Am I the only one who likes winter fishing?

[Tennessee Boy]

There are many factors that determine what feels cold when fishing in the winter.  I've found that if the fish are really bitting it  feels about 20 degrees warmer. 

[Sam]

On ‎11‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 2:51 PM, EGbassing said:

Anybody else here like fishing in the winter? Not many people would agree with me on this, but I think it's more fun than fishing in the summer. I keep hand warmers in my tackle box and just wear several layers and I love it. Am I the only one? ?

Yes.

[Bankbeater]

If the wind is blowing then I am staying home.  If the water is not frozen over and I have a day off then I will be out on the water.  This is the time of year I like to drive a couple of hours south to catch smallies out of the small rivers.

[geo g]

In south Florida its my fav time to fish.  Heat and humidity drops.  Dry season starts.  Water levels start to drop, fish concentrate, catch rates go up.  With our Florida strain bass, after a hard cold front you will have to wait a few day until our bass adjust.  Very sensitive to sudden water temp changes.

[NCbassraider]

On 11/6/2018 at 2:51 PM, EGbassing said:

Anybody else here like fishing in the winter? Not many people would agree with me on this, but I think it's more fun than fishing in the summer. I keep hand warmers in my tackle box and just wear several layers and I love it. Am I the only one? ?

I agree, I love winter fishing.  Of course being in NC, we have similar winters which are quite mild but I wear gloves and stay out for hours.  To me, there is nothing better than the jerk bait bite and I fish jerk baits and Ned rigs almost exclusively all winter.  My lake has monster crappie that attach jerk baits in the winter, so you never know what will be on the end of the line in the winter.  Here is a 7lb LMB last winter and a 2 lb 8 oz crappie.  Both on jerkbaits.

[geo g]

That's a monster slab!?

[SWVABass]

I enjoy fishing in the winter as well. It’s usually slower than the summer for me, but we are pretty far south in the southwest and get a lot of migratory birds so if the fishing sucks there is plenty of wildlife to watch with little for disturbance

[Ksam1234]

On 11/6/2018 at 2:51 PM, EGbassing said:

Anybody else here like fishing in the winter? Not many people would agree with me on this, but I think it's more fun than fishing in the summer. I keep hand warmers in my tackle box and just wear several layers and I love it. Am I the only one? ?

It’s supposed to be 28 degrees Saturday and Sunday in western NY so no ! I hate winter 

[EGbassing]

15 minutes ago, Ksam1234 said:

It’s supposed to be 28 degrees Saturday and Sunday in western NY so no ! I hate winter 

It'll be 39 for the high in a few days. I'll probably be throwing a jerkbait.

[The Bassman]

 

On 11/7/2018 at 11:38 AM, Preytorien said:

Yes

Its all ice here usually sometime in December, and thaw out is sometime in March

I’m no ice fisherman so yes, you like winter fishing more than I do 

We were in and out of ice last winter even with sub-zero weather in Jan. I was fishing two days before Christmas and at the end of Jan. @Team9nine is always posting pics of nice bass in cold weather.  He's right here in central IN. Give it a shot. Fish the sunny side of HOA lakes mid afternoon if you can get out.

[Fishing Rhino]

On ‎11‎/‎6‎/‎2018 at 3:20 PM, EGbassing said:

Eh, it gets down colder than you'd think here. It was -6 degrees one night last year. 

One night does not a "winter" make.  Let us know when Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson, and Pickwick ice over.

[TnRiver46]

4 hours ago, Fishing Rhino said:

One night does not a "winter" make.  Let us know when Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson, and Pickwick ice over.

The coves do! Parts of the channel probably would too if the water wasn't moving so fast

[BoatSquirrel]

A few years back, Greg Hackney wrote an article on BASS that has proven deadly for me.  Once the water temps fall below 45, the fish will pour off the banks into the first deep holes in creeks and pile up.  Break out the spoons, silver buddies, drop shots, and go to wacking on em.  And yes, pack the hand warmers!

[Arcs&sparks]

Cold?  It’s 85 degrees in there with the door open.  While your all bumming about the hard water I’ll be in my tax and rent free cabin on the water smackin fish all night long.  I like open water better but my boat doesn’t have a bed and a kitchen sink ?

 

[N Florida Mike]

I love winter fishing. Its the only time of the year I dont sweat !!! Most of the time anyway.?

[LionHeart]

Winter fishing to me means catching less fish, subtle bites and the fish don't put up much fight.  Oh yeah, and it's cold.  No, I don't like winter fishing.... but I still do it.

[Arlo Smithereen]

On 11/6/2018 at 9:56 PM, soflabasser said:

 Fishing while its cold is nothing compared to long distance running in +90 degree heat and +80% humidity.

Hey, we've got Capt. Obvious over here!

[LonnieP]

As long as the winds not blowing and the lakes not frozen I’ll be on the water. One good thing about winter fishing is less traffic on the water, no pleasure boaters or jet skis.

[bowhunter63]

Float and fly for Smallmouth in the rivers,Love it.

[soflabasser]

I fished in mid 80 degree weather today and it was nice. I see on the news that many northern states are in the bitter cold winter now. Would be nice to ice fish for a couple days but would not be nice to live in a place with leafless trees and grey skies for a big portion of the year.

21 hours ago, Arcs&sparks said:

Cold?  It’s 85 degrees in there with the door open.  While your all bumming about the hard water I’ll be in my tax and rent free cabin on the water smackin fish all night long.  I like open water better but my boat doesn’t have a bed and a kitchen sink ?

 

Looks fun. Did you catch any lake trout, muskie, pike, or walleye?

[Arcs&sparks]

8 hours ago, soflabasser said:

Looks fun. Did you catch any lake trout, muskie, pike, or walleye?

No walleye here, pike and musky only exist here in few waters due to introductions.  

 

I go to the lake in the photo for the convenience, but lots of rainbows, landlocked Atlantic salmon, burbot, put-and-take brookies and a sparse lake trout population,  and bass of course. 

 

 

 

[The Bassman]

20 hours ago, LionHeart said:

Winter fishing to me means catching less fish, subtle bites and the fish don't put up much fight.  Oh yeah, and it's cold.  No, I don't like winter fishing.... but I still do it.

I couldn't have said it better except some days I get on them pretty good.

[Brad Reid]

Favorite times? A summer-like day in the winter (unseasonably warm) and a winter-like day in the summer (unseasonably cool). In north and east Texas, we get more of the former, less of the latter. Ah! But such great breaks from the monotony when they come along!

 

I was the only kayak on the water yesterday on Lake Athens in Texas at around 40 degrees air temps when I launched mid-morning. I prefer to use a 4" Keitech Shad Impact (no paddle tail on this one), rigged weedless, toss it into the pads and weeds, let it just sink in the holes and around edges . . . and sit there; and, when I do move it, just small jerks (it is a soft jerk bait) to emulate the "injured look" to attract bass.

 

I use this technique a lot across all seasons. Range: For cold days, if the fish want something moving very slowly all the way to fast retrieves, if they are perky, this presentation covers a variety of presentation styles and speeds. It can get you a "Senko" bite; it can get more of a "crankbait" bite, too. Covers a lot of the water column, too, top to bottom.

 

They wanted it slow yesterday. I never got off the soft jerk bait. If I had needed to, I'd have likely tied on a wacky rigged worm for a slow fall through the water column.

 

*** Yep! Chuckles and laughs from northern anglers with me describing 40 degrees as cold temp fishing. Ya'll would be looking around in your chest of drawers for which bathing trunks to wear on such days. Ha!  Brad

[gim]

If I lived down south and was able to bass fish year round, I would.  At least most of the year.  I aint moving there anytime soon for that though, so I'm stuck with an off-season until next spring in MN.  Ice fishing?  Nope.  Did it a few times and it wouldn't bother me if I never went again.

[KDW96]

I like it. I just dress like im going deer huntin.