Winter Fishing Love Thread

[Pat Brown]

The leaves are coming down.  The boat rental services are starting to shutter their doors.  The weekend warriors have been off chasing deer for a couple months now.  I am starting to catch fish on lipless crankbaits and jerkbaits.

 

Here in NC, winter fishing is just getting ready to launch and this is a thread like the 'what do we love about fall fishing?' But for winter.

 

Here in the south, we get to look forward to big schools of bass that bite on every cast and the chance at catching the biggest bass in the lake while they're full and fat bellied.  Less boats on the water.  Less fishing pressure.  Reaction baits.  When I'm bank fishing I can bring one rod and a small box with 3 or four lures in it and my scale.  No more junk fishing.  No more slow fishing.  No more waking up SUPER EARLY or staying SUPER LATE for a bite.

 

For us southern anglers, it's kinda bass fishing heaven.

 

Here is the thread for that.  Share your excitement, your enthusiasm, your stories and maybe your goals for this winter!

 

Who else thinks winter is the secret best season for bass?

 

❄️🌨️🎣

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Right there with you buddy, December, January and February are peak Bass fishing for me.   

 

Now delete this thread before people abandon their tree stands, and comfy warm recliners 😁

 

This describes it perfectly, nothing I can add to this:

 

" Here in the south, we get to look forward to big schools of bass that bite on every cast and the chance at catching the biggest bass in the lake while they're full and fat bellied.  Less boats on the water.  Less fishing pressure.  Reaction baits.  When I'm bank fishing I can bring one rod and a small box with 3 or four lures in it and my scale.  No more junk fishing.  No more slow fishing.  No more waking up SUPER EARLY or staying SUPER LATE for a bite."

[LrgmouthShad]

Winter fishing is an extremely special time for me. It is indeed probably my favorite time to fish. My catch rates are generally lower but the quality is there and I just have this thing for fishing in the cold. I love it

[Pat Brown]

5 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Right there with you buddy, December, January and February are peak Bass fishing for me.   

 

Now delete this thread before people abandon their tree stands, and comfy warm recliners 😁

 

This describes it perfectly, nothing I can add to this:

 

" Here in the south, we get to look forward to big schools of bass that bite on every cast and the chance at catching the biggest bass in the lake while they're full and fat bellied.  Less boats on the water.  Less fishing pressure.  Reaction baits.  When I'm bank fishing I can bring one rod and a small box with 3 or four lures in it and my scale.  No more junk fishing.  No more slow fishing.  No more waking up SUPER EARLY or staying SUPER LATE for a bite."

 

 

Usually it starts in December for me too but this year all the bass are accelerating rapidly through their seasonal shifts.  I can't explain it.  The temps are still low 60s but the bass are already acting wintery.  They were acting fally in August and I took a hit on catch rates before I figured that out.

 

It's weird.  This past year they spawned in January too so I feel like they just are on a weird schedule in NC on account of sun angles or something.  Hard to explain but its getting to be quicker every year and long before the temps 'catch up'

[greentrout]

Anthony Denny caught the state record bass on New Year's Eve of 1992 at Natchez State Park. Did his 18.15-pounder raise the bar too far? - Mississippi Sportsman (ms-sportsman.com)

[Pogues2300]

I live in Minnesota and not a fan of ice fishing. I think I may need to pay a visit for the first time down south this winter with my kayak and break up the routine lol. 

[LrgmouthShad]

10 minutes ago, Pogues2300 said:

I think I may need to pay a visit for the first time down south this winter with my kayak and break up the routine lol. 

 

13 minutes ago, greentrout said:

Anthony Denny caught the state record bass on New Year's Eve of 1992 at Natchez State Park. Did his 18.15-pounder raise the bar too far? - Mississippi Sportsman (ms-sportsman.com)

I think if I could pick a month that is the most underrated month to fish in down South, it would be December. But naturally, we get caught up in the Holidays. 
 

I caught my PB in December also

[Mike L]

All avid anglers down here live for early November to late April. 
Thats when the big sticks come out more often and get the most use. 
Everything you’ve done all summer leads up to it. 
More money is spent now on upgrading, cleaning, repairing and topping off inventories than any other time of the year. 

Some lakes are different in location and certain bait choice's to establish patterns, but it’s also more predictable if you pay attention. 
 

Down here almost anywhere you go you have more opportunities to upgrade your PB with any cast.
 If you commit to learn the waters you’re on, the impact of certain weather condition's, dialing in your bait choices and most importantly fine tune different presentation's based on all the variables, “winter” fishing in central to south Florida can be your most productive time of the year. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

 

[Functional]

my 2 largest bass I've ever caught have come at the end of November and beginning of February. I love when the leaves change and the water goes glass still and its like fishing in a Bob Ross painting. 

 

My struggle comes between balancing my time in a tree stand, time in my boat and time with my family. While I'll love doing any of the 3 I will always have FOMO for the other 2 I am not doing. 

[TnRiver46]

Dec 27th

[Pat Brown]

2 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Dec 27th

 

 

Did you get it on a new Christmas present lure?!?!  That sure would be exciting!

[TnRiver46]

3 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

 

 

Did you get it on a new Christmas present lure?!?!  That sure would be exciting!

Nah just a regular ole silver buddy 

[Susky River Rat]

Guides, line, reels freezing. Boat icing up. Crazy wind. Water temps hovering around freezing. Stupid slow bite.  I’ll pass for winter fishing unless it’s ice fishing.

[LrgmouthShad]

42 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Dec 27th

December 17th, 2020. Gosh this is when I was still wearing glasses, using the old BPS scale, riding in the old paddle yak, and putting fish in the lap of my sweatpants.

 

Gosh, I was dumb 😆

[TnRiver46]

31 minutes ago, Darnold335 said:

Guides, line, reels freezing. Boat icing up. Crazy wind. Water temps hovering around freezing. Stupid slow bite.  I’ll pass for winter fishing unless it’s ice fishing.

Sounds like you might just want to fly south a few clicks 

 

@LrgmouthShad, who cares about janky when it says 9-9!

[Carolina Pines]

Another NC member here... like y'all I catch most of my biggest fish during the winter.  We get a lot of mild overcast days mixed in with the cold windy days.  Those days are when the fishing really turns on.  

 

I've had a couple of 100+ fish days during the winter, it seemed like almost every cast you could expect a bite.  It's absolutely awesome until you wake up the next day with a sore back from reeling them all in!

 

One of my most memorable winter fishing trips happened last year, my buddy and I found a massive school of 3-5 pounders and they stayed in the same place all afternoon.  We caught fish after fish, they were hitting topwater like nothing I've ever seen before.  The lake was like a war zone.  We both caught over 50 fish each.  We were wondering who would be the first to get a giant but neither of us did somehow, nothing we caught was over 5 that day. 

 

In my area they're still transitioning out of the fall pattern.  I haven't gotten a ton of jerkbait action yet, but I can feel it coming...  Spinnerbaits have been producing good numbers of fish but nothing of much size yet.  That will likely change as we get closer to December. 

[Bird]

I'll be in our hunting cabin for most of November but will be back on the water in December.

I just play the weather game and look for the warmest days and target the afternoons.

I just love fishing in general but April has always been the most productive month around here for bigger fish.

[Catt]

Creek channels, timber, with a Jig-n-Craw 

 

Last week of December - February 

[river-rat]

Mid December through February will usually find me with two jig rods and a spinner bait with a #7 willow leaf tied on. 

[LrgmouthShad]

8 minutes ago, riverat said:

Mid December through February will usually find me with two jig rods and a spinner bait with a #7 willow leaf tied on. 

Told you, @king fisher

 

I have no more comments

🤐

[ironbjorn]

*cries in Great Lakes*

[Bankbeater]

If the water is not frozen and I don't have to work then I will be out on the water.  I can actually fish more hours in the winter since I don't have any yard work to take care of.

[LrgmouthShad]

1 minute ago, Bankbeater said:

If the water is not frozen and I don't have to work then I will be out on the water.  I can actually fish more hours in the winter since I don't have any yard work to take care of.

Winter fishing in Missouri was a whole different ball game for me. Like you say, there’s a question of if the water is going to be frozen or not, because you don’t know. That water is really cold regardless. I also had to downsize to get bit. The whole big bait mentality during the winter just didn’t seem to work over there. Would you agree?
 

Missouri fishes a little different 

[Susky River Rat]

@TnRiver46 I’d love to go south 

[Woody B]

I love Winter fishing.  I love fishing year round but really like it when I have the lake to myself.   I struggle when the water is under 50 degrees, and muddy.   I'm looking forward to figuring that out this year.   

 

My PB spotted bass was last Winter.  (4 lbs 15 ounces).  My previous PB spot was the winter before.