Late Fall/early Winter Bass Fishing

[KY Outdoorsman]

Hey guys i need some advice for bass fishing this time of year. I just completed my first semester of college. Everything went well, i now have a lot of free time. It is to cold to dirt bike, so ive been thnking about doing some fall bass fishing. The pond/small lake i fish is a great location during the summer, even with the harsh temperatures that southeastern kentucky has to offer. I have always heard the best times to fish are early spring and late fall. I havent done either so i need some help. This pond is deep in areas, i will only be walking the banks. There is a lot of vegetation and cover. What baits would be best? Itll be impossible to use a jig, im thinking about using the old faithful fluke and maybe even the scum frog. Any advise? I havent been in this sport long so bare with me.

[Bluebasser86]

This is a tough time of year to just be getting into bass fishing. Unfortunately one bait you've already ruled out would be one of my top picks to catch bass this time of year. Bass are cold blooded so as the water gets cold their metabolism slows way down and they become much less active. I really doubt you could get anything to eat a scum frog by this time of year. You may be able to get some on a fluke but I'd have a lot more confidence in a hard jerkbait like a pointer or Xrap. A lightly weighted finesse worm drug along the bottom or a 1/4 or 1/8 ounce spinnerbait with a single colorado bladed spinnerbait reeled just fast enough to turn the blade would be some good baits to start with.

[Bankbeater]

I would try fishing a weightless fluke around the vegetation.

[txbassassassin]

I picked up some of the new 'silent' 1/2 oz strike king red-eyed shad lipless cranks and tore them up in stained 55 degree water last weekend. Casting it along grass lines and pulling in as slow as I could to keep it above the grass with little pops periodically I caught about 15 1-3lb'ers in a 4 hr period - windy/overcast day - pre cold front conditions. Best color was chrome blue back and sexy shad with the red eye. I have become a really big proponent of the silent cranks in all varieties from both Bomber and Strike King.

[roadwarrior]

You might want to look into what this guy is doing:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/110411-are-you-ready-for-some-football/#entry1202814

[bassh8er]

You might want to look into what this guy is doing:

http://www.bassresou...l/#entry1202814

That would work if he could use a jig, which he already said, and I quote, "Itll be impossible to use a jig".

Having said that, I would fish something slow, and methodically. Like basser said, I wouldn't pick this time of year to start throwing a Scum Frog, but the weather in Nebraska is a little different than in KY.

[roadwarrior]

There are always spots where you can fish a jig. Otherwise, the Fat Ika weightless and weedless is another option.

[wademaster1]

X2 on what bluebasser said, plastics slow on bottom works for me in colder times

[Nitrofreak]

There are always spots where you can fish a jig. Otherwise, the Fat Ika weightless and weedless is another option.

X2

Since the OP said he was shore bound as well, reaching these fish may be next to impossible if the bass are in the deeper sections and they are beyond casting distance, however, jig's such as a grass/brush jig should help him get in that tough stuff and come through it, I have had several really thick vegetation areas that I fish with Seibert Outdoor's jigs, they come through pretty good, although I am not familure with this particular area in the OP's post, I feel pretty confident the quality jigs that are out there will/should be able to perform this task.

That's what these jigs do, it's what they are designed for, If they did not work as intended, I personally would be speaking to someone and give them some feedback about the performance of their product to help them make the product better.

My thought is that it could be possible the OP just simply does not have the right jig for the scenario he/she is presented with.