Too Cold, Please Say No!

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Well it has been several weeks since I fished die to a busy work schedule. Now that I am free the temperatures are starting to get into the 30s and 40s here in North Carolina. Is bass fishing nearly impossible to enjoy between now and March 2013? I don't know how much more of my bass fishing video games my wife can stand LOL.

Joe

[BassmanDan]

I'm in NC and yesterday the bass were snapping. It will get tougher but you can catch your biggest bass of the year in Dec., January and February. Saw a guy boat a seven pounder yesterday...it's good to be in NC!

P.S....the fish in my Avatar was caught Feb. 27th. Just put on the thermals and go!

[paul.]

never too cold until the lake is frozen solid. i prefer winter fishing over summer fishing any day of the week.

[Jim_M]

Sunny and 84 today. Sorry

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

Lol. Cool beans

[Bluebasser86]

As long as the water is soft there are fish to be caught! The water temps have more sway on what the fish are doing than the air temps anyways.

[38 Super Fan]

My line was icing up a little today, I still enjoyed the trip, I like cold weather fishing.

[Tuckahoe Joe]

Too cold? I hope not. I haven't been able to buy a bite (not bass anyway) the last few trips. Air temps are about the same here in MD and Hurricane Sandy dumped a ton of cold water into the lakes. As it gets colder the bass should be moving deeper and the deepest water in the lakes that I fish is by the dam which is currently inaccessable due the the high water levels. Hopefully when they go down Ill find the bass hanging out by the dam cuz I haven't been able to find them anywhere else.

[SirSnookalot]

Been a little nippy for me here in Florida, but hard to resist bluefish.

[5 Dollar Fishing Game]

They are probably center of the water at the deepest now. They need to eat still. :-)

[Topwaterspook]

Dang fishing in the winter is exhausting. Cut a hole ....drag the boat, cut another hole, ....drag the boat.

[CPBassFishing]

I was in charlotte for thanksgiving and I caught the 6 pounder in my avatar. The water was about 50 degrees, I was just burning a strike kind redeye shad. Try a rattlebait or a black/blue jig around wood cover.

[Scorcher214]

It snowed today in Michigan. I think the kayaks stayin away till April lol

[wnybassman]

The number one reason I put my boat up during the late November/early December time frame is salt on the roads. Road salt just plain eats up boat trailers. Fishing gets tougher at this time of year on most lakes, but we have several larger bodies of water nearby that offer good to excellent bass fishing well into December (and beyond) because the water temp is still a fair amount warmer. I know several guys that boat all winter long on a couple of the larger Finger Lakes that never freeze.

[kickerfish1]

Here in Nebraska water temps are low 40s and dropping. Airtime temps aren't getting much above 40 with lows in the 20s. Wind has been very gusty... pushing 30 MPH at times. Still catching them here on a drop shot. Just about all other traditional cold water techniques are just plain not producing.

[kickerfish1]

Here in Nebraska water temps are low 40s and dropping. Air temps aren't getting much above 40 with lows in the 20s. Wind has been very gusty... pushing 30 MPH at times. Still catching them here on a drop shot. Just about all other traditional cold water techniques are just plain not producing.

[quanjig]

Got out today in NOVA and caught 7. Nothing huge but I did miss at least 5. Here are a couple that I took pics of.

[soccplayer07]

well done Quan!

[Bigbarge50]

You seem to be deadly with a jerkbait quan, any tips?

[quanjig]

First off, thanks but Dwight has written the book when it comes to the jerkbait. I would look for his reply to Shimmys question about a "how to" fish it! I fish it differently from most, I prefer mono over floro and I want my bait to be exactly neutral or ever so slightly rise. Guys on the res would punish the field in early spring tx's and I vowed to not let that happen again!! I started reading about it and there was a great article in bassmaster about 8 or so years ago and it was my guide to learn. I like a 7' MH fast rod and a low speed reel with 10-12 lb mono. Cast the bait along a break or over a hump you think the fish are holding. Crank the bait down about 7 turns of the handle. This should get the bait down to its running depth. I try to keep the slack to a minimum and start my count to about 12 Mississippi. Then two small twitches with the slight slack in the line. Bite can range anywhere from long jumping a foot off the water to a mushy feeling on a twitch. Once you get the cadence right, it can be lights out. I've caught ten fish on twenty casts with most of them from 3-5 lbs!! Once you start to get confident in your presentation, you will want to throw it all day long when the conditions are right. Good luck and let me know if that helps!!

[Bigbarge50]

I have not been a jerkbait guy and have been trying to get that end of my game going. Bought a few pointers, husky jerks, and rouges.... I don't seem to get them very deep (even though a few are DD). I might need to go out a few days with only jerkbaits and see what I can do. I have done a lot of reading, while just keep reviewing the stuff on here and try to get some water time.

That a pointer in the first pic? I remember you saying you were using the new rick clunn's last year.... way cheaper than the megavision and lucky craft.... how you think they match up?

[quanjig]

I have yet to catch anything over 3lbs with the RC STX baits. The bait in the first pic is a pointer 100. On the res I have the most luck with the pointer 100's, walking the banks at Hmtsman, Mercer and LB, I do well with the 78. I just think I news more time with the RC and plan on picking up and Ito or two in the future.

[Hanover_Yakker]

Don't forget that many states have power plants with discharges that have warmer temperatures than regular lakes. I know the warm side of a power plant like I fish has water temps that range from mid 50's to mid 60's during the course of the winter months. I fished there on December 26th last year and landed 21 largemouth including a couple porkers measuring at 21.5", as well as a channel cat tha measured 28" on a jerk shad of all things.

[Nitrofreak]

Really nice job Quanjig !!!!

Hanover, Anna is a great place to be even in the dead of winter, the warm side or private side is a place not all of us have access too, glad to hear of your success there, The exit from the private side into the public side is where I like to spend a lot of time in the winter ( Dike 3 )

I have seen and fished temps there in the teens and the water will be in the low to mid 60's, it's weird, your hands are freezing and the fish are warm lol !!!

[J Francho]

You can still catch them....

Water temps were around 34°, air temps in the 20s.