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Winter
Bassin'
Bass Biology 101
Bass, like all fish (as well as reptiles and amphibians), are cold-blooded
creatures. Their body temperature is the same as that of their environment. In
80 degree water, they're highly active. They prowl points, weedlines and channel
drop-offs for food. But as winter approaches and the environment cools, they grow
less active. By the time the water hits 50 degrees, bass probably won't be moving
around much. Their appetite declines along with their activity level. Rather than
gulp down a fat bluegill or big gizzard shad, they're more likely to nip a small
crawfish or minnow should it wander too close to their lair. There are several fishing lessons to be learned. First, winter bass are sluggish.
They're couch potatoes, as a rule unresponsive to a fast-moving presentation.
Second, a rifle presentation, not a shotgun approach, will take more winter fish.
Wide-ranging lures like lipless crankbaits, which sweep active bass from a broad
area, usually won't cut it in winter. Put the lure right in the bass' face, and
you'll get more bites. Lastly, smaller, more compact lures usually produce better
in winter because they more closely match the smaller forage that is readily
available, and correspond to the decreased appetite of the fish.
Clear vs. Stained Lakes
The water clarity of your home lake has a lot to do with where you'll find winter
bass. In clear highland reservoirs, you may find largemouth from 15 to 30 feet,
smallmouth to 50 feet and spotted bass to 100 feet. Bass will be shallower or
deeper depending on weather conditions, forage availability and their mood. As a
rule of thumb, if you're fishing from 15 to 35 feet deep in most clear highland
lakes in winter, you're in the strike zone. These reservoirs typically lack the extensive wood or weed cover bass prefer to inhabit. Instead, bass often hold on points and ledges, or suspend in open water. Clear natural lakes, such as those in Florida and parts of Georgia, are usually
shallow and have extensive weed growth. In a mild winter, weeds may continue to
be thick even in the shallows; bass will always gravitate to green vegetation
because it produces oxygen and attracts all types of forage. In lakes with shallow
weeds present, you'll find bass in 8 feet of water or less. During a harsh winter,
shallow weeds will die back and only the deeper beds will remain. Check for any
remaining green vegetation on offshore ledges or drop-offs, often in the 15 to 22
foot zone. In winter, bass move considerably more shallow in murky lakes, holding tight to
cover. Wood (stumps and submerged logs) is always important to bass in murky lakes;
even more so in cold water. Murky water warms quickly. For example, a surface
temperature of 48 degrees on Wednesday may be 58 degrees by Saturday, provided
the weather stays sunny and reasonably mild. In winter, look for murky-water bass
in 15 feet of water or less. Experts regard cold, muddy water as the worst possible bassin' scenario. If
following a cold winter rain your lake is muddy, wait a few days for clear water.
Top Winter Patterns
• Jigheads and Blades on Stairstepping
Ledges - In clear highland lakes, banks with 45-degree slopes often have a series of short
stairstepping ledges. Bass, especially smallmouth, hold on these ledges, usually
at the 15 to 30 foot zone. In this zone, hair jigs with pork or plastic trailers,
grubs and thin metal blade baits are deadly. Drop the lures slowly on a tight line
from one ledge to the next.
• Spoons in the Hollows - "Hollows" are deep tributaries with two opposing steep
banks. In winter, they can hold massive schools of baitfish — and bass. Use your
graph to locate clouds of baitfish and suspending bass, determine their depth and
jig a spoon repeatedly just above that depth. It isn't unusual to find bass
suspending below 30 feet when they're on this pattern.
• Spring Holes - Underground springs, which in midwinter are much warmer than lake
water, can draw droves of baitfish and bass. Use your boat's temperature gauge to
locate spring holes (you'll usually find them in the tributaries) and fish close
to them with moderately fast-moving lures like spinnerbaits.
• Back-ends of Tributaries - The Sunbelt region often has considerable rainfall
during the winter months. When this turns the lake muddy, bass fishing suffers.
However, clearer water will eventually enter the lake via the tributaries. When
that happens, it can trigger tremendous feeding. Within two or three days following
a hard rain, head for the back-ends of creek arms and look for clear water flowing
in. Then move out to where the clear runoff meets murkier water and cast a
spinnerbait, jig or small crankbait — a great winter tournament tactic. Bass often
stack up at the edge of clear and muddy water.
• Rock Rubble on Bluffs - Winter bass love the tasty crustaceans that abound in the
rock rubble at the base of channel bluffs. In stained water, try flipping a jig
with a soft-plastic crawfish or lizard trailer around these rocks in the shallow
water at the foot of the bluff. Brown, black, dark blue and dark green are normally
the best colors; if the water is murky, use a chartreuse or hot orange trailer. In
clear water, use light line and target deeper rubble with jighead grubs, blade
baits or tail-spinners.
• Open Water Off Deep Points - Winter bass often suspend off deep points,
especially those at tributary entrances. Use two approaches to catch them. Vertical-jigging
metal spoons or blade baits works best on calm days, but it can be hard to
maintain your boat's position with your trolling motor once the wind picks up.
When it starts to blow, try slow-trolling deep-running crankbaits that reach at
least 15 to 25 feet, on 8- to 10-pound mono. For more attraction when trolling,
add a small red or white pork eel to the trailing hook of the crankbait.
• Main-Lake Points on Mild, Windy Days - On unseasonably mild winter days when a
strong south wind blows, expect bass to move out of deep water to shallow main-lake
points. Quarter-ounce crankbaits with long bills that root along the bottom are
best; try shad, crawfish and fire-tiger color patterns. If the wind stops, abandon
this pattern and fish deeper and more slowly with jighead lures and blade baits.
• High Water in Tailraces - Winter rains lead to high, fast water below dams. It's
not safe under these conditions to fish directly below a dam, but you can enjoy
tremendous fishing downstream, where current isn't quite as strong. Bass hold
tight to riprap, boulders, stumps, submerged trees and other current breaks on the
bank. Fish will slam jigs with pork trailers right against the shoreline. Light
line helps reduce drag and keeps the current from pulling your lure off the mark.
Best Lures For Winter Bassin'
• JIG-AND-TRAILER —Your best choice for cold, stained water. Use a weedless rubber
legged jig from 3/8 to 5/8 ounce and a pork frog, pork split-tail eel, soft-plastic
craw or soft-plastic lizard as a trailer. Pitch or flip it around stumps, logs androck rubble.
• SPINNERBAIT — If the water is at least 45 degrees, slightly murky and bass are
no deeper than 15 feet, this is a great choice. Slow-roll the lure around the last
living green weeds and wood cover.
• TAILSPINNER — Best in clear lakes on deep structure such as 45-degreebanks and
humps. Rip the lure repeatedly off the bottom so the spinner throbs. Using heavy
line can help slow the lure's rate of descent between rips.
• HAIR JIG — Fish small bucktail jigs alone or with pork or soft-plastic trailers;
these work best on 45-degree banks in clear lakes.
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JIGHEAD GRUB — Fish grubs in the same places you'd fish hair jigs.
• BLADE BAIT — A great choice when bass are below 20 feet deep in clear lakes. Let
the blade drop on a tight line, then rip the lure off the bottom so it vibrates.
• JIGGING SPOON — Best choice for inactive suspended bass. Try using braided line
to detect light bites.
• CRANKBAITS — When bass are unusually active in winter, try a small
flat-sided shad or crawfish pattern crankbait in shallow water. When they're suspended off
deep points, troll a deep-runner with a large diving lip.
Turn Up The Heat
Winter is seldom a season for fast action, but catching a trophy fish can put some
sizzle into an otherwise cold outing. Use these tips to turn up the heat on your
next winter trip. When that lunker strikes, you'll be sold on winter bassin'!
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