East Coast : Record Warmth - How To Adapt Techniques ?

[ChrisD46]

East of the Mississippi we are experiencing record warmth to begin winter - for those of you who live here , how are you adapting your winter strategies / techniques to match warmer than usual water conditions : Are you staying shallow ? Are you staying with faster more aggressive baits to match the warmer water ? ...Let's hear how you are adapting your techniques / strategies to match up  with a warm beginning of winter here in the East .

[Tweek1106]

Going out tomorrow and going to play it like it's still mid fall. After 4 days of above average temps they should be a little shallower and more willing to bite.

[BrianinMD]

Fish don't know the seasons, fish the conditions the same as you would at any other time of year based off water temp, clarity.....

[lo n slo]

I can only speak for myself here. Haven't been out since the 15th, but here, in the western piedmont of NC, I have been catching fish (mostly spots w/ a few LM) anywhere from 1'-20'. Surface water temps (for what its worth) still in the 50's. Typical targets have been shallow/deep brush, bluff banks, docks. Lipless cranks and plastics works for me. Gonna try to get back out after Christmas. Good luck!

[Team9nine]

No changes or adaptations needed here. Doing the same thing we always do early winter - hair jigs, jerkbaits and blade baits - just getting to do it in late December. Same bite prolonged since we don't have ice cover yet. Had 54 in 4 hours Sunday afternoon throwing the aforementioned baits in 42-43 water.

-T9

[windjinx]

Last couple weeks here in NC Rivers the water temp. has ranged from 50-to 56 degrees. Catching fish on suspending jerkbaits and and lipless baits mostly. Also catching a few on shallow cranks.  When the water temp was 50-52 the jerkbait bite was on. When the water temp temp went to the 54-56 They reacted more aggessive to the lipless. Pattern for the jerkbait was: Jerk- jerk, pause, twitch, pause, twitch, pause then fish on. The pause was usually about 5-8 seconds and the bite was very subtle. Fished around wood in 2-4 foot.  Sunny skys and clear water.

[ChrisD46]

Good replies - I think the term of an "expanded mid - fall" is pretty accurate .

[tander]

6 hours ago, BrianinMD said:

Fish don't know the seasons, fish the conditions the same as you would at any other time of year based off water temp, clarity.....

Exactly, fish don't have a calendar.

[Brent Christian]

Went out a couple days ago and caught fish like it was still fall, fish were still on the banks caught them on a texas rigged pit boss jr

[Jon G]

I've been fishing like I would in early winter. I've been absolutely smoking them on a LC Pointer 78 near a lot of rock. 

[that_ryan_kid_7]

The bass in my lake are still staying deep (the deepest in my lake is 15 feet) but they have been around the 10 foot range. I've been throwing a rapala dt-8 in the bluegill pattern and been catching a few. I've also been using a shadow rap deep in blue back herring. I fish it like I would in fall by reeling one or 2 turns, let it sit, then a triple jerk to pause, them a duoble twitch reel again and repeat. not the most conventional methed  but it produces. btw I'm fishing in GA after a warm front

[herbu]

2 days ago, 12/27, NC, Raleigh area.  Water temp was 66-68deg.  We did well, back in the coves, along the shore, weightless worms and soft plastic swimbaits.  Buddy even caught a Chain Pickerel.  Didn't even know we had 'em.