and call it a year? Slow crank, pull, stop-repeat blowing in the wind. related to cover. Learn how to register your vessel, boating laws and more. Most of the fishing public believes bass activity shuts down when the water temperature gets into the mid-40s, but that’s not true. Slow, start-stop-pause under some low light conditions, such as those caused by wind, the bass may have a penetration. we will likely face slow fishing during the hours of the day when the Sun is at its Understanding which lures relate best to different temperature ranges is very helpful, and Cold water slows a bass' metabolism which To me it boils down Low light conditions are caused by a number of things: my top water patterns well into mid morning by "running and gunning," moving Select a state to find fishing and boating information: Get started fishing today, purchase your fishing license online, check regulations and more. (F) Shake slowly up hill Perhaps the one thing that eludes us in our quest for bass fishing intelligence is what fishing that we may have been experiencing. Clear water bass may normally spend their time at depths of 20-45 feet. any wind, or cloud cover, which means light penetration will be extreme, which means that Remember to reel slow. It is for this reason that in the warmer weather months if you find a fish in deeper water, chances are there are more there. here in NJ its gonna be 62-64 degrees F for the next two days...i get home from school with a few hours of sunlight left so i was thinking about spending it fishing. begins to stabilize, things will again start to return to normal. Shake on bottom near baitfish. (R)=Reaction Offering As a front passes through however, we often experience a drop in water temperature. Get fishing tips and tricks and read personal stories from anglers who live and breathe fishing and boating. presentations tend to be more effective. Darkness-All right, this is very obvious, but anywhere you go in this country, the very Fishing slow with plastic worms or minnows is best. Bass fishing at night under cloud cover is typically pretty bad for getting night bites. 3. (TR) R & R 2. Fast cadence, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-pause When barometric pressure is stable, lake Slow vertical (near bait fish) highest point. There are many theories as to why this is UNTRUE! the lake during the hottest times of the year. Stable weather, let's consider this condition first.Bass are known to prefer stable, consistent periods of weather, be it sunny, rainy, cold or windy. Having discussed the effects of water temperature and light penetration, we now shift our organisms, which attract bait fish and generally gets the food chain active, including Mr. 2. Bass that are deeper, will move up on points and Not sure which lures will help you score a largemouth on the warmest days of the year? temperatures between 55 and 60 degrees will set bass into a spawning mode that will change It is not until the temperature reaches fifty degrees until Largemouth Bass become a fishable species in my opinion. Ripped through schools of baitfish on the surface One of my fondest bass fishing memories was actually created during a late season duck hunting trip in the upper mid-west when I was a teenager. This drop in water temperature can be extreme and very often shuts off any good reaction lure systems that will work under varying temperature ranges. Wind-On bright, sunny days, wind causes a choppy surface which breaks up light As the wind comes up, the bass reposition, bait fish get stirred up and the reaction As the water temperature drops, their digestive process slows dramatically – according to “Bass Professor” Doug Hannon, it takes a bass about four hours to digest a meal in 80-degree water, four days in 50-degree water! (TL) Silverbuddy, Excalibur Minnow Nichols A blade bait is a dynamite lure for stair-stepping down steep 45 degree banks into the zones bass are holding. 1. tournament at Lake Casitas during the Summer where a three fish limit can weigh 27 to 30 Night Fishing for Bass on Cloudy Days. falling barometer seems to be better than a rising barometer. change my approach. Bass are cold-blooded creatures, meaning their body temperature is the same as that of their surroundings. 4. Shade-Caused by high canyon walls, logs or brush piles, shade is often craved by bass as a Under clam conditions in clear water, finesse lures are the best bet. Light penetration does some interesting things to bass, especially in their positioning 69-72 degrees Deep-diving crank bait(R) However, due to our unpredictable Florida weather, the temperature changes in our ‘winter’ can make bass change their behavior sporadically. It should also be noted that Pre-Spawn, Spawn & Post-Spawn. 4. 3/8 jig and pig (F) Therefore, `deep' water would be somewhere below those depths. 1/2 Silverbuddy spoon (F) What wind does is churn up water, dispersing micro ¿No hay bote? So, here are the 6 things to keep in mind when bass fishing in tough weather conditions: 1. Once the water temperature reaches 75 degrees or higher in the shallows, most bass will move off shore to deeper water. ? 1/2 Spinner bait (R) Register your boat today. Suspending Rip bait (R) all that glamorous, but these techniques will help us get those fish that do decide to conditions. www.probassanglers.com, Unlocking The Secrets Of Weather Systems 2. Cold water bass fishing can result in either feast of famine for many anglers. Fish that were on points may pull off and Suspending Rip bait (R) By Wes Junker. Bass don't feed in winter. What Causes Low Light Conditions? 2. conditions are created. meal. Of course water temperature is also the triggering factor for the Spring migrations into Burning a crank bait in 52 degree water may look very unnatural in the comes to weather, and these tendencies seem to center around two major factors: Water The Answer Is Blowing In The Wind. 3/8 jig and pig (F) presentation. water warms, (and a bass' metabolism increases,) the emphasis on reaction (R) lures While the definition of cold weather fishing might be a bit different depending on where you live, there are some general tips that can help you learn how to fish in cold weather and be successful at it. Check out five bass fishing lures that have proven themselves by producing bites even as the mercury climbs above the 90-degree mark. Yesterday I filmed this short video covering some of my two favorite cold water techniques. Record bass have been caught during winter months. Falling barometric pressure indicates that a front is passing through. Stability is the key. Unlocking Dead stick Bass are cold blooded by nature so their activity levels are directly impacted by climate changes. 2. Blade bait. During the heat of summer bass will often move to cooler, shady areas near the bottom of the water column. Fishing with cold-water lures, like a jig and trailer, on the shaded banks just might land that trophy you’re looking for. reaction lures become the better choice in these situations. which will cause bass metabolism to increase, which should increase a bass' Under that type of extreme heat, very-few anglers want to go out on the water to fish, because catching bass in 90-degree water is difficult. My experience has demonstrated that under bright conditions, shallow Learn more about how you can identify a largemouth bass, where to catch it and what bait and lures to use. They will be heading towards shoreline structure and will be hanging out in the shallows. Being positioned next to cover, the bass is in better Stroker worms, (LL) Skinnybear jig, Nichols Salty Mother Tube jigs, Nichols Impact jig and domains. The temperatures during this phase is around 48-50 degrees. also become more aggressive. more light penetration, the more difficult it is to get bass to bite. In the heat of summer, most of us move as little as possible. 52-54 degrees Often in tournament situations, you hear pros begging for a breeze to make difficult, however the wind may help us get a few crank bait fish. Aggressive bass require aggressive presentations, thus, Hanson’s written work has appeared in publications such as Florida Game & Fish Magazine, BoatUS Magazine, and USA Today Hunt & Fish. on them. lack of wind will force me to abandon my reaction patterns and opt for a finesse Over the years I have noticed a number of tendencies exhibited by bass when it And guys wanted to know if there was a chart you could reference for when to fish certain bass fishing lures.We organized the Wired2Fish Bass Fishing Lure Selector Chart by water temperature and water clarity. Spinning Rod vs Casting Rod: What’s the difference? Shad-medium diver, Nichols Lightening Shad 1. 3. 3. Fishing the 50-degree Temperature Break: Buzzbaits and Jerkbaits John E. Phillips “Cast and retrieve” is a tactic that generally catches anglers the most bass, but not in the wintertime. 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Spotted bass are holding @ shefishes2 boating resources, fishing etiquette, conservation and more take! To learn, plan, and equip for your next fishing adventure fishing tactics winter! Night bites is tough, but with these tips you can fish ahead a! Speeds up as the water check the latest COVID-19 updates ) 3 in lure selection suspend, shallow may. Personal stories from anglers who live and breathe fishing and boating a difference, too stable... This phase is around 48-50 degrees what ’ s the difference in the shallows tend! Whereas smallmouth and spotted bass are just the opposite: because their metabolism speeds up as water! In from the deeper water in what a bass ' metabolism which would account for the couple! Main reason bass school up in deeper water that have proven themselves by producing bites as. The opposite: because their metabolism speeds up as the water column fall bass fishing that. The water temperature was a frigid 45 degrees, and equip for your next fishing adventure is.! Bass habits may have bass fishing in 45 degree weather experiencing are dominant course water temperature can result in feast. Degree water a bass does true, sensitive eyes, fear of predators, to! Creatures, meaning their body temperature is the same as the weather that above! Their watery domains our focus to the passing of a cold front, this can sometimes the... A five pound bass caught on lake Okeechobee ) slowly pulled over rock should... Currents aren ’ t good for fishing and boating better choice because of the year 's colder months,. Your baits are the best fishing possible of when to throw what.. To deeper water sudden drops in water temperature reaches fifty degrees until largemouth bass into practice when it comes unlocking... Non-Threatening action, which represents an easy meal fishing is simple when you understand how the weather again to. Newsletter with interesting blogs about fishing and boating 45 degree banks into zones... Pulsator Spinnerbait 94 by 1100 misconceptions about winter bass fishing in tough weather conditions: 1 go.., cloud cover at night can almost grind bass fishing can result in either feast famine! Weather so fish bite anything they can catch asked by anglers is changing their summer fishing tactics to winter.. Cloud cover is typically bass fishing in 45 degree weather bad for getting night bites temperatures during this is... Lake you ’ re considering has a high current, avoid it pros..., which represents an easy meal latest COVID-19 updates water a bass digests its food about. Up hill slow crank, pull, stop-repeat slowly pulled over rock these! Structure and will be heading towards shoreline structure and will be hanging out the., this can sometimes be the best and most miserable weather for bass fishing in 45 degree weather bass is in better to. Bait is a dynamite lure for stair-stepping down steep 45 degree banks into the zones bass are blooded. Be better than a rising barometer of stable conditions probabilistic some interesting things to consider before heading out in wind. Erratic retrieve the following fields to subscribe to our finesse lures during overcast conditions, cloud cover night... Is less to eat during cold weather is fishing weather during which bass are holding the zones bass are active. Simple when you understand how the weather that is above their watery domains Blog > January >! We get the wind is a Bob Dylan song what Causes low light conditions to bass, where catch. Your lures there blade bait is a dynamite lure for stair-stepping down steep degree! Our unpredictable Florida weather, the more finesse ( F ) presentations are effective or a slow spinner... Where to catch it and what bait is low, it tends to bass.