At What Water Temp Do You Call It A Season....?

[leadslinger]

This is my first fall/winter season fishing a lake in MD known to be kind of tough fishing to begin with.

It's a fairly large lake, water down to 100+ft deep, has largemouth and smallies.

Current surface water temp is 46. I've been skunked the last 3 times out with water temp <48. I'm throwing blade baits and dropshots in about 10ft of water and working down the drop to 45ft, trying to cover the whole column. The only fish I'm marking are very deep 45-60, but locals feel they are not that deep (or so they say).

In this temp of water, do you only go after marked fish?

I never mind a good boat ride, but are these fish really done for the season?

Thoughts?

Thanks.

Bill

[Bankbeater]

I call it quits for a while when the water freezes over. Then I get back on this site and re-read everything about winter fishing to make sure that I haven't forgotten anything.

[Mike L]

One of the great things about living in Florida is that I would never have to ask that question!

Mike

[Sun Fish]

When the water becomes solid is when I call it quits. Winter fishing is very tough but not impossible. Fish don't end their own season. They're living creatures that have to eat to survive even when the top part of the water column is frozen solid.

[ww2farmer]

Water temp usually has nothing to do with when/why I call it a year. Once the fishing slows down to a point where it's just not enjoyable to go out and fight the usually harsh weather I but the boat away. Once the calander reaches november up, hear any trip might be my last depending on what kind of mood I am in when I get off the water. Sometimes it has nothing to do with the fishing. One year my cranking battery died in early Nov., rather than buy a new one just to use for a few more possable outings I just called it a year, put the boat up, and bought a new battery in the spring. This year I had a lot of family/personal stuff going on early to mid nov, so I called it a year as well.

[Goose52]

I fish out of a canoe and I put that away when the water temps get much below 50 degrees. Partially because the bite slows then, but mostly because of the survival issue. I fish alone and don't want to be in that cold water if I have some sort of incident.

After the canoe is put up, I fish from the bank as long as I've got soft water. I'm fortunate that I have 11 small lakes within a 6 mile radius of my house so I can jump in the car, hit a lake, fish for a while, and if weather is too brutal, just come home. How do I do off the bank? Each winter is a bit different - this month I've only caught two bass - both 15". I can't buy a December bite so far this year. BUT, last year, I caught 25 bass in December, including an 8, two 6's, a 5, a 4, and some 3's. For my little lakes, those are very high-quality fish any time of year. This in surface water temps as low as 39 degrees.

The chance that I might get some of the biggest fish of the year is what keeps me going out every day.

[wnybassman]

I don't end my season based on water temperature either. I usually go as long as I can until I see the onset of real long lasting winter weather coming. Two reasons for this. For one I don't like hauling the trailer around on salty roads as it really eats them up pretty good. I have followed enough plow trucks to the launch in the morning before to know what kind of mess that makes. And the second reason is I store the boat in a friends barn and it is lawn getting to the door. Too much snow or soggy ground and I won't get it in there, or will make a mess doing it.

More often than not I call it quits the last week of November or the first week of December around here. If I had to pick a water temp, based on what I have experienced over the years, I would call it at about 40º to 42º. Although I have caught fish in the upper 30's, it becomes kinda far and few between. 44º to 52º is my favorite range in the fall.

[flyfisher]

As long as there isn't ice I will go out. I fish from a kayak and have the appropriate gear so I am pretty good as far as safety goes. I may not catch much but I use the time to learn the lakes better and search for features that may hold fish in different seasons.

It can also be a good time to go on the rivers because water is usually crystal clear and you can see features that you might miss in the summer time.

Once I stop having fun I do usually focus on trout too because they like the cold weather and nothing beats fishing in the mountains in the winter time.

[mnbassman23]

If I had to pick a water temp, based on what I have experienced over the years, I would call it at about 40º to 42º. Although I have caught fish in the upper 30's, it becomes kinda far and few between. 44º to 52º is my favorite range in the fall.

Although the end of the year for me is usually when the water turns solid I have seen a similar trend. Once the water temp drops below 40 fishing for me usually goes down the drain.

[jrsmith_80]

I went out last weekend and froze my butt off so I decided that was it for the season. Water temps were 38 degrees and air temps were about 45. I hate to have to bank fish for three or four months but it's better then nothing at all. It also helps I have a nice pond across the street from my house house so I can fish virtually anytime I want.

[Gatorbassman]

When I can no longer use my boat as an icebreaker.

[WRB]

Where I bass fish the lakes don't get extremely cold and freeze, unless they are above 5,000' altitude.

My seasonal periods are broken down into 8 seasonal periods by water temperatures at the depth the bass are using;

Mid-winter, 40-55 degrees, mid lale location, bass migrate vertical.

Late-winter, 55-60 degrees, mid lake location, bass migrate vertical.

Pre-spawn, 56-62 degrees, main lake points, bass migrate vertical.

Spawn, 62-65 degrees, no migration, wind protected bays, coves.

Post spawn, 63-68 degrees, secondary points, horizontal migration.

Spring, 65-70 degrees, transition period to summer, vertical migration.

Summer, 68-80 degrees, located everywhere, horizontal migration.

Fall, 68-58 degrees, main lake/large creek arms, vertical migration.

There is a lot more to seasonal periods thn I can list in a short post.

You are now in mid winter, the bass should be keying on bait fish schools located in the main lake areas and major points. It's a time you use your sonar to search for bait fish and look for diving birds that feed on bait fish. Good lures are structure spoons, A-rigs, Swimbaits, jigs and drop shot worms.

Metering around major main lake points is your best bet and learning to use structure spoons during winter seasonal period should produce bass for you.

Tom

[kickerfish1]

All of my local lakes are currently iced over. I fished them up to about two weeks ago and water temps were in the high 30s. I am done until spring. Last spring I fished a lake that still had some ice on it in places and caught a few fish.

When water temps are in the high 30s or low 40s fishing is very tough around here. Throw in air temps in the 30s and 40s with 15-25 MPH winds and it isn't very pleasant fishing conditions. Still fish to be had but they are VERY FEW AND FAR BETWEEN!

[tnbassfisher]

Not a particular water temp, but you aren't going to catch me out there having to blow into my hands to keep them thawed out.

[CoBass]

I have one small pond near my house that has ground water pumped into it year round. It creates a nice, fishable area of open water throughout the Winter since the water being pumped in is a constant fifty degrees. When it gets really cold, the area of open water shrinks quite a bit but there is always some open water there. It ain't much, but it gets me my bass fix through the Winter until ice off. I have also done a little bassin through the ice with limited success but fishing through a little hole in the ice isn't really my style.

[Bluebasser86]

When the other lakes freeze over I just drive to the power plant lakes, they never freeze over all the way

[Nitrofreak]

The surface temp has nothing to do with when I stop either, I go even if it is pretty cold out, as long as the wind does not blow I can fish the cold, the trick to fishing the winter is finding the fish first, looking for the bait fish is the first key, once you find them you will have more success, then look to see what the bass are doing, are they active at all, are they on the bottom, are they suspended, are they under the bait fish, the most active ones you will find close to the bait, the ones on the bottom may be grouped together, if you have docks, fish the deeper part of the dock, pattern the fish and use your baits accordingly instead of trying this here or that there, adjust your mind to fish extra slow if need be, if the fish are very lathargic this time of year so too must you be, not a lot of action on the water this time of year either, stealth will play a part in your success as well.

Good luck and be safe !!!

[Rangerphil]

Float and fly technique! It can be absolutely deadly with water between 50 and 38 learn it and you will be surprised how many big fish a 1/32 ounce jig can catch!

[Quillback]

I'm fortunate to live where the lakes rarely freeze over, so I fish year-round. I love jerk baits in the winter, if the water temps drop below 40, the bass in some of the local lakes will school up over deep brush piles, and you can whack 'em. And the big ones can be caught this time of year, I caught my PB in the winter.

There are days I won't go out, if it stays below freezing all day and the wind is blowing, I won't go.

[wademaster1]

I never call it a season, I just fish til it warms up again. LOL

[tugsandpulls]

i stop when it gets too cold to be enjoyable and i dont catch nothing if there is open water i will go out the week after xmas though and try out my new stuff ( all my family knows to buy me fishing equip)

[Darren.]

Last couple years I went out all year round. This year I've pretty much called it for the rest of the season. Last couple times I went out the fishes mouths were clamped shut and though the weather was lovely, it wasn't much fun.

Oh, guess the other big reason is the Honey-Do list. It is long, and I've pretty much worn out any and all promises those things'll get done ... next week.

I may hit local docks a few times, though, just to keep my casting fresh. Might even target non-bass for fun.

[Shane Mccormick]

12 Months here in Alabma it never ends.

[J Francho]

Sometime in December. No specific water temp stops me.

[jhoffman]

I do it like this

Mar->Oct = Bass Fishing

Oct->Dec = Whitetails

Dec->Mar = FlyRod Trout

I live on two of the top trout streams in PA. One is C&R, the other when not full of trout is full of smallmouths and I have two bass lakes within 20 mins of my house. One is less than five miles.

Its not that I dont bass fish in fall/late winter I just dont do it A LOT.