Super User Goose52 Posted January 9, 2015 Super User Posted January 9, 2015 The arctic air hitting the eastern U.S. is here in Tennessee. Low last night was 0 deg. Skim ice here and there on the lakes today but mostly still all open water. I wait until about 1pm and head out to fish for a bit. Nice sunny day, 24 degree air temp, about 5-10mph wind. HIt the first lake, cast a Berkley Chigger Craw over the skim ice along the bank and start working that craw. Dunk the rod in the water after each retrieve to melt the ice in the guides and clear the ice from the line guide on the reel by exhaling on the guide. Spend about 30-40 minutes at that lake. Nothing. Drive to another lake. All open water, steady breeze, a little chop on the water, no ice. Grab the lipless crank rod and start working along the dam of that lake - focusing on the flats and depth transitions on each end of the dam. Let the lipless settle all the way to the bottom - pop it off - start a slow retrieve with pauses added in. Work one end of the dam then walk down to the other end of the dam and start working that water. When I get near the lake spillway, in about 5 FOW near the bank...the rod mushes up during the pause in the retrieve. Just a couple cranks on the reel and I lip the fish. 18" / 3.2lb - nice fish. Fingers were already getting numb (two pairs of gloves on) and when handling and releasing this fish they got wet as well. Start to lose feeling in my fingers but figure I can make another couple casts. VERY next cast, in about 5 FOW near the bank...the rod mushes up during the pause in the retrieve. Just a couple cranks on the reel and I lip ANOTHER fish. 19" / 3.7lb - very nice fish. Fingers now so numb I can barely work the camera. Release the fish and I'm done - can't feel my fingers at all. Stuck the alcohol thermometer in about 1 FOW - 37 degrees. Coldest surface water temp where I've actually caught some bass. Not record setting bass - but ANY bass in 37 degree, January water is OK by me! A good day... 12 Quote
Super User kickerfish1 Posted January 9, 2015 Super User Posted January 9, 2015 Nice fish given the conditions. And by your standard test it looks like that rod/reel works. It casts, retrieves, and brings in fish!!! Quote
ABW Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 Nice fish!! Some Hothands should take care of your freezing hands Quote
Super User everythingthatswims Posted January 9, 2015 Super User Posted January 9, 2015 SWEET REEL Quote
Super User Goose52 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Super User Posted January 9, 2015 Nice fish given the conditions. And by your standard test it looks like that rod/reel works. It casts, retrieves, and brings in fish!!! Yep - gets the highest rating - seems to work, reels in fish... Nice fish!! Some Hothands should take care of your freezing hands Yeah - I wasn't planning on staying out that long in 14 deg windchill but at least I got some fish... SWEET REELThanks. It works, reels in fish...WTG Goose. nice job on the ice cold greenies!Thanks guys! Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 9, 2015 Super User Posted January 9, 2015 Nice work Goose - And even the bass look cold . . . A-Jay Quote
Super User Goose52 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Super User Posted January 9, 2015 Nice work Goose - And even the bass look cold . . . A-Jay Thanks A-Jay! Yeah - the bass probably thought they had it bad in 37 degree water.......................until I (temporarily) yanked them up into 24 degree air... I think they looked happier than usual when they were swimming away after release! 1 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 9, 2015 Super User Posted January 9, 2015 btw Goose - when you get tired of that lousy low quality rig in the picture there - I'll be happy to take it off your hands . . . . . A-Jay Quote
Super User Goose52 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Super User Posted January 9, 2015 btw Goose - when you get tired of that lousy low quality rig in the picture there - I'll be happy to take it off your hands . . . . . A-Jay That would be another entry in my will good buddy... On a serious note - I did learn today that this reel has a problem in sub-freezing weather. Ice builds up at the ends of the worm shaft cover and limits the travel of the line guide. I kept feeling a bump while cranking on the retrieve and finally realized the bump was caused by the line guide hitting the ice build-up. Couldn't exhale enough hot air to keep the ice melted in those areas. Indeed, there was still ice there when I got home from fishing and pulled the rod out of the trunk of the car so I could trim line and retie the bait... 2 Quote
Super User Bankbeater Posted January 9, 2015 Super User Posted January 9, 2015 Way to hang in there and catch those fish! Quote
Super User Catch and Grease Posted January 9, 2015 Super User Posted January 9, 2015 Nice fish! Quote
BassResource.com Administrator Glenn Posted January 9, 2015 BassResource.com Administrator Posted January 9, 2015 Freezing temps and yet catching them in 5'. Can't tell you how many people think you can't catch 'em shallow in the winter! WTG! Quote
KritterGitter Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 Freezing temps and yet catching them in 5'. Can't tell you how many people think you can't catch 'em shallow in the winter! WTG! On a lipless crank to boot, must have been painfully slow retrieves! Quote
Super User Goose52 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Super User Posted January 9, 2015 Thanks again to all. Went back to that lake this afternoon, a little warmer - 29 air temp, surface water temp up to 38/39. It was a ghost town. Drove to the Plan B lake and it was iced over. Drove to the Plan C lake - open water but nothing interested. Skunk for me today.... Quote
Global Moderator Bluebasser86 Posted January 11, 2015 Global Moderator Posted January 11, 2015 Nice job! Better than me, I've been twice and managed to snag an 8" channel cat on a jigging spoon and that's it! 1 Quote
Super User Goose52 Posted January 11, 2015 Author Super User Posted January 11, 2015 Thanks! I went back to that lake yesterday - only a thin strip of water along the dam open - the rest of the 25 acre lake was iced over. Most of my smaller lakes will be solid this morning but warmer weather and rain is coming in for tonight and tomorrow so I should have some open water again by Tuesday. Might even be able to find some holes in the ice big enough to drop a bait through late today... Quote
Super User Goose52 Posted January 11, 2015 Author Super User Posted January 11, 2015 All of my smaller lakes did end up icing over last night...EXCEPT for a little pocket in the same lake as where I caught the fish at the top of this thread. This hole was probably about the size of an Olympic swimming pool. Start casting out a lipless crank and aim for the edges of the ice-line. Let the bait sink to the bottom (between 15-20 fow), pop it up, slow retrieve with pauses. On one cast, I've got the bait nearly back to the bank, where I usually do a couple jigs on the bait (the old dying baitfish trick) before pulling it out of the water and I see this bass come up from deep water and take a whack at the bait. I literally did not have to reel in the fish - just played it out, raised the rod and guided the fish to the edge of the water and lipped it. 20" but a skinny 3.6lb. Another score for the PQ 5-Year Challenge test reel. It's almost cheating though, the water has warmed all the way up to a toasty 39 degrees... Who says you can't catch fish in a swimming pool? 3 Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted January 11, 2015 Super User Posted January 11, 2015 Nice one ~ Congrats You're one cold water bass catching dude . . . A-Jay Quote
Super User Goose52 Posted January 12, 2015 Author Super User Posted January 12, 2015 Nice one ~ Congrats You're one cold water bass catching dude . . . A-Jay Thanks A-Jay! The good news about having soft water most of the winter is that you get the opportunity to fish but the flip-side is you are trying to "catch" for about 3 or 3 1/2 months in water that is in the 40s or high 30s. Here in my part of TN, surface water temps reach the 40s in mid- to late-November and stay there until usually end of February, sometimes into March. I only fish everyday because all my lakes are within a 6-mile drive and it only takes a few minutes to get to a lake. If I had to tackle-up and take a fishing "trip"....I would skip most of this winter period. 1 Quote
5 Dollar Fishing Game Posted January 12, 2015 Posted January 12, 2015 I could eat popcorn and read your post. It's like a story from the pages of a fishing book. Well written!!!! Great fish!!! They look frozen solid too lol Quote
Super User Goose52 Posted January 12, 2015 Author Super User Posted January 12, 2015 I could eat popcorn and read your post. It's like a story from the pages of a fishing book. Well written!!!! Great fish!!! They look frozen solid too lol Thanks! Grab a little more popcorn... Nice fish!! Thanks! Quote
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