Welp water temps have dropped to 40ish...whats your favorite lmb lure/presentation

[Catt]

Strike King's Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Jig 3/4 oz Black-n-Blue, Rage Tail Craw Blue Sapphire 

 

Creek channels & drains 😉

[bishoptf]

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

That looks like textbook balls of bait to me.      You're likely correct about the Threadfin, as they'll die off starting in the low 40s.    Crappie will stack up more vertically, with a bit more space in b/t the returns.   

 

You're certainly on the right track being around those areas.     One thing I always try to remember in the winter as a general rule is that you can find bait without Bass, but you can't find Bass without bait.    Many times including yesterday I'll see what your seeing on sonar, lots of bait without Bass feeding on them.......which just tells me I missed the feeding window or they're just not actively feeding.    

 

On the other hand, every single one of my epic days in the winter was around huge swaths of baits.   Literally every single time.    I've never had a magical day where I was catching fish without bait nearby.    In your videos, I didn't see much in the way of Bass, might have been some small ones in the last video.     Either way if that were me reading it, my interpretation would be lots of bait, no Bass.     

 

When you see 'spaghetti' above or below those bait balls, it's going down like donkey kong.    That's when they are absolutely fired up down there screaming through the bait.   Other times you'll see them on the edges of the bait stacked up like sharks circling their prey.

 

Below are screenshots from days where I smashed them

 

Yeah I'm still not sure I have my gain on my 2d dialed in, since most of it is just big blobs, lol. One of the problems I have is that there is bait EVERYWHERE, thats an exaggeration but there is lots of bait in different places, makes it hard for me to know where to concentrate. Sounds like at least I am on the right track, I think FFS would make things somewhat easier once you find the bait to see if there are any active bass around but sounds like I should be able to see them on 2d also. Planning on going out tomorrow since its been several warm days in a row, will see if I can figure things out or at least catch one, lol. 

22 minutes ago, Catt said:

Strike King's Hack Attack Fluorocarbon Jig 3/4 oz Black-n-Blue, Rage Tail Craw Blue Sapphire 

 

Creek channels & drains 😉

Yeah thats the problem with this lake there really are no creek channels per se or drains that I can see. I might have found one yesterday but need to do more graphing and see. Its pretty much a bowl of a lake, and fairly shallow throughout the lake. There are some humps but really no structure on the humps, even the points are not well defined. I am towards the dam where the deeper part of the lake is, even then I think the deepest part is mid twenties.

 

I tried a finesse jig yesterday but maybe I need to put something heavier on like you mention.

[bishoptf]

So I guess the best bait to throw around the bait to just see if anything is home would be a spoon or maybe a little george bait?

[FishTax]

I've never seen a setup I wouldn't throw some sort of a jig at. Which jig and how to present it is the question  

[Choporoz]

It is easiest to eliminate water when it is calm.   Bait balls over active bass always makes for 'nervous water'.  Feeding Crappie can do it, too, but not sustained like bass in my experience.   

[WRB]

We have both Western and Piedbill Grebes that feed on Threadfin Shad. Bird watching is the easiest choice to located Shad. The Western Grebes is white and the size of Loons, easy to see. The smaller buff ball size Piedbill tends to work the shore line shallower water. 
Water that drops bellow 50 degrees causes the Shad to go deeper to find warmer water.

Lots of game fish feed on Threadfin Shad, bass are usually under the school.

3” structure spoons with chicken feathered hook is my go to lure for deeper Shad schools followed by tail spins.

Tom

 

 

[FryDog62]

Here’s one of my favorites …  3/8 oz in 15 feet or less water, 1/2 oz deeper than that.

 

[bishoptf]

1 hour ago, FryDog62 said:

Here’s one of my favorites …  3/8 oz in 15 feet or less water, 1/2 oz deeper than that.

 

I have a blade bait tied on, 1/2oz and one of the things i threw before my latest outing when I saw all the bait fish. I snagged a 10lb catfish. Not sure if he tried to hit the bait or what happened but he was snagged in the side.  

[gim]

Wait until it warms back up.  That's coming next week.

 

 

[bishoptf]

6 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Wait until it warms back up.  That's coming next week.

 

 

Yup I saw that for later this week, althought today is mid 60 but gusting to 25. Tomorrow will be mid 50 and light wind, going to go out tomorrow since it may be until after Christmas before it warms up again. I havent been catching much but will do more graphing and at least try to learn something.

[FryDog62]

34 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Wait until it warms back up.  That's coming next week.

Here’s pretty much the weather forecast for the rest of the winter:

[bishoptf]

14 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Here’s pretty much the weather forecast for the rest of the winter:

Yeah but where is circled as never forgets about all those hurricanes that come through...I dunno I'd prefer somewhere thats not hot or cold, just right in the middle,lol.

[FryDog62]

1 hour ago, bishoptf said:

Yeah but where is circled as never forgets about all those hurricanes that come through...I dunno I'd prefer somewhere thats not hot or cold, just right in the middle,lol.

Never hurricanes there in the winter. Warmest winter spot in the lower 48. I have friends that go to Scottsdale and Palm Springs and freeze in Dec-Feb.. then I remind them that Fort Myers/Naples is 500 miles further south on a latitude line. 

[bishoptf]

5 minutes ago, FryDog62 said:

Never hurricanes there in the winter. Warmest winter spot in the lower 48. I have friends that go to Scottsdale and Palm Springs and freeze in Dec-Feb.. then I remind them that Fort Myers/Naples is 500 miles further south on a latitude line. 

Yeah its just September through November...but agree next couple of months down there will be pretty nice.

[FryDog62]

26 minutes ago, bishoptf said:

Yeah its just September through November...but agree next couple of months down there will be pretty nice.

I hear ya… I moved from Florida in August to South Carolina - just in time to get hit by Helene in September ! 

[papajoe222]

On 12/15/2024 at 10:29 AM, bishoptf said:

I have virtually most all of the lures mentioned but main issue is to know when to change and where to concentrate.

You're basically fishing for active fish, from what you've posted. What you need to accept and commit to memory is; In water that's less than 40 degrees, not only are bass only active for very short periods, they don't need to consume much when they do eat.  Acknowledging these two facts, presentations geared to feeding, or active fish rarely produce. If they're your first choice and you don't contact active/feeding bass, it's time to switch gears and slow down. Concentrate on solid structural elements where you've marked fish. 

[bishoptf]

Not sure what you mean by solid structural elements, lake it pretty devoid of structure, it's a man made community lake and more like a bowl. Going to do some more idling around and graphing and see if the bait has changed from where I saw them last time. Actually has been pretty warm last few days, but I need to idle some more areas and just see where the bait fish are in different parts of the lake. I tend to want to fish vs graph and need to do more graphing then what I have been doing so this will be good experience and try to figure things out. 

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings and Happy Holidays All,

 

I'm gratified to review all the information presented. It is interesting that the chart presented in the original post, there is mention of a jig that is common to all conditions.

 

I use a jig frequently and find it successful throughout the year. While there is not much deliberate change to the jig configuration I use, there are presentation considerations, adaptations, based on environment. The general water temperature is a significant factor for the character of my presentation.

 

During the colder times a much relaxed pace with more pause than movement is helpful. This is just a general pattern that has been successful. Mainly to make the jig (bait) a convenient, easy, target for a strike.

 

Wishing all much angling success. Also, Happy Holidays! Be well, and Cheers!

[WRB]

When I discuss seasonal water temps it’s at the depth bass are acclimated to not surface temps.

When putting together Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar it took years of measuring the temperature of the bass and the water at the depth they were caught in, it was the same.

I used a Dark Industry temperature probe with 50’ of wire marked every 5’. The temperate was nearly instant reading on analog meter battery powered.

The data showed how deep and where the bass preferred to be as the water went from cold period below 45 degrees and where they were as the water warmed to 55 degrees and started to stage before moving shallower to spawn  about 3-5’ deep at 62 to 67 degrees. 
I realized bass were predicable based on water temperature seasonal periods and made my Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar for a seminar in 1974. 50 years later nothing changed with bass behavior or seasonal periods .

Factors that couldn’t be over looked was photoperiod didn’t affect the start of spawning as I assumed.  Big Bear lake is 100 miles south of lake Casitas and freezes over. The bass at Big Bear started their spawn cycle at the same 62 water temps although in May or June in lieu of February or March at Casitas. Both lakes are in the same photo period with very different climates.

Tom

[Catt]

[bishoptf]

5 hours ago, WRB said:

When I discuss seasonal water temps it’s at the depth bass are acclimated to not surface temps.

When putting together Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar it took years of measuring the temperature of the bass and the water at the depth they were caught in, it was the same.

I used a Dark Industry temperature probe with 50’ of wire marked every 5’. The temperate was nearly instant reading on analog meter battery powered.

The data showed how deep and where the bass preferred to be as the water went from cold period below 45 degrees and where they were as the water warmed to 55 degrees and started to stage before moving shallower to spawn  about 3-5’ deep at 62 to 67 degrees. 
I realized bass were predicable based on water temperature seasonal periods and made my Cosmic Clock and Bass Calendar for a seminar in 1974. 50 years later nothing changed with bass behavior or seasonal periods .

Factors that couldn’t be over looked was photoperiod didn’t affect the start of spawning as I assumed.  Big Bear lake is 100 miles south of lake Casitas and freezes over. The bass at Big Bear started their spawn cycle at the same 62 water temps although in May or June in lieu of February or March at Casitas. Both lakes are in the same photo period with very different climates.

Tom

I have a copy of your Cosmic Clock but I am still not sure I know how to properly read it, there is a lot of information documented on the clock. Do you have a link to where yourself or someone goes into detail as to how to  interpret the clock?

5 hours ago, Catt said:

lol, show off...although it will be a wee bit warmer come spring time and summer

[WRB]

Do you have my instruction pages?

If not I will email to you.

Tom

[bishoptf]

Well another day and another strike out...although it was a super nice day to be on the water, mid 50's just a slight breeze and sunny just an awesome day. Learned a little bit at least I think I did in relation to the shad. Last time I was out and the water was colder I saw the shad further out in the main lake. Today I noticed on my graphs that they had moved further back into one of the arms, water was almost 3 degrees warmer today. Last time I was out it was 39 and today in some areas it was hitting 42. The shad on the previous outing were out in 15-20ft of water and today in the back of one of the cove were in less than 10ft of water. Lots and lots of shad, pretty sure there were bass in the area but I could not muster a strike.

 

Here is what I threw at them today, jigging spoon, flickershad, lippless crankbait, tail spinner, a-rig, berkley finisher, single swimbait and threw a spinner bait a little bit. Interestingly enough when fishing the flickershad back in one of the fingers the shad were so thick that I snagged 2 of the shad on 2 different casts. Pretty sure they are gizard shad and have attached the pictures to show the size and the swimbait that I think is a pretty close match.

 

I think the next time I go out maybe I will just throw a ned rig,...maybe then I can catch something, lol. Won't probably get back out until after Christmas, cold frint coming through next couple of days and going to cool back down. Will wait for a few warmer days and go out again.

 

Appreciate all the suggestions, maybe one of these trips will be able to put something together and catch some.

[bishoptf]

26 minutes ago, WRB said:

Do you have my instruction pages?

If not I will email to you.

Tom

I  do have them, all three pages, still a lot to take in, lots of rings...I defiantly am finding the baitfish and see other fish, not sure if its bass or not but the lake has lots of shad. Need to do some more graphing different parts of the lake, the upper end of the lake which is more shallow I was surprised was little bit warmer and more stained then the lower end where I was seeing most of the shad.

[DogBone_384]

Today’s winning bait was a 4” Senko, sitting still.