A method of finding late fall winter fish!

[Sissyfishing]

In winter bass are usually suspended over creeks or on the edges of flats close to creeks or deeper water, usually bright sunny days they suspend up and feed. 

A good method for locating the fish and the depth the fish are holding is to use a countdown lure.

I like to use a 1/16 or 1/8 maribou jig as a count down, fish the water column until you get a strike, then fish the area at that depth with a jerk bait, rapala’s usually, original, 1 to 4 ft. deep diver, 4 to 8 ft. and countdown rapala if there more than 8 feet deep, no I don’t consider a rapala to be a crankbait so don’t go there, then find other creeks on the lake with similar depths and there will likely be fish! This is not my method but comes from Billy and Bobby Murray and Al and Ron Lindner! One of them won the classic do they must be smart! Right!
 

gadgets graphs can spook fish especially if there shallow, study a map before you go to find likely areas then the trees will indicate the Chanel’s 

[Catt]

Think Vertical

Think Deep

Think Bottom

Think Slow

 

During the winter months there are certain conditions one must pay attention to if one wants to be productive.

 

The first is stability as in stable weather; I don't care what the ambient temperature is as long as the weather has been stable for 3 or 4 days. In order to take full advantage of stable conditions one must have the ability to pick and choose the days you fish.

 

The second is the bass itself; a bass's metabolism is finally tuned to its circulatory system temperature which is the same as the surrounding water temperature. In cold water their metabolism slows down, their brain slows down, so the bass slows down. In cold water a bass's instincts are less finely tuned, it has less appetite and it mostly stays suspended at or near the bottom.

 

It is fairly easy to catch bass in cold water, if you can find them and if you use the right techniques. This means putting bait in front of a fish that looks right, sounds right, and smells right. The colder the water, the slower the bass's brain operates so the slower you must present the bait or it's gone before the bass's brain tells it to bite.

 

The third think vertical; Jigging spoons or the jig-n-pig (pork frog) are probably the two most popular methods. If you want to get into the finesse end of things, fishing a small grub can also be good. But my favorite, naturally, is the jig-n-pig (or craw).

 

 

The fourth think deep; on most bodies of water in winter we're looking at a vertical situation as far as cover types go. To explain: Bass usually move deeper during the winter months. On some lakes that may mean they pull into creek channel for the winter.

On other lakes, where everything is pretty well shoreline-related, they might move to steeper banks, 45-degree banks or bluffs, which are the areas where they're probably going to spend the winter.

 

One thing you can just about bet on is that wintertime bass are going to be close to deep water. I'm not saying you can't catch them shallow because if you get a few nice days during the winter some of the fish will move up. They may also get on shallow targets next to deep water.

Keep deep water and a slow retrieve in mind, and you'll be a little better off during winter months.

 

The fifth think bottom; when I'm fishing during the wintertime, I usually relate to the bottom. That's where I'm trying to find the bass I'm not looking for suspended winter fish.

 

The sixth I want to get that bait down to the fish. I want to maintain contact with the bottom. Try to crawl the bait along the bottom in short spurts, basically dragging it. You don't want to sweep it off the bottom like you would during the summer.

 

To repeat: winter jig fishing means a slow, tedious retrieve with pauses between movements of the bait. Often that's what it takes to get some of the sluggish wintertime bass to bite.

 

Keep in mind that the bass are well grouped this time of year. It can be a long time between bites, but when you get a fish to hit, there are probably a bunch of them down there.

 

So stick with it ?

[Sissyfishing]

Thanks

also helpful is a low gear ratio reel 

it’s impossible to fish a high gear ratio reel super slow 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

20 hours ago, Catt said:

The first is stability as in stable weather; I don't care what the ambient temperature is as long as the weather has been stable for 3 or 4 days. In order to take full advantage of stable conditions one must have the ability to pick and choose the days you fish.

Ive read this countless time in books.  I have come to find the exact opposite of stable weather to be the most productive for numbers and size by a far margin.  As the fish feel the pressure fall they all start to look to feed at the same time.  Which can cause fish that from allover the lake to school on a wind blown point or flat.  One of my best days I had this year I was fishing in a snowstorm water was 38-42 but the fish were stacked and actively feeding.  I smashed them on JBs, bladed jigs lipless and flat cranks.    The most extreme example of foul weather turing the bite on I can think of is surf fishing as a NorEaster approaches.  The wind and tide cause baitfish to stack in against the coast and the game fish take advantage of the opportunity.  Its rough fishing with the wind and spray but its some of the most intense action Ive ever seen. 

Bass fishing in the winter in my area is just a case of figuring out where the fish want to feed relative to the structure they are staging from.  Ned rigs, DS and jigs are great but one of the best tools to find fish that will cooperate in the shortest amount of time is a JB.  Smaller swimbaits catch numbers in the same situations but the JB can turn a school of fish on.

You don't always go by the book.  If you can give fish something they haven't seen at the right time you can have a PB day.  You will get far more understanding from that then anything you could ever read.

[Catt]

@Rusty_Shackleford Take all 3 listed above & apply the one that fits the conditions you're faced with.

 

About the time we think we have figured out they'll prove we don't.

[Big Rick]

On 11/8/2020 at 2:01 PM, Sissyfishing said:

gadgets graphs can spook fish especially if there shallow, study a map before you go to find likely areas then the trees will indicate the Chanel’s 

You must have some good smelling trees in your neck of the woods.....

[Mbirdsley]

On 11/8/2020 at 3:01 PM, Sissyfishing said:

In winter bass are usually suspended over creeks or on the edges of flats close to creeks or deeper water, usually bright sunny days they suspend up and feed. 

A good method for locating the fish and the depth the fish are holding is to use a countdown lure.

I like to use a 1/16 or 1/8 maribou jig as a count down, fish the water column until you get a strike, then fish the area at that depth with a jerk bait, rapala’s usually, original, 1 to 4 ft. deep diver, 4 to 8 ft. and countdown rapala if there more than 8 feet deep, no I don’t consider a rapala to be a crankbait so don’t go there, then find other creeks on the lake with similar depths and there will likely be fish! This is not my method but comes from Billy and Bobby Murray and Al and Ron Lindner! One of them won the classic do they must be smart! Right!
 

gadgets graphs can spook fish especially if there shallow, study a map before you go to find likely areas then the trees will indicate the Chanel’s 

I’m actually interested in trying Maribou and buck tail jigs this fall/winter/spring.  What are good colors for these little guys. 

[Sissyfishing]

White

snd trees leaning into the Chanel show the Chanel or you can find it with a heavy jig

trees higher than those around them indicate a hump 

 

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

On 11/9/2020 at 12:12 PM, Catt said:

@Rusty_Shackleford Take all 3 listed above & apply the one that fits the conditions you're faced with.

3 of 6? 

On 11/9/2020 at 7:55 PM, Mbirdsley said:

I’m actually interested in trying Maribou and buck tail jigs this fall/winter/spring.  What are good colors for these little guys. 

White, black, olive and brown.  Black and olive are my favorite.

[galyonj]

On 11/8/2020 at 3:24 PM, Catt said:

To repeat: winter jig fishing means a slow, tedious retrieve with pauses between movements of the bait. Often that's what it takes to get some of the sluggish wintertime bass to bite.

Caught my biggest jig fish doing exactly this and shaking the rod tip if I bumped into anything. Finally I gave it a shake and something shook back. lol

[Catt]

2 hours ago, galyonj said:

Caught my biggest jig fish doing exactly this and shaking the rod tip if I bumped into anything. Finally I gave it a shake and something shook back. lol

 

Haven't you read it doesn't work ?

[galyonj]

16 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Haven't you read it doesn't work ?

Reckon I skipped that chapter. ?‍♂️

[joshuaray83]

When using a jig and craw deep, are you all typically downsizing the look of the jig for winter? i.e. using a heavier jig because you have to fish deep, but using a more finesse skirt and smaller craw.

[Luke Barnes]

3 hours ago, joshuaray83 said:

When using a jig and craw deep, are you all typically downsizing the look of the jig for winter? i.e. using a heavier jig because you have to fish deep, but using a more finesse skirt and smaller craw.

My basic question too. Full size jig or a smaller finesse jig? I have SK Pro Model jigs and Bitsy Flip jigs. Which would be better suited in 10ft or less? Also do you just drag it or do real small pops and then pause?

[galyonj]

16 hours ago, Luke Barnes said:

My basic question too. Full size jig or a smaller finesse jig? I have SK Pro Model jigs and Bitsy Flip jigs. Which would be better suited in 10ft or less? Also do you just drag it or do real small pops and then pause?

There's no reason a finesse jig wouldn't work just fine. However, I usually use a 3/8oz arky-style jig (my favorite is Siebert's dock rocker), and my cold(er)-water jig presentation is cribbed from some of Tactical Bassin's videos: I cut the skirt down and then my trailer's usually a Sweet Beaver that I've bit the first four or five ribs off of to shorten it.

 

Then I just slowly drag and pause. If I bump into something during the drag, I stop, shake the rod tip, and let it sit for a beat before I resume.

[Luke Barnes]

2 hours ago, galyonj said:

There's no reason a finesse jig wouldn't work just fine. However, I usually use a 3/8oz arky-style jig (my favorite is Siebert's dock rocker), and my cold(er)-water jig presentation is cribbed from some of Tactical Bassin's videos: I cut the skirt down and then my trailer's usually a Sweet Beaver that I've bit the first four or five ribs off of to shorten it.

 

Then I just slowly drag and pause. If I bump into something during the drag, I stop, shake the rod tip, and let it sit for a beat before I resume.

Ok I get it. So a rage menace over say, a rage craw for a trailer since its not so big and flappy? Ive put together some bitsy flip jigs with zman zcrawz so they are nice and small plus they have little action but are bouyant so the claws should stand up nice. 

[galyonj]

10 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

Ok I get it. So a rage menace over say, a rage craw for a trailer since its not so big and flappy? Ive put together some bitsy flip jigs with zman zcrawz so they are nice and small plus they have little action but are bouyant so the claws should stand up nice. 

Yeah, dude.

[joshuaray83]

3 hours ago, galyonj said:

Then I just slowly drag and pause. If I bump into something during the drag, I stop, shake the rod tip, and let it sit for a beat before I resume.

I have some smaller finesse jigs and rage menace trailers myself, so I'll be trying your presentation tomorrow if I can get out on the water.