Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

[SoulWinner]

Hi all. I mostly fish in the bay for Reds and Specs, but they lay down in the winter and so I thought about gettng back to fishing for my favorite fish to eat, the large-mouth bass. I'll be honest, I totally suck as a fisherman, and I incomprehensably suck as a bass fisherman in particular. Do any of you have any tips for fishing for Bass in the winter? I do know a couple of good fishing spots for bass, I just don't have the technique, or knowledge or skill or what ever it takes to get one in the boat.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

spend some time at a popular launch and help the<br />old salts dock when they come in mid-day and ask<br />how they did... <br />they are more than happy to share where/what/when<br />if u wanna listen I bet

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

For winter bass fishing, I like to drill my holes in about 6' of water and drop a fat shiner down about 4' on a tip up...not much help, huh SW <br /><br />Most everywhere though, colder water calls for a slower presentation and larger baits and fish near deep water structure

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

I can tell you how to find out, Visit any local Bass Club, there has to be a bunch around ya somewhere. if you dont like the guys, visit another one. Find one that is family oriented. You will learn more over the winter than you could in a life time of trying to learn it yourself. Be very carefull, its "VERY" addicting.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

In general, go deeper and slow your presentation down. Or, fish a power plant lake.<br /><br />How cold does the water get in NW FL anyway?

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

"winter" in FL is prob like spawning season here?

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

I think winter water temps get into the 40's. It does get cold here in North West Florida. I don't know much about fishing with shiners, but I figure it can't be much different from using bull minnows, only with a bobber instead of bottom fishing.<br /><br />Are spinners and plastic worms still good baits for winter? I don't know how to use them yet, but with practice......

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

When the water temps start to drop in the fall, I'll go against the common thought of slow presentation and fish spinners and cranks fast along the remaining weed edges, the bass are putting on the feedbag for the winter and are aggressively feeding. <br /><br />When the temps really drop (40 or lower) deep fishing a jig or dropshot rubber worm is a good bet, winter time here in Pa. is a tough bite, It seems you to put it right in front of there face to get bit, if at all.<br /><br />SW Plastic worms are a great bait.Once you get the knack of em you will love it. It does take a bit of getting used to. It is all about the feel and line watching. Once you get to fishin em you will get a feel for what the bait feels like as your working it, any slight variation in feel could be a bass that picked it up. Dont be afraid to set that hook when you feel something different. Also watch that line all the time. A lot of time a bass will pick up that bait and start to run to the left or right or right at the boat, you,ll never feel him till its to late, if that line starts to move set that hook. Remember most bass will pick up the bait as it drops. A quality rod is crucial to fishing plastic worms, as well as a line the does not stretch a lot, it's all about the sensitivity.<br /><br />Sorry for being so long winded, Hopes this helps.<br /><br />Cant help ya with any live bait tips, dont fish the stuff, it seems like cheating to me.

 

[Bowfin]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

Florida? You have a wintertime down there? Prime fishing area. Lots of gar, bowfin, catfish, and a the everpresent bass.<br /><br />Bowfin

 

[Tom2697]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

Soulwinner,<br />Some of the best lures I've used for specs and reds came from my bass collection. Pretty much what works on specs will work for bass with the only difference being that bass don't go into the shallows like specs. Use the same presentation as when the specs get deeper. Look for the same types of bottom and cover. Try different retrieves just as you do when going for that snaggletoothed saltwater critter...just leave the shrimp on a popping cork at home.

 

[ddaigle]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

I bass fished for years in east Tx, winters similar to N. Florida. One of the best techniques was slow rolling a large spinnerbait in deep holes. Cast it out and let it sink all the way to the bottom and then reel it back as slow as you can and still feel it vibrating. Plastic worms and jig and pigs can also be good worked slowly. In the early spring when the water warms to about 55 or 60 degrees we fished small crankbaits in 8 -10 feet of water and caught huge prespawn sows some over 12 pounds. Worms and jig and pigs also do well at this time as well as spinnerbaits(white and yellow). Hope this helps. (Former Bass addict now in saltwater.)

 

[ddaigle]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

Tom 2697 do you live on S. Padre. I have a trailer in Isla Blanca park and fish a lot. Just wondering.

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

Hey, thank you guys for the tips!!!

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

Everything Flahthead said works here.<br /><br />The bite is faint and barely detectable.<br />Jigs, rubber worms and dropshotting is done very slowly this time of year.<br />The exception here is right before sun up a good surface bite can happen with Bass chasing schools of minnows.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

"Hi all. I mostly fish in the bay for Reds and Specs, but they lay down in the winter and so I thought about gettng back to fishing for my favorite fish to eat, the large-mouth bass."<br /><br />As with any BASS member they would discourage you from eating bass. I would give you some tips but only if you're catch and release guy. If you're gonna eat them? forget about it. Come on guys! eat the Reds and Specs! Bass are for fun not food.

 

[Bob La Londe]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

I'll probably catch flack for this, but here is one of my most consistant winter fishing spots and some comments about it. <br /><br />

<br /><br />I drew this up for another forums, but since you asked about winter fishing. Bear in mand that the area I fish has no deep water so deep water tactics don't really apply.

 

[wallbanger2]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

I never knew people ate bass. I've only seen them catch and release on TV. I always thought it was one of those fish that didn't have a good taste or something. Of course I've never cought one myself, I grew up fishing for trout and salmon in Northern California.<br />I have started to get the urge to go fishing again but I am clueless about both the fresh and saltwater species that are around here so I'm in the same boat (or worse) as you are SW lol.

 

[Bob La Londe]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

We used to eat bass when I was a kid. Also if I take a kid fishing for the first time I'll make sure to clean and cook up a fish they caught if its a legal species and size. <br /><br />You are right. Considering they are members of the sunfish family bass have amazingly little flavor of their own. Odd when you consider how tasty bluegill, redear, and greenies are. <br /><br />Of course if everybody caught and released bass there would be no need for bag limits, slot limits, and minimum size requirements in different areas.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

Taking a kid fishing is a great thing to do, although I also use that oppertunity to teach C&R and why we need to practice this when we can.<br />My 4 yr old already understands when I catch a Bass, we take a quick look and return it to the water. We may catch 40-50 Walleye in the spring-summer on a good day, but only keep 2 or 3, not the limit "every time".<br />Soul winner, to each his own, but Bob has a good point on "taste"...maybe pursuing less pressured spieces of the sunfish family may be more rewarding at the table...don't quit fishing for Bass, they provide a GREAT challenge, and many hours of entertainment, but the true reward in Bass fishing is returning them to fight another day. They aren't as prolific as some species, and recruitment of young of the year is less productive in most cases, than other spieces.<br />A few fish kept isn't going to kill off a spieces, but if "everyone" done it......<br /><br />EDIT: BTW, slot limits are created to keep a certain speices, of a certain size that they are the most aggressive predator(at that size) for controlling undesirable numbers of more prolific fish such as bluegill, black crappie, etc...

 

[Bob La Londe]

Re: Winter Bass Fishing Tips?

I teach catch and release also, but I think any kids first sccessful catch should have a further reward to reenforce the experience. Hence why I always try to get a kid to catch fish, and the first time they catch a keeper we eat it. I can catch bass perhaps more reliably than any other species.