Bigger bass in the winter

[Mr. Aquarium]

Any advice for catching bigger fish in the winter. I live in Massachusetts, so we aren’t talking 10s and teens, but 5lbs and up.  I catch big fish from March-October but when it gets cold, my quality goes down. I catch the numbers in the cold months but never anything big. I’ve never broken 5lbs between November and February.  I did have a phenomenal spring, got 8-2, 7-5 , 7-1 6-13 and a 5-11 in a month. 
 

I fish all sorts of waters, deep clear to shallow and weedy. Big swimbaits to small finesse gear. But I can’t find the bigger fish. Biggest is 3-4lbs 

[softwateronly]

Try something fast and erratic. I’m a little on the tactical bass in koolaid but their crankbait burned and paused has delivered 3 over 5 with 2 probably more than 6 in MI in 40 degree water the last 2 Novembers. I believe there’s something to the theory that it’s not exactly about food but more about bass doing what it does; react. Attack and ambush anything that fits in its mouth.  The last one had 4 of 6 hooks in its upper lip. I think blade baits ripped from grass is another “reaction” bait that can get bigs, but it’s also my numbers bait.  If they’re actively feeding, a hard snapped jerk bait.  I throw a rigs, jigs, big, and little swim baits too, but the fast stuff gets me bigger bites. 
 

scott

 

[Mr. Aquarium]

12 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

Try something fast and erratic. I’m a little on the tactical bass in koolaid but their crankbait burned and paused has delivered 3 over 5 with 2 probably more than 6 in MI in 40 degree water the last 2 Novembers. I believe there’s something to the theory that it’s not exactly about food but more about bass doing what it does; react. Attack and ambush anything that fits in its mouth.  The last one had 4 of 6 hooks in its upper lip. I think blade baits ripped from grass is another “reaction” bait that can get bigs, but it’s also my numbers bait.  If they’re actively feeding, a hard snapped jerk bait.  I throw a rigs, jigs, big, and little swim baits too, but the fast stuff gets me bigger bites. 
 

scott

 

Wow impressive!  I love the blade bait, have had some great days with it. I usually go deep and slow. I’m figuring out the jerkbait game. I do love shallow ponds during the warm windy storm fronts we get. But like I said always numbers no quality. That’s when I fish my swimbaits in winter

[TheSwearingAngler]

Also in MA, watching this thread closely because I haven’t been able to catch anything in a couple weeks.

[Mr. Aquarium]

2 minutes ago, TheSwearingAngler said:

Also in MA, watching this thread closely because I haven’t been able to catch anything in a couple weeks.

I got 1 lost one on a jerkbait yesterday from shore.  Small fish 

[TheSwearingAngler]

I got skunked from the canoe yesterday.. last weekend lost a pretty good fish at the boat, he hit a spinnerbait slow rolling the bottom… the weekend before I landed 3 in 15 minutes on a 60 whopper plopper. My numbers have been dropping. A month ago I was pulling 6-10 fish a trip including usually a couple 3lbers. Never catch fish as big as OP.

[softwateronly]

I need to try the countdown rapala again but my current cold water jerk bait is the nishine eerie darter 115mr. It’s a nose down slow sink that I can work 12-15’ deep. Really helps when they don’t wanna move too far up from the bottom. The pike love it too. Tieable steel leader is necessary. 
 

scott

[WRB]

If I was fishing where you are during the cold water period for big bass my lure selection would be simple old school Hair jigs with #11 pork frog. 

NorthStar hairy brown and hairy black hair-living rubber jigs in 1/2 and 3/4 oz with Uncle Josh # 11 brown and black pork trail. 

Keep it simple and use 12# FC line and work major points and rock slides from 2’ to 40’. Cast and let sink until the line jumps slack, turn the reel handle 1 turn and repeat. Shake the jig out of any snags and Shake about every 5’ depth change.

Focus focus focus the strike are very light so watch your line closely!

Tom

[GetFishorDieTryin]

I found the most effective way is to cover water with a small swimbait and once you find a concentration go back through with a jig or, jerkbait or lipless. 

Ive been successful in the past pitching a jig in wood on the sun beaten bank from early to late afternoon.  Im just looking for a reaction bite, so I dont waste time fishing the jig much more for then a foot or 2 from the target. 

The slowest way is to find a spot that you know will hold fish at some time.  Concrete bridges, isolated rocks and or laydowns all hold heat.  If you can find any of that structure in close proximity to deep water (relative to the body of water you fish) on the bank that gets the most sun.  Find some of the spots and drag a jig around them on sunny afternoons.  If you keep at eventually you run into a bigger fish.

Fishing the moon really helps too.  The 2nd and 3rd day before and after a full/new moon have produced best for me.

 

[WRB]

To  catch big bass you need to fish for them in lieu of hoping to run across 1. 

I am a believer in Moon phases during pre spawn and when the 5 full moon phase occurs during the night, not when the moon is up during daytime for big bass.

Catching bass in general during cold water period target  bass feeding on bait fish using structure spoons, under spins, swim jigs crank baits. Big bass stick with jigs up north.

Tom

[TnRiver46]

I’m on the opposite schedule, I rarely catch a small black bass in winter. I can get lots of dinks in summer 

[Mr. Aquarium]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’m on the opposite schedule, I rarely catch a small black bass in winter. I can get lots of dinks in summer 

Wow that’s awesome! 

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, Mr. Aquarium said:

Wow that’s awesome! 

It’s nice! Granted, winter for me is usually 40+ degree water and air 

[Tennessee Boy]

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’m on the opposite schedule, I rarely catch a small black bass in winter. I can get lots of dinks in summer 

Same here.   I don’t know why.

[TnRiver46]

14 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Same here.   I don’t know why.

I think a little fish can just sit still nearly all winter with its belly in the mud like a turtle 

[king fisher]

My advice is to buy a plane ticket to Mexico, then use what ever lure your guide recommends.

Of course I do believe the MA state record was over 15 pounds and caught through the ice, so what do I know?  In Mexico a big plus is getting a margarita with ice instead of one while sitting on the ice.

[Bird]

I keep track of water temps and struggle mightily to catch Largemouth bass under 45* water temps and it's every year.

This past winter after a few warm days, had an epic day on orange and brown jigs, water temp 47*.

 

Jerkbaits have also done well in colder water temps here........ above 45 ?

[Mr. Aquarium]

3 hours ago, Bird said:

I keep track of water temps and struggle mightily to catch Largemouth bass under 45* water temps and it's every year.

This past winter after a few warm days, had an epic day on orange and brown jigs, water temp 47*.

 

Jerkbaits have also done well in colder water temps here........ above 45 ?

Yea seems like above 50 I catch the bigger fish. Below 50 numbers but smaller fish 

[WRB]

Big bass have learned not to chase smaller bait fish, the effort isn’t worth calories burned...still hunger.

If the lake has an abundance of larger high protein bait fish easy to eat then swimbaits that replicate that prey source is a good. 

If the bass are being bombarded by big swimbaits they tend to avoid them. 

Out west Rainbow trout are planted when the water temps drop to 60 degrees or lower, nothing has higher protein or easier to eat for big bass. That era is over in SoCal.

Crawdads however continue to be the high protein prey everywhere and jigs replicate crawdads.

Simple choice.

Tom

[Mr. Aquarium]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

Big bass have learned not to chase smaller bait fish, the effort isn’t worth calories burned...still hunger.

If the lake has an abundance of larger high protein bait fish easy to eat then swimbaits that replicate that prey source is a good. 

If the bass are being bombarded by big swimbaits they tend to avoid them. 

Out west Rainbow trout are planted when the water temps drop to 60 degrees or lower, nothing has higher protein or easier to eat for big bass. That era is over in SoCal.

Crawdads however continue to be the high protein prey everywhere and jigs replicate crawdads.

Simple choice.

Tom

Lot of sea run herring out this way. But they move back out to see in the summer. So they aren’t around as much in the lakes and ponds. It’s all fry now.  We also have perch trout, sunfish and shiners

[WRB]

The big bass see what looks like+prey the feed in the seasonal period doesn’t matter. 

Hudd top hook 68 ROF 12 in black shad looks close enough  to herring to work if you have swimbait tackle.

I would fish swimbaits between 11A-2P bright sunny days with light wind. Jigs as mentioned everyday regardless of the weather.

Tom

[AlabamaSpothunter]

42 minutes ago, WRB said:

The big bass see what looks like+prey the feed in the seasonal period doesn’t matter. 

Hudd top hook 68 ROF 12 in black shad looks close enough  to herring to work if you have swimbait tackle.

I would fish swimbaits between 11A-2P bright sunny days with light wind. Jigs as mentioned everyday regardless of the weather.

Tom

Tom, were any or all of those fish if you avatar winter/pre spawn catches?  I was listening to Doug Hannon say LGM Bass aren't at their heaviest until Summer, and pointed out the WR and Smallie WR both being taken during Summer.   This goes against everything I've heard.....I thought winter/pre spawn was when these fish are their heaviest.

[WRB]

All caught between January to March during pre spawn.

The giant females are older fish near the end of their growth cycle. The 19.3 was a old bass and more then likely close to WR weight 2 years earlier.

Spawning is hard on old female bass and takes time to recover if the do recover. During the summer they do put on weight and some of that weight is growing eggs.

I believe the major growth time is between 10 to 12 years old in SoCal where they live about 15 years old.

Tom

[Mr. Aquarium]

9 hours ago, WRB said:

The big bass see what looks like+prey the feed in the seasonal period doesn’t matter. 

Hudd top hook 68 ROF 12 in black shad looks close enough  to herring to work if you have swimbait tackle.

I would fish swimbaits between 11A-2P bright sunny days with light wind. Jigs as mentioned everyday regardless of the weather.

Tom

I fish swimbaits alot big swimbaits!  An 8 inch hudd works well in winter 

9 hours ago, WRB said:

All caught between January to March during pre spawn.

The giant females are older fish near the end of their growth cycle. The 19.3 was a old bass and more then likely close to WR weight 2 years earlier.

Spawning is hard on old female bass and takes time to recover if the do recover. During the summer they do put on weight and some of that weight is growing eggs.

I believe the major growth time is between 10 to 12 years old in SoCal where they live about 15 years old.

Tom

Our pre spawn in march and April that’s when it’s my time to shine.    Water at or around 40

[Bluebasser86]

Jerkbaits and flatsided cranks are my 2 main baits of choice during the winter months and account for lots of big fish into the 7lb range. I'm also in the group that my numbers go way down in winter, but size goes way up.