Uncharacteristically Warm Winter? What Season is it?

[Bass Justice]

Hey guys! Been a minute, ready to load up the Kayak this weekend and hit some local ponds, but the weather has been uncharacteristically warm this winter in Georgia, and maybe elsewhere? I am not sure. 

 

Looking at weather.com monthly averages, looks like it's been about 10 degrees higher than the average here so far this month. And I am wondering if the bass started their pre-spawn routine weeks ago and might be moving into the spawn. 

 

I know the change in pattern behavior is typically associated with longer days which aren't quite here yet, but I also know a steady water temperature increase gets them moving. From some local fishing reports looks like water temps are around 60 degrees or so. 

 

So my question is geared toward everyone everywhere, which is how do you go about very warm winters? I just feel like if the bass did  mitigate to winter haunts, then they might have already moved up/ out and transitioned into pre spawn. Getting some feedback will help me at least get an idea. As a new fisherman I am not experienced or knowledgable enough to know how to treat a very abnormally warm winter.

 

I mean, the average high/low temps for the next seven days here is 70/50 (usually 60/35). Crazy for middle February here. 

 

Thanks!

 

-Mike

[the reel ess]

It's prespawn all the time right now where I usually fish. Fish are on the first points and dropoff edges and some are even in shallower water. Trap, Spinnerbait, T rigs, etc.

 

But I fish mostly smaller waters. I imagine on larger lakes they're between deep winter haunts and first points to coves. While they know it's warm and will feed, they also instinctively know the amount of daylight per day and there are almost certainly cold days ahead.

[Deleted account]

I'm catching fish in 2-4 feet of water in small lakes/ponds, and 6-8 feet in larger lakes here in MD. The water never got "winter" cold, so the fish get active with a day or 2 of warming, which we've had plenty of lately. Normally it would require a more extended period of warmer weather to turn them on. I even caught one on a buzzbait (I was pickerel fishing) a couple of weeks ago. Just like Monopoly® or Risk® I don't make up the rules, but I'm ending up with Boardwalk, and Kamchatka non the less.

[soflabasser]

We have been having a warmer than usual winter down here as well,with many days of +80 degree weather.Last weekend I saw several peacock bass bedding,which is something I haven't seen in a February before in +2 decades of fishing(peacock bass usually start bedding in late March/April when the water is warm).Also saw a couple of largemouth bass bedding in the same body of water along with peacock bass bedding.This Sunday's forecast for Miami is 86 degrees which is well above average for this time of year. With that said, the largemouth and peacock bass fishing has been exceptionally good this month, so I am liking this weather.

[Mumbly]

We are still digging out of a Blizzard that dropped 3 feet of snow.

 

What season is it? Still Winter here.

[WTnPuddleJumper]

mild here in west tn   water temps been in mid 50s most of the 2017 winter.  Some lakes are on fire  and others having a real stingie bite.  either the fish are confused or I am confused, but I will keep on fishing regardless

[Hawkeye21]

Going to be in the 60's here in Eastern Iowa tomorrow.  I'm going fishing on the Mississippi River Saturday as it's opened up now.  One of the earliest I've seen waters open here and I love it.

[WRB]

Air temps have little to do with the spawn, check the water temps about 3' depth; 62-67 the bass should be in the spawn on beds.

The first visual sign of bass moving up to spawn are cruisers roaming the bank, the male bass making beds followed by the females.

Tom

[Bass Justice]

9 hours ago, the reel ess said:

It's prespawn all the time right now where I usually fish. Fish are on the first points and dropoff edges and some are even in shallower water. Trap, Spinnerbait, T rigs, etc.

 

But I fish mostly smaller waters. I imagine on larger lakes they're between deep winter haunts and first points to coves. While they know it's warm and will feed, they also instinctively know the amount of daylight per day and there are almost certainly cold days ahead.

That's what I was thinking.

 

8 hours ago, reason said:

I'm catching fish in 2-4 feet of water in small lakes/ponds, and 6-8 feet in larger lakes here in MD. The water never got "winter" cold, so the fish get active with a day or 2 of warming, which we've had plenty of lately. Normally it would require a more extended period of warmer weather to turn them on. I even caught one on a buzzbait (I was pickerel fishing) a couple of weeks ago. Just like Monopoly® or Risk® I don't make up the rules, but I'm ending up with Boardwalk, and Kamchatka non the less.

Gotta get Park Place too though right?

 

8 hours ago, soflabasser said:

We have been having a warmer than usual winter down here as well,with many days of +80 degree weather.Last weekend I saw several peacock bass bedding,which is something I haven't seen in a February before in +2 decades of fishing(peacock bass usually start bedding in late March/April when the water is warm).Also saw a couple of largemouth bass bedding in the same body of water along with peacock bass bedding.This Sunday's forecast for Miami is 86 degrees which is well above average for this time of year. With that said, the largemouth and peacock bass fishing has been exceptionally good this month, so I am liking this weather.

Yeah I can't wait to get out in it!

 

5 hours ago, Mumbly said:

We are still digging out of a Blizzard that dropped 3 feet of snow.

 

What season is it? Still Winter here.

We all know Canada only has 3 days a year of non winter weather. Which are labeled Spring, Summer, and Fall accordingly.

 

4 hours ago, WTnPuddleJumper said:

mild here in west tn   water temps been in mid 50s most of the 2017 winter.  Some lakes are on fire  and others having a real stingie bite.  either the fish are confused or I am confused, but I will keep on fishing regardless

If you're like me then you are confused, but that won't stop us!

 

4 hours ago, WRB said:

Air temps have little to do with the spawn, check the water temps about 3' depth; 62-67 the bass should be in the spawn on beds.

The first visual sign of bass moving up to spawn are cruisers roaming the bank, the male bass making beds followed by the females.

Tom

A fishing report from a large lake (West Point) here in Georgia said the temps were "60's" so I am assuming it's still pre-spawn or winter-spring transition based on their lures suggestions and fish locations. Either way with this warm winter I feel like pre-spawn is right around the corner.

 

Thanks everyone!

[WRB]

Spawn is right around the corner if the water temps are in the 60's, it's pre spawn now!

Tom

[Raul]

Global warming.

[iiTzChunky]

It's been pretty warm here in Missouri as well, had days above 50 all week and hit 70 today through this weekend. I plan on hitting the water. 

[bassguytom]

Oh yea.... it's kind of warm here. It was 28 this morning and got up to 38 in the afternoon. Going into the 60's on Saturday! The fish around here will still be in winter mode so I will be using my electronics extensively before I drop a line. 

[Raul]

Too bad it's windy as hell ! 

[TheGreatOne]

My thoughts are I use the old system of fish the 3rd day of any STABLE weather, believe it or not bass don't care much for the up and down temps as much as we think, they know the days are still short and with cold nights they aren't fooled, but after a second day of being near 70 any angler worth his salt must abandon whatever he is doing, be it weddings,yardwork,whatever it is, and just go fishing... My thinking is as I live in VA and also have experienced this warm winter, so I say it is prespawn type baits and patterns NOW until you see a few bigger females up spawning,... But until then we are NOW in prespawn... My only hope is we don't get an Arctic blasts and it fouls us and the fish up even more than most years?

[SeeNoSun]

On 2/17/2017 at 1:19 PM, TheGreatOne said:

My thoughts are I use the old system of fish the 3rd day of any STABLE weather, believe it or not bass don't care much for the up and down temps as much as we think, they know the days are still short and with cold nights they aren't fooled, but after a second day of being near 70 any angler worth his salt must abandon whatever he is doing, be it weddings,yardwork,whatever it is, and just go fishing... My thinking is as I live in VA and also have experienced this warm winter, so I say it is prespawn type baits and patterns NOW until you see a few bigger females up spawning,... But until then we are NOW in prespawn... My only hope is we don't get an Arctic blasts and it fouls us and the fish up even more than most years?

I'm going to hit Lake Audubon in Reston on Sunday and Monday afternoon. Air temps today (Saturday) are 69, Sunday is supposed to be 68 and Monday is more of the same.  I'll be trying pre-spawn patterns.  My first days fishing on my new Kayak and I'm looking forward to getting on the water and wetting a line.  If anything good happens I'll report back. Forecast for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday looks good too!

[Bluebasser86]

It's fishing season! Not that it ever stops.

[jamey1e]

Who knows!  A couple weeks ago I caught them in 2 feet of water and was like "ok here we go"...today I didn't get a bite in less than 10.

[gim]

Not going to get into a political argument here but there's no doubt that the climate is changing.  Its 60 degrees here in Central Minnesota.  I can't remember it being that warm this time of year here in my lifetime.  The local news people just said that we have had 19 straight months of above average temperatures.  I don't think winter is quite over yet but I don't think there will be any more subzero nights.

[iiTzChunky]

Went fishing for a few hours the past 2 days and couldn't get the bass to hit on anything yet. 

 

But that won't stop me from going out anyways. 

[hoosierbass07]

On 2/17/2017 at 1:19 PM, TheGreatOne said:

My thoughts are I use the old system of fish the 3rd day of any STABLE weather,

 

 I used to try to follow that rule.  I read in one of my books, after a front passes, give it two or three days for the bass to become acclimated with the new weather and then go.  I've really not noticed any increase in my bass catching by keeping that suggestion/rule in mind.  So this year I'm not even going to think about fronts, only when I'm in the mood to go bass fishing.  

[lo n slo]

Lake Norman is already in the mid 50's and some good spots are being caught shallow, 5' - 10' range. with 70 degree temps forecast all week i'll be out there each afternoon. maybe hit Badin for some hefty pre spawn largemouth. 

[Felix77]

Even in northern NY there are open water opportunities with this warm weather.  I was ice fishing this weekend and some of my other friends further north were posing pictures of catching fish on their kayak.   What a world.  HA!

[the reel ess]

I went yesterday to my buddy's pond and caught 15. The fish are stunted so they're smaller than average and he wants me to take all smallish fish. Well, they were fat and full of eggs. They've been feeding up, but there are no beds yet. I don't ahve a temp gauge, but I think it was so warm, I wouldn't worry about hypothermia if I fell in. Yes, I wore my PFD! If the warming continues, they may spawn a month early. Generally, April is the month when most of the spawning occurs here, with the biggest females going first. March might end up being the month of stable spring temps or they might split into march/april.

 

The bass were deeper yesterday, but the wind was out of the northeast. I wondered if they'd even bite before I went, but I feel confident of getting 10 bass every time I go there.

[Team9nine]

Fish here are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing, just a bit more active than normal. Photoperiod (shorter days) will keep most everything in check despite the warm temps. Bass only develop one clutch of eggs a year, and they take time to develop. If all the bass ran to the bank and nested at the first signs of warm weather, most year classes would be wiped out and fishing would suffer. Granted, a continued warm winter/spring might push things up 10 days or so before usual, but I don't expect anything beyond that. They'll be more cold weather to set things straight soon enough. Just enjoy the early bonus fishing while we've got it.

 

-T9