Page 18 - Lady Bass Digital Magazine Winter 2022-1_Neat
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Winter Fishing Considerations
Fishing in the winter months can be challenging. average-state-temperatures-in-winter.php
There are several factors that we don’t have to ac- There are three things to consider when fishing
count for during other times of the year. Frequently in the winter. First, downsize your baits. Second,
in the winter we are wearing more clothes. I highly fish deep and third, fish slow. The fish will position
suggest that you wear your lifejacket the entire time themselves near a food source in the most comfort-
on the outside of your winter clothing. Consider able water they can find. The warmer water is found
this, you somehow end up in the water, those extra deeper in the winter. Yes, there are exceptions to this
clothes and boots will soak up the water and make and no, not all fish move out to the main lake in the
you feel like a ton of bricks. Secondly, it takes just a winter. Deep is a relative term, not only for the body
short amount of time for hypothermia to start setting of water you are fishing, but for the area of the lake.
in. While the lifejacket will not address the hypo-
thermia, it will give you When it comes to bait selection, you want your bait
a fighting chance against to look as real as possible. Bass are not going to ex-
the dead weight you are pend tremendous amounts of energy chasing bait. As
wearing. Pack an extra such, you are less likely to consistently get reaction
set of clothes. This will bites. The same holds true for the forage that bass
help once you get back eat. That forage is also lethargic in colder water so
in the boat to warm back consider staying away from baits with lots of append-
up. True, all of this has ages. Those appendages create a lot of movement
no bearing on catching and may not look as natural. In short, less action is
fish. It does have every- better in the winter.
thing to do with fishing
in the winter. Regardless of the time of year, fish have migration
and movement patterns. Think about the key struc-
Something else to consider is that cold is a relative ture and cover for your body of water. As fish migrate
term. What is cold water in one part of the country is to their winter areas, they will follow the underwater
not necessarily cold in another part of the country. If highways and pause at different points along that
you are new to fishing or winter fishing, look at the structure. The stopping points will have cover. That
historical fishing reports for your area to learn about cover offers them a place to hunt and be protected.
the temperature ranges. The image below shows the Remember too that things like logs and rock will
average temperatures by state. To learn more click warm faster and hold more heat. Also remember that
the image to follow the link to the “Current Results” there are resident fish that may have a different mi-
site. https://www.currentresults.com/Weather/US/ gration pattern. These resident fish stay in the area
and find the prime real estate in the area. Movement
from deep to shallow and back again are common.
Fish slow and when you think you are fishing slow,
slow down some more. Forage will not be making
lots of moves, so hop-
ping your bait or work-
ing your bait quickly
will be less productive.
Yes, you can still catch
bass using crankbaits,
both lipped and lipless
in cold water condi-
tions. More bites will
come from slower pre-
sentations.
18 Lady Bass Anglers Association Winter Fishing Considerations
