How To Tell If The Bite Has Changed

[Preytorien]

So here in central Indiana we seemed to skip over the warmer portions of fall this year. Where I'm at we had about a good week to 10 days of pretty consistent cold and rainy weather which seemed to cool the water off very quickly, mid 40's and rain seemed to fast forward the water to late fall/early winter.

 

That said, the fishing pretty much came to a halt for me on my frequent bodies of water this past week. I've caught about 2 fish in 14 days which makes for some long days on the water. I kept reading about how great fall fishing is, but I never had that day come to me. It's been very slow since about late August for me, all of my hits have been strictly from light lines and finesse fishing. I was really anticipating a great fall fishing story, but that's fish for you....never predictable.

 

My question is.....at what point does the bite turn from fall bite to winter. I know water temps, region, species, etc can all come into play when figuring it, but are there any common variables that dictate when the fish have decided that "it's winter" and their bite slows? Is it a certain water temp? Certain air temp?

[hoosierbass07]

 I'm in west central Indiana. I've not caught a bass while bank fishing in a month or so.  I will admit I had one on the line three weeks ago but it got free of the hook.  Since then I've not caught anything.  I did go to one of the local Izaak Walton League ponds/lake yesterday and a guy in a one person boat caught a bass on a spinnerbait. 

 

 You are right about the warm part of fall skipping us.  I hate that.  I was hoping for a three or four weeks of watching the leaves turn yellow, red and gold and some nice fall fishing.  

[Montanaro]

same thing happened here. saw zero bass while bank fishing monday.

[Preytorien]

 I'm in west central Indiana. I've not caught a bass while bank fishing in a month or so.  I will admit I had one on the line three weeks ago but it got free of the hook.  Since then I've not caught anything.  I did go to one of the local Izaak Walton League ponds/lake yesterday and a guy in a one person boat caught a bass on a spinnerbait. 

 

 You are right about the warm part of fall skipping us.  I hate that.  I was hoping for a three or four weeks of watching the leaves turn yellow, red and gold and some nice fall fishing.  

 

No kidding. I read all these things about the "hot fall bite" but I have yet to experience it. My guess is our weather patterns are giving us an early winter. Like I said some of the ponds around here have given me a couple of fish when I was using a weightless senko or craw, but that's it, and only a couple of fish in the past two weeks. I'm limited to almost complete bank fishing, so my guess is they're deep, and I do my best to hurl the weightless rigs out there. I guess we'll have to wait until next year.

[WRB]

Keep in mind what LMB are.....sunfish family, they prefer warm water and will find it as long as the prey is close by. Fishing from shore it's difficult to bass fish during the cold water period; water temps below 50 degrees. When the water column drops below 55 degrees, the fall bite us usually over and transitioning to winter. Take a look at the lake you fish, a map is a good reference. Most lakes you can divide into 1/3 rd sections. Big lakes with long creek arms are like individual lakes, so treat those arms like individual lakes.

The deepest water in man made reserviors is the dam area or lower 1/3rd. The next deepest area is the middle zone and the shallowest the upper 1/3 rd, where a river or creek enters the lake or arm.

Cold water bass like deep water areas because this water is usually warmer. If your lake has a major point near the dam area, or mouth of a big creek arm, that is where you should be fishing.

Tom

PS; take a look at "pointer pointers" in the never get bites thread on this forum page.

[Preytorien]

Pretty much every question that Tom answers is spot on. He should be a fisheries biologist or DNR advisor or something

 

I don't have a temp gauge, but my guess is that most of the bodies of water I'm hitting (from shore) are close or below 50. I don't get much out into the deep water, so I'll bet his direction is right. From where we're fishing, onshore, the water is shallower and thus is colder than the deep water I can't get to. Most of the bodies I hit are ponds, so my guess is these will all get colder before our 2 nearest reserviors (Morse and Geist) get too cold.

 

Boy I wish I could fish all year like the southern guys. 

[DogBone_384]

The fall bite 'bit' up here in Mass too.  I took a pool thermometer and bobber and tossed it out in my local spot so I could get the temperature @ about 5' deep.  It was in the low 50's.  

 

Since late August I've been shut out at this local spot, which proved really good from April to August, but that gives me plenty of time to get ready for Ski season and see what else I can learn from this forum over the Winter.

 

Have a great Holiday season….  

[hoosierbass07]

 Well I went to my favorite state park this evening and fished off a boat dock.  Caught a small bass.  My first bass in a month or so.  It was nice to catch one during this late fall/early winter period.  Caught it on a plastic worm with a long tail.  

[bassguytom]

I have been out 2 times in the past week and caught 1 bass each time out. Both on swimbaits. The water temp. is in the low 50's and dropping. I am going to start throwing my jerkbaits and blade baits and slowing down my jigs to a slower then slow craw. You get fewer fish this time of year but the ones you get will have some size to them.

[BuffaloBass716]

I'm from NY and I was getting some decent fish at the beginning of October and end of September.  Recently we have had a few cold front come through that past 2 weeks, they have really dropped the air and water temps. Today was the first time I've been out in about 2 weeks and caught nothing, only seeing some tiny bait fish swimming in the river going against the current.  I'm guessing the fish are getting deeper and going into there winter transition around here, making them hard to catch from shore.

[Sam]

Search for barometric pressure on the Forum or on Google and read about its affects on bass fishing.

 

You got hit by cold fronts which will destroy fishing for one or two days after they pass through your area.

 

Water temperatures will determine when the bass will go deep for the winter and also when they start to gorge themselves to fatten up before the water turns really cold.