Help Needed: How do I Catch Florida Bass in the Winter?

[Buzzbaiter]

Since moving to Florida, I haven’t spent a ton of time targeting black bass. My last bass fishing trip was in early November, and the temps have dropped quite a bit since then. Recently, I dedicated some time trying to figure out how to catch Florida bass in the winter, but with no luck.  The problem is that I have no clue what the fish are doing, how eager they are to bite this time of year, how they react to changes in conditions, or where they even are. 
 

I would imagine that the fish are prespawn right now, and are relating to warmer water (i.e., sloughs, springs, and shallower water). I would also assume that they’ve moved out of current in favor of slower water. As far as baits, I’ve mostly been junk fishing trying to put something together. I’ve tried worms, craws, creatures, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, and senkos. Do I have the right idea, or am I off base? These fish are confounding me, and I’m about ready to drive all the way to the panhandle to catch some northern largemouth or Choctaw bass instead (assuming that they’re more tolerant of cooler water). How do you Florida folk fish during the winter?

 

Edit:

 

Also wanted to add that I’m fishing nontidal rivers in central Florida. I don’t know the water temp, but we’ve mostly had ~40* nights and ~60* days, plus the occasional warm and cold fronts. The water is tannic, and the main baitfish (to my knowledge) are sunfish, although there are also mullet that run up the river. Crawfish also seem to be a big part of the diet here.

Edited January 14, 2024 by Buzzbaiter

[geo g]

I have been catching bass everyday in the Everglades and the surrounding areas.  Because the weather has been cool for Florida,  with 60* water temps, our Florida stain bass become reluctant to go chasing fast moving baits.   Almost all my bites have been on Senkos, Super Flukes, and Trick Worms, Texas Rigged weightless with #4 EGW hooks.  This provides a slow fall through the water column giving reluctant bass a good look at what has entered their territory.  I will tickle the top of the bottom grasses with small jerks of the rod tip, then long pauses.  They seem to be hanging either in thick shallow cover, or at the first major depth change close to that cover.  Most bites have been deep at the bottom of the ledge.   Be a line watcher, taking up line with the slightest sight of any line movement.   Lots of bites are either on the initial fall, or during the pauses.

This has been my best method of catching, since the colder weather moved in.  Fish slow, and give them a good look at the bait.  I hope this helps, patience is the key.

[GRiver]

I fish the St. John’s River area, I’ve noticed they have moved shallow in early mornings. Maybe to get the early sunshine, for a little heat. I haven’t fish much past noon lately.

Ribbon or curly tail with a little or no weight that  I can get away. 
All have been small fish, calling them dinks would be boasting. Been loosing a lot of tails on the bait, I’m guessing their to small to make it to the hook. 

[The Bassman]

Aren't shiners a winter thing in Fla?

[SC53]

Sounds to me like you are fishing the St. John’s river around Central Florida based on your “non tidal.river” comment. By that I mean south of SR 40 to the headwaters down south. If so, the river is way over the banks right now and the current is ripping. In most areas, the bass are going to be beyond the banks (up into the woods or pastures) in most places until the river comes back down inside the banks. In my area, DeBary, you can’t get to them in the woods.

Once the river comes back down and the current subsides, you’ll have better luck.  The usual baits will work and the normal bass targets such as pads and lay downs.

The water temps here are in the upper 50’s and will come down even more in the next couple of weeks. 

[Pat Brown]

I feel like shiners are on the menu 365 days a year.  I feel like in Florida - or even when you have a body of water that your DNR stocks with Florida bass, you're really looking for stable conditions.

 

They can be bad conditions or good conditions but you want 3-4 days of consecutive weather that doesn't change a lot.

 

That can be VERY hard to come by this time of year which can make the shallow bite very inconsistent.

 

I see the most fish in the shallows - swimming away from my baits as soon as they are detected in the extremely muddy cold water -very early and late in the day.  In the middle of the day they seem to move out deeper, I presume messing with bait schools.

[Captain Phil]

Florida strain largemouth bass are affected more by low temperatures than their northern counterparts.   When water temps drop below 50, they can seem to disappear.   Soaking live shiners is one way to catch them consistently under these conditions.  Another way is to fish wood.  It is believed that wood holds heat which makes the fish more active.  These are the times when fishing residential canals pays off.   Running water is also a plus.  You will catch more fish in the middle of the day than in the darker periods.  Flipping heavy cover is my choice.   It takes patience, but it works. 

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

even when you have a body of water that your DNR stocks with Florida bass, you're really looking for stable conditions.

 

They can be bad conditions or good conditions but you want 3-4 days of consecutive weather that doesn't change a lot.

 

 

[crypt]

flip,flip and flip again.   then when that don't work throw a trap.......

if you choose to throw artificial. otherwise shiner are the best bet.

[roadwarrior]

3 hours ago, crypt said:

otherwise shiner are the best bet.

[N Florida Mike]

I’d agree with all of this. 

Id fish spring runs this time of year. There are several of them that connect to lake George.  Fish soft plastics SLOW. Or shiners…😉

[GRiver]

I agree with @N Florida Mike Salt Run and the Glenn are spring feed. The water stays pretty much the the same temp all year. The Ocklawaha too, but a lot of traffic on them too.

[Don51]

Slow, slow, slow! Cold fronts have been relentless. As stated, they will not chase fast moving baits. Drag plastics. Good luck. 

[Zcoker]

Your opening line about hardly fishing for black bass says a lot. You gotta put in the time. Try moving around. You already said that you’re about ready to head over to the Panhandle. Gotta hunt the fish down and play them out. Takes time to do that, sometimes all day or all night or even many miles. Bite windows can be very spread out and happen very quickly when it’s colder out. They turn on for a few minutes and then disappear—poof! So being in the right place at the right time and ready to cast or punch is half the battle. Fish the warming trends. Slow is a good method but not necessarily a rule. I pretty much fish the same way I always do and still catch decent fish. Just need to figure out where the fish are at and what the fish want and then put in the time to catch them. That’s the secret that you’re looking for. They’re still gonna eat regardless of anything. 

[Silversailor]

I’m new to Englewood and bass fishing. Looking for a guide in my area. Suggestions? Thanks. 

[Mike L]

54 minutes ago, Silversailor said:

I’m new to Englewood and bass fishing. Looking for a guide in my area. Suggestions? Thanks. 

There are many salt water charter Captains around here but no exclusive Bass guides locally that I’m aware of. 
 

Most of the bass fishing are in the local canals, Shell Creek, 9 mile (coco plum waterway). 
 

If you want a bass specific one you need to fish our lakes where there are dozens. 
 

 

 

 

Mike
 

[N Florida Mike]

15 hours ago, GRiver said:

I agree with @N Florida Mike Salt Run and the Glenn are spring feed. The water stays pretty much the the same temp all year. The Ocklawaha too, but a lot of traffic on them too.

The Ocklawaha is a great choice. Can’t believe I didn’t think of it. Shiners on the outside edge of pads are killer in there! Wish I could go.

[Catt]

17 hours ago, GRiver said:

The Ocklawaha

 

1 hour ago, N Florida Mike said:

The Ocklawaha

 

What are the odds!

 

Of the several trips to Florida, I was staying with friends in Inverness. We fished The Ocklawaha 3 times. 

 

That area of Florida is very similar to South Louisiana, just deeper. 

[Nitro 882]

I have heard for years about fishing very sloooooow for bass during the many cold fronts that come through Florida in the winter. Well, just to add to the confusion surrounding the subject, I fished for about 4 hours one morning last week very sloooow with a t-rigged black/blue w/ blue tail stick bait. Not a sniff. About 3/4 the way back to the boat on one cast I, being increasingly frustrated, reeled the bait in very faaaast and a fish blew up on it right at the boat. Hmmm, I thought. I picked up a rod off the deck rigged with a weightless U-Vibe Magnum Speed Worm and began buzzing it across the surface. Caught 4 nice 2 to 3 lb'ers in the next hour. 

My experience concludes that if the fish are in a feeding mode they will take your slowly presented offerings. If they are NOT feeding aggressively, you can get them to react to fast moving baits that make a lot of commotion.

That's all i got to say 'bout dat.

[TOXIC]

Well, we’re gonna find out soon enough.  Heading to Headwaters this Friday and although it’s not a river, it is affected by the same cold fronts.  Personal intel says they are moving up on the beds now.  With the warm weather predicted for the entire week we are there, I’m giddy about the possibilities.  

[crypt]

caught 5 this morning on a Bomber jerk bait in 20 mph north winds and 50 degree temps. cold front over the last 2 days slowed it down a bit but the fish seemed to adjust nicely.  will be at Headwaters on Saturday. temps should be back up to 80 ish .....  

[Zcoker]

1 hour ago, Nitro 882 said:

I have heard for years about fishing very sloooooow for bass during the many cold fronts that come through Florida in the winter. Well, just to add to the confusion surrounding the subject, I fished for about 4 hours one morning last week very sloooow with a t-rigged black/blue w/ blue tail stick bait. Not a sniff. About 3/4 the way back to the boat on one cast I, being increasingly frustrated, reeled the bait in very faaaast and a fish blew up on it right at the boat. Hmmm, I thought. I picked up a rod off the deck rigged with a weightless U-Vibe Magnum Speed Worm and began buzzing it across the surface. Caught 4 nice 2 to 3 lb'ers in the next hour. 

My experience concludes that if the fish are in a feeding mode they will take your slowly presented offerings. If they are NOT feeding aggressively, you can get them to react to fast moving baits that make a lot of commotion.

That's all i got to say 'bout dat.

 

This is exactly what I mentioned in my post earlier up "Slow is a good method but not necessarily a rule."Gotta figure the fish out for any given situation, just like you did. Sometimes they want slow, sometimes fast, sometimes they don't want nothing at all. But at least be willing to bend those rules, thinking outside of the box to get those strikes. I've broken many so called rules when it comes to bass fishing with surprising results.  

[SC53]

Toxic, I don’t want to jinx you but I think you are hitting it right with this week’s weather. The warming trend starts today and runs into next week.

 

As for fishing slow in winter here, that’s not always thee case as you found out.  Yes it works a lot but sometimes you need to go to reaction baits to get them to bite.

A perfect case in point is last weeks MLF College tournament on the Kissimmee chain.  The winning team fished lake Kissimmee with speed worms, chatterbaits and rattletrap type baits including an 11+ on the trap bait.

[TOXIC]

4 hours ago, SC53 said:

Toxic, I don’t want to jinx you but I think you are hitting it right with this week’s weather. The warming trend starts today and runs into next week.

 

Not a jinx by any means.  We’ve had friends out there the last 2 weeks and they say the same thing.  It’s the exact pattern we try to hit when we go to St Clair the end of May.  In 20 years we have hit it perfect just 1 time and were catching 100 per day in the 3-5lb range.  As for Headwaters, we are obviously going for trophy largemouths on the same pattern.  

[Mike L]

@TOXIC

 Don’t forget the big stick!!

 

The last time there were a few warm days between fronts almost everything worked 

If you keep moving. 
Now, there are more on beds. 

I sight fish more than most.
If water is clear enough and you’re not competing with other nearby boats, a Trophy is definitely possible 

 

Good Luck

 

 

 

 

Mike