It’s a bass’ instinct to be reactive towards erratic behavior nearby. Here we have prime fishing temperatures where bass are highly active, but you would only likely experience these types of temperatures in the winter in the Southern states, so this doesn’t help everyone North of the Mason-Dickson. You need to slow down your presentation when the water temperatures drop. Fish a bait consistently in the areas where you have the highest percentage chance of catching something. When bass are looking for new areas and they find forage, whether it's crayfish, sunnies or baitfish, they’re opportunistic creatures and aren’t going to pass up a meal. Whether you prefer trout, largemouth bass, or catfish, the keystone state’s bounty of lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and streams rewards millions of anglers with big catches every year. I’ve compiled this list of winter bass fishing tips based on more than two decades of experience fishing northern Pennsylvania waters where the wind blowing off the Great Lakes is enough to send Jack Frost packing. Then, do it again until you achieve your desired result. Humminbird vs Lowrance: Who Makes The Better Fish Finder? March 6, 2020. The bottom line is, your strategy needs to stay congruent with the weather. You want to have the best bass fish finder on your side whenever possible because it will help you pick up on water depths, temperatures, and obviously – bass. by PA Fish … I begin my days by fishing rocky, sun beaten banks before moving offshore to target schooling bass on the move. If it’s cold and the water temperature is near freezing, use the smallest jig head you can find with a small Senko or swimbait. The more experience you have doing it, the more you begin to create mental maps of the bottom of the lake. Give it a try and see what works. https://www.duenorthfishing.com/post/winter-and-spring-bass-fishing-patterns Common baits for winter and early spring bass fishing include swimbaits, jigs, jerk baits and crank baits. From there, adjust your strategy to what is occurring, and keep fishing. While some anglers are ready to hang up their rods until next year, we’re teaching you how to fish in winter for bass so you can capitalize while other anglers are sipping hot cocoa. This long point stretches out into the main lake with deep water on both sides and the main creek channel close by. Awesome, but now what? As a third-generation angler, he as a plethora of knowledge and experience on the water and loves sharing what he knows. It’ll take some practice and preparation, but it’s well worth it. Make a plan of where you want to fish and be sure to let someone know where you are going and what part of the lake you will be fishing. Wear multiple layers with socks, waterproof boots, and fingerless gloves so you can maintain full movement of your fingers. If you’re trying to fish the bottom, you might want to go with a drop-shot or split-shot. Look for bluffs, points stretching out into the main lake and areas where there’s a lot of exposed wood, or even trees in the water itself. Pay attention to run-off and snowfall. The water is cold, their metabolism is slow, and they’re not feeding much, so they will never chase a fast-moving topwater spinnerbait halfway across the pond; it won’t work. Take some pictures and leave? Winter Time Bass Fishing Water Temperatures, How to Catch Bass in the Winter: Where to Look. It took a few (thousand) throws for him to become obsessed with mastering every possible fishing style, technique, and lure. Was it the bait or was it the way the bait moved right before the fish hit? You need to know what the temperature is to understand how deep you need to fish and what type of presentation you should use. Instead, you want to make it look like they’ll get an easy meal, and imitating a dying fish is the best way to do that. You can also use hair jigs if you prefer to mimic the appearance of smaller baitfish like shad and minnows in the shallow water. If you’re fishing the lake Eerie tributaries for chrome, you’ll nee a 7 or 8 weight rod. Winter weather and the threat of hypothermia can quickly lead to trouble. Welcome to another edition of Randy and Steve's Outdoor Adventures podcast. More Fishing. If you’re fishing this water temperature, you’re in for a challenge. So, baitfish tend to hug the shores near rivers because this is where the most oxygen is in the water, and the temperature tends to be a bit warmer. For those using electronics for offshore bass fishing, Crankbait fishing for bass is a great way to cover water, Another way to get this erratic bait action is by. Good choices are grubs, jig and craw, smaller spinnerbaits and crankbaits, Whirley Bee/Jimmy D, Sliders, tube jigs or Texas rigged, 4" straight worms like the Senko, and 1/16 ounce synthetic craft hair or duck feather jigs when Float-n-Fly fishing. You won’t get as many nibbles as you do during the summer and spring, but chances are you’ll get more interested bass if you follow all the tips outlined in this guide. Bass tend to hide in schools during the winter, and they look for little drop-offs and holes where baitfish and other food might hang out. The alternative is bank fishing. The most important tip is to make sure someone knows where you are. You don’t want to generate too much attention because the bass might feel overwhelmed, but you want to aggravate them enough to get them to strike. Bass … There is a great variety of species to target and plenty of room on that … Have a good amount of patience and be sure to present every lure slowly but erratically when time in between each jerk. NEPA offers some of the best rivers for smallmouth bass, trout, catfish, walleye, and more. Fish a bait consistently in the areas where you have the highest percentage chance of catching something. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I recommend wearing as many layers as possible in the car on the way to the water and keep the heat on so you can build up some warmth before getting out. In our local Pennsylvania lakes and reservoirs, good offshore fishing typically happens in deeper flats with long outward reaching points. I want the bank to be facing the sun, collecting warmth throughout the day. When bass move up into that higher water column, that’s where you’ll find an actually catchable fish versus down deeper where your electronics will really help you. Once the sun has hit the water for a while, the baitfish will start to move around, and this is when you stand the best chance of catching more bass. Now let’s say you catch a fish on a spot. During the winter and early spring, my first focus of the day is on fishing broken, chunky, rocky banks onshore. Don’t overthink it. DCNR State Parks Winter … An often overlooked winter bass fishing tip is understanding water temperature and how a five or ten-degree difference can impact your fishing strategies. In many areas of the country, the sun shines bright in the winter, and when light reflects off the blades, it creates a powerful presentation that can work as a double-edged sword. The Best Shotgun Loads for 5 Late-Season Birds ... An Angler’s Winter … Not every bass is caught from a boat. In this podcast, we talk about how we fish when we have no ice to fish. Below is an outline of my approach to consistent, productive days on the water fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass in Pennsylvania lakes and reservoirs. The best tip someone ever told me about finding bass in the winter is to add 10-20 feet of water to where you would normally fish. This mental imaging becomes like a super power when it comes to finding catchable bass. For those using electronics for offshore bass fishing, side imaging is very helpful in finding structure and areas that can hold large schools of fish in a feeding area or staging area. From the Yough, we head north to Pymatuning Reservoir. Sleep in. Winter Fly Fishing what do I do This winter has started off pretty mild for most in the region and there are plenty of fly fishing options right now. There are only so many hours in a day, let alone when in a tournament or out with a client on a trip. These work great when the water is cold because you can slowly drag them along the bottom and coerce the lazy bass into biting. One of the most important winter bass fishing tactics to learn revolves around two main points: You need to understand these two points and why they’re critical for winter fishing. You need to make sure you have enough layers to keep yourself warm and plenty of backup gear in case you fall in or get wet. You can’t use the same strategy you use when the water is warm, no matter what way you look at it. It’s possible to catch 20 or more smallmouth from wintering holes, which might produce … Color is also an important factor in the winter. From there, adjust your strategy to what is occurring, and keep fishing. You must be committed, determined, and relentless. For anglers looking to improve upon their electronics knowledge, Due North Fishing specializes in educating anglers on using and reading electronics for fishing at Blue Marsh Lake in Reading, Pennsylvania. But when everything falls into place, and you pull that fish … 1. I’d suggest fishing a drop shot rig because you can fish them slow and determine exactly how far you want your lure to swim off the ground. The offshore areas I like to fish are long sloping areas between 10-15 feet deep. Latest. There is rock and wood along with transitions from sand to gravel. In addition to presenting slower, you’ll also want to present a smaller lure. Recommended Gear for Fly Fishing in Pennsylvania. Winter Bass Fishing Southwestern PA I was using a 3" keitech soft plastic swimbait with a weighted hook crawling it very slowly across the bottom and occasionally pausing. As previously mentioned, you need to change your mindset when it comes to fishing in the winter. These areas typically have stumps, rocks, tree piles and other structure scattered across the bottom. And if lakes are more your thing, we’ve got you covered. Bass in this temp will slow down quite a bit, but they’ll still have feeding periods each day, and this is when you need to capitalize by using the right lures and offering a slow but calculated presentation. Required fields are marked *. Depending on your location, fishing in the winter can be dangerous because of frigid temperatures and dangerously cold water. Blaine Mengel's Backwoods Angler Guide Service specializes in Smallmouth Bass fishing trips on the … Doing so will present less of a threat to the bass, and they’ll think they stumbled upon an easy opportunity for a meal. The leaves have fallen, the air is crisp, and the coffee is hot. Always go as natural as possible with the color and try to imitate the fish’s color in the water you’re fishing. Observing your surroundings takes no electronics and is a great way to familiarize yourself with where you’ll be fishing. Soft plastics are a great choice for cold front bass fishing. If you have clear water, the baitfish will come closer to shore. You never know what can happen, and you need to make sure someone is looking out for you. Rocky banks are good fishing areas but rocky banks with wood cover create an even better bass fishing environment. Lake Erie. As you're making your fishing plans for the week or weekend, make absolutely certain to check the forecast first. Your email address will not be published. A 4-6 weight rod about 9 feet long will be perfect for all of the trout fishing except if you’re targeting steelhead. Personally, I think metal baits like spoons and blades are the best choices for winter bass fishing. Bass Fishing Time Frames. If you can nail this, you’ll impress your buddies when they see how successful you are, no matter how cold it is outside. This is an important element to becoming a consistently successful weekend angler or a competitive tournament angler. I highly recommend using spoons and blades on days when the sun is shining. Winter fishing techniques require finesse, but they also require a bit of preparation. By now, the female bass … I find it more enjoyable to fish from the shore during the winter because it’s a little easier to stay warm, and if I’m fishing alone, it just makes me feel more comfortable. Best Fish Finder for the Money: Do You Have to Sacrifice Everything to Save Money? The winter bite starts in December, when Cartwright catches his biggest Allegheny smallmouth. Anglers are catching Smallmouth Bass and Walleye below the dam in New Bethlehem, at Lawsonham, and near the confluence with the Allegheny River. Fast-moving lures and excessively noisy ones won’t work when the water temperatures drop. 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