When to shut it down for the year?

[tholmes]

I'll fish in any weather as long as the water isn't frozen and the wind is below 40 mph.

 

Tom

[MGF]

31F tonight and high near 50F tomorrow. I'm going to give it a shot.

[Junk Fisherman]

I bounced around laker fishing on Saturday for 6 hours with only a fish on for about 10 seconds.  At this point my bass season is done till March 1.  Maybe if there is a warm stretch over Christmas I might take a trip to So IL and fish a cooling lake but that is improbable.  I'll keep after the lakers if the highs are in the 40s and the wind is not too bad.  But I am bringing in baits and starting to clean and organize.  

[scaleface]

Theres a skim of ice on the ponds this morning .

[MGF]

It looks like we're about done for the year. I had planned to keep fishing ass long as there was open water but it's just not much fun in the cold.  The time and work it takes to get on and off the water just isn't worth the short amount of time and success on the water. And it all seems like it's twice as much work in the cold. I guess I'm just getting too old for it.  Give me SUMMER!

 

For the rest of the winter I'll visit my little pond to keep my casting in shape or to play with new stuff. It's only 5 minutes from home and it only takes a moment to throw a rod in the truck or put it away when I'm done. If the cold drives me out after 15 minutes it's no big loss.

[TheBasslayer]

I usually keep fishing until December, and  most of the time the water is iced up by then anyways.

[Junk Fisherman]

44 degrees yesterday with light winds so I tried for lake trout again.  38 to 44 degree water temps.   Nothing.  I would usually catch a brown or laker during late season smallmouth fishing but when I am trying to catch them I am 0/2.

 

At least it was enjoyable running the boat and getting out of the house for the day.  

[MGF]

I was out on the 10th. It got up into the 50's but was the first time I used my flat bottom boat for an ice breaker. 

[TnRiver46]

3 hours ago, MGF said:

I was out on the 10th. It got up into the 50's but was the first time I used my flat bottom boat for an ice breaker. 

I tried that once. The boat stopped abruptly and the ice was unharmed 

[lynxcat]

I’ve fished the last three days but nothing. Pretty frustrating. 

[river-rat]

I live in south Louisiana. I never shut it down. I make a couple of duck/goose hunting trips a year but other than that I'm on the water at least 3-4 days a week since I retired last year.

[jimmyjoe]

   Last 2 days were 40 for a high. Got nothing in the river. But ..... skim ice is off the sand pit. I went out with a L/MF spinning rig and 4 lb. mono. Threw a 1/4 oz chartreuse spoon. Got 6 bass, all about pound-and-a-half. Now ..... Jimmy's happy!   ???  Ain't gonna shut it down yet!           jj

[Darth-Baiter]

I’m gonna slow roll my fishing thru the winter.  I think it will pick up soon. Right now, I just enjoy being out in my kayak “practicing my casts”.  Catching a fish is just the huge bonus. 

[mcipinkie]

It might be getting close when you throw your brand new Vision 110 Plus 2 across a point and it don't sink.

[roadwarrior]

No time to quite down here. January and February are the best moths for trophy

smallmouth on the Tennessee River.

 

[Rpratt]

When one of my batteries died and I don't feel like buying a new one to use just once or twice during the winter.... ?