Do winter rules apply everywhere?

[Scherbacj]

For those with a lot more experience than me, do winter rules really apply everywhere? I live in AZ, last weekend the water temps were 55-60F, I started off following the advice for Winter fishing and wasn’t finding any bait, hi or low, so I threw it out the window, went far up the creek channel to shallow water and started casting at cover on the bank and caught a bunch of fish when everyone else didn’t. Only a couple were decent size, but when everyone else caught a couple, I caught close to 20 in a 1/8 mile stretch of bank that everything said fish shouldn’t be there. 
 

So my questions is, do seasonal changes apply across the board? Yes, the water is colder, but it doesn’t match up to most peoples winter water temps. If my waters never get down that cold, will fish really go deep? I thought it was the change in temp that controlled their movements more than the overall water temp, but from what I have seen the last couple weeks, the fish aren’t all going deep and slowing down. Will it only happen below a certain water temp regardless of how slow that change comes? 

[Big Hands]

Those kind of "rules" are meant to be broken. If bass always followed the rules, it wouldn't be so intriguing to catch them reliably. 

[gim]

No. I’ve stated this before but one of the (very few) negatives on this forum is that we have posters all over North America. Bass behave differently in Michigan than they do in Texas. Northern strain are also different than Florida strain. Then there’s smallmouth too.

 

What someone says is working in North Carolina should be taken with a grain of salt by someone fishing in Arizona.

[webertime]

I find speed cranking on Champlain in February to be exceptionally fruitless.  Lots of broken baits from hitting the ice.

[WRB]

I go by seasonal periods water temps and 60-55 degrees indicates “fall “ or transition into the cold water period.

The same water temps followed by the cold water period will be post spawn.

Tom

 

[Mike L]

The rule is you need to learn your own waters. 
Learn how your fish relate to any visible cover and structure that exists. 
Learn how different weather conditions can effect thier movements. 

 

Once you get that figured out any meaningful seasonal changes if any, will be easier to decipher. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

 

[papajoe222]

I wouldn't consider 55-60F winter conditions and maybe that's where your thinking took you, In most of the south, bass would be chasing baitfish and up creek arms is a prime area to find them.  In your neck of the woods, I doubt water temps will get much below 50 and until they do, keep an open mind about fish location. After all, you have to find them before you catch them.

[Scherbacj]

2 hours ago, Mike L said:

The rule is you need to learn your own waters. 
Learn how your fish relate to any visible cover and structure that exists. 
Learn how different weather conditions can effect thier movements. 

 

Once you get that figured out any meaningful seasonal changes if any, will be easier to decipher. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

 

The other thing that made last weekend more fun was they were letting water in, so from one week to the next the lake was up 10 feet, and they are going to continue until Wednesday at about 2ft a day. The weeks previous I knew fish were chasing bait up creek, but after they let the water in, the bait was GONE! I didn’t see any bait all day. That also makes the “knowing your waters” a little harder, this lake can go from 40ft below full pool to 10ft below full pool in pretty short time. I’ve been marking the cover I can see because it had been down 40ft so when the water goes up, I’ll have a better idea of where things are. And yes, knowing your waters is great, but I’ve only had my boat for 2 months, haven’t had time for that yet, that’s why I was trying to follow some of the “guidelines” of bass fishing. 

[GreenPig]

Rules? My fish clearly are illiterate. 

[WRB]

If you can walk on the water it’s frozen and winter bass fishing should be closed.

Tom

[Mike L]

6 hours ago, Scherbacj said:

The other thing that made last weekend more fun was they were letting water in, so from one week to the next the lake was up 10 feet, and they are going to continue until Wednesday at about 2ft a day. The weeks previous I knew fish were chasing bait up creek, but after they let the water in, the bait was GONE! I didn’t see any bait all day. That also makes the “knowing your waters” a little harder, this lake can go from 40ft below full pool to 10ft below full pool in pretty short time. I’ve been marking the cover I can see because it had been down 40ft so when the water goes up, I’ll have a better idea of where things are. And yes, knowing your waters is great, but I’ve only had my boat for 2 months, haven’t had time for that yet, that’s why I was trying to follow some of the “guidelines” of bass fishing. 

Got it

We all come at things from our own perspective, that is what I tried to give. 
 

Other than for a few days after a cold front passes through in winter my waters are pretty stable year round. 
I don’t have as many variables to contend with as you. 

I see your point 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[Catt]

The issue I have with water temperatures is we're reading surface temperatures. Bass don't live on the surface.

 

7 hours ago, Scherbacj said:

that’s why I was trying to follow some of the “guidelines” of bass fishing

 

Learn the structure, learn the cover, learn the baitfish. 

[Swamp Girl]

I just know that no matter what bait I throw, I can't catch a winter bass. I've dragged surface lures, soft plastics, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, and jigs across the ice and didn't even get a hit.

 

Seriously, @gimruis is right. Bass vary by location. I can catch bass in Lakes Michigan and Superior, on the Mississippi, in northwestern Ontario, and Maine, but drop me on a lake in Texas or Arizona and I wouldn't have a clue. Give me enough time in Texas or Arizona and I'll start catching bass, which is @Mike L's point: We all need to take the time to crack our lakes.

 

There's a lake in northwestern Ontario where I've spent months of my life fishing, from four in the morning until last light. 

 

One time, I was fishing in a canoe with my dad. We were both steadily catching smallmouth, including a 21-incher that I landed. A pal was in another canoe about 25 yards away, catching nothing.

 

"They aren't there," I said. "Come fish by us."

 

"How do you know they're not here?" he asked, clearly disbelieving me. 

 

I knew from fishing his spot many times over many years and catching nothing there. Not in June, July, August, September, nor October.

 

So, a HUGE part of fishing is failing on a particular body of water, which is how we learn where they're likely to be and what they're likely to hit. So, when you fish and fail, that was time well-spent. You've learned what not to cast and where not to fish next time. 

 

2 hours ago, Catt said:

learn the cover, learn the baitfish. 

 

Last May, at one lake, I learned that the bass moved into a zombie reed field to chase golden shiners and that for about two weeks before the new reeds emerged, it was game on. The new reeds ended my bassfest because they were so numerous and tough and the bass freed themselves by banging into them. So, all winter long, I'll be thinking about that zombie reed field on that lake and becoming ever more excited to return to it. I learned the cover and learned the baitfish. 

 

When the reeds started to grow, they were still in there and feeding, but harder to catch. Still, I caught quite a few this size before I started losing them on thicker, taller reeds:

 

 

But catching bass in an emerging reed field works on ^this^ lake in Maine in May. I have no clue if it works anywhere else. I got lucky and saw bass chasing shiners in the reeds, which is why I spent many fine mornings there. 

 

[Swamp Girl]

To directly address @Scherbacj's question, I'm guessing that there is a bit of a lull in feeding irrespective of temperature, but I only base this upon southern deciduous trees taking a feeding break even though southern temps don't demand that they do. I know that bass aren't trees, but the rhythms that trees follow (feed by day and grow by night and reboot over the winter to begin again refreshed come spring) might make sense for bass too. However, I've never fished southern bass, so I don't have a clue. @Zcoker might know. He's fishing way south. Same with @king fisher, who's fishing even farther south. King and Z, is there a winter's lull in bass feeding where you fish?

[king fisher]

13 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

@king fisher, who's fishing even farther south. King and Z, is there a winter's lull in bass feeding where you fish?

Yes there is a winter lull where I fish.  I am busy with work and can't find the time to fish for bass during the winter months.  I'm sure the bass are eating and healthy, but I am not able to fish for them.

[A-Jay]

You tell me ~

😎

A-Jay

[Swamp Girl]

@A-Jay: You could be an idiot like me and keep casting. For me, hope springs eternal long before spring.

[A-Jay]

35 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

@A-Jay: You could be an idiot like me and keep casting. For me, hope springs eternal long before spring.

Like this then ?

A-Jay

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings and Happy Holidays All,

 

@Scherbacj Hi from Southern AZ! I'll be taunting fish in your part of AZ soon enough. I'm counting on this warming trend to facilitate success.

 

The old phrase, "your mileage may vary" does come to mind and applies to seasonal, regional, and local influences. Much like with cooking recipes as a guide towards a successful outcome, there are adaptations involved.

 

The various water impoundments on the Salt river provide a different fishing experience than at other locations about AZ for many different reasons. Most are due to the conditions and environments.

 

Down here the differences at Patagonia, Pena Blanca, and Arivaca make things interesting. Sure, dragging a ball and chain contraption is often a good approach. Finding the better places to put that ball and chain can be the difference between simply just casting vs catching. Those lakes don't have the flows like those mentioned on the Salt river. Thus, the fish holding areas appear to be more consistent because of the different environment.

 

My casual recreational style, no electronics, compels me to focus more on what I can see and what is recommended by the volumes of information shared by folks on BassResource and other publications. All that is a guide to facilitate the search.

 

However, there are those times where you find things in places where you didn't expect. I have a short article regarding a LMB found during trout taunting and general goofing off with a spin cast reel. (not a configuration I use frequently, but it was fun to return back to how I started fishing all those many years ago) With that data point I'll expand my understanding and hope to find more colder weather bass.

 

My recent antics have found many small, sub 8 inch bass that were willing to play in the cool waters. I've not found too many of the larger ones that have been motivated. The high desert lakes are on the colder side and then there is the distraction with the recent trout stockings too. The cloud of trout passing by tends to capture my attention from the methodical low and slow pursuit of bass. I end up grabbing the other fishing rig and swimming a soft plastic to hookup on a few trout. Being distracted prevents me finding those bigger bass. I hope to make a focused effort in the days to come, without that work thing getting in the way!

 

Several of the AZ anglers have recent on-line posting, to include YouTube, on their experiences at Alamo, Roosevelt, and Bartlett. Others are simply shifting focus to stripped bass at places like Lake Pleasant. Those are always fun to hookup. I'm a UL angler so any on line is fun!

 

Best fishes to ya in the Holiday season. Enjoy the warm weather while we have it. Be well, and Cheers!

[WRB]

I went to ASU in the early 60’s and fished most of the States bass lakes, Rivers and ponds. Northern AZ Mogollon Rim lakes to Imperial reservoir in the South, Havasu west, very diverse topography and temperature zones.

Salt River lakes are more central Resoovelt  at the top Canyon, Apache and Saguaro. Florida LMB were planted in the Salt River lakes in the 70’s changing those fisheries.

I am not familiar with bass lakes around Tuson. East of Tuson is mountainous west is desert.

It does get cold in AZ mountain areas in the winter, snow and ski resorts, it’s not all hot desert.

Tom

[Scherbacj]

7 hours ago, Fishing_Rod said:

Greetings and Happy Holidays All,

 

@Scherbacj Hi from Southern AZ! I'll be taunting fish in your part of AZ soon enough. I'm counting on this warming trend to facilitate success.

 

The old phrase, "your mileage may vary" does come to mind and applies to seasonal, regional, and local influences. Much like with cooking recipes as a guide towards a successful outcome, there are adaptations involved.

 

The various water impoundments on the Salt river provide a different fishing experience than at other locations about AZ for many different reasons. Most are due to the conditions and environments.

 

Down here the differences at Patagonia, Pena Blanca, and Arivaca make things interesting. Sure, dragging a ball and chain contraption is often a good approach. Finding the better places to put that ball and chain can be the difference between simply just casting vs catching. Those lakes don't have the flows like those mentioned on the Salt river. Thus, the fish holding areas appear to be more consistent because of the different environment.

 

My casual recreational style, no electronics, compels me to focus more on what I can see and what is recommended by the volumes of information shared by folks on BassResource and other publications. All that is a guide to facilitate the search.

 

However, there are those times where you find things in places where you didn't expect. I have a short article regarding a LMB found during trout taunting and general goofing off with a spin cast reel. (not a configuration I use frequently, but it was fun to return back to how I started fishing all those many years ago) With that data point I'll expand my understanding and hope to find more colder weather bass.

 

My recent antics have found many small, sub 8 inch bass that were willing to play in the cool waters. I've not found too many of the larger ones that have been motivated. The high desert lakes are on the colder side and then there is the distraction with the recent trout stockings too. The cloud of trout passing by tends to capture my attention from the methodical low and slow pursuit of bass. I end up grabbing the other fishing rig and swimming a soft plastic to hookup on a few trout. Being distracted prevents me finding those bigger bass. I hope to make a focused effort in the days to come, without that work thing getting in the way!

 

Several of the AZ anglers have recent on-line posting, to include YouTube, on their experiences at Alamo, Roosevelt, and Bartlett. Others are simply shifting focus to stripped bass at places like Lake Pleasant. Those are always fun to hookup. I'm a UL angler so any on line is fun!

 

Best fishes to ya in the Holiday season. Enjoy the warm weather while we have it. Be well, and Cheers!

I didn’t even know that Willow Springs had LMB & SMB until a couple years ago. Until I got the boat it didn’t matter much because if I was fishing those lakes it was with my dad and walking the bank long distances and trying to catch bass doesn’t play well with his old body, but I look forward to being able to fish for them now. 
 

Your remark about the Spin Cast reel makes me smile because I haven’t used one in so long even though my personal best was caught on an old Zebco 33 and a crudely repaired no name pole my grandpa gave me. Even better, it was caught beside my buddies using $300-$400 combos because their parents were tournament fishers. The good old Zebco 33 were bomb proof. In fact, I recently snagged a pole from the bottom of the lake that was covered in years of sediment and algae, it had a Zebco 33 on it &  my dad cleaned it up and oiled it and got it working again just for fun. 
 

Getting back to the original topic, I guess I shouldn’t have been that shocked because I watch a video that said they had success in the winter by fishing both extremes, meaning less than 8ft of water or over 40ft depth, and that on either one the fish will hold next to cover that absorbs heat like large rocks instead of timber or brush piles. And that is exactly where all the fish I caught were at, less than 8ft of water & next to large rocks but NOT big rock walls. I guess the big rock walls don’t cause as much of a warm bubble as a large rock that is sort of seperated from the bank/rock walls where it creates a small area of temp change. I guess I should have seared his observations into my brain a little better so I remembered it on the water instead of 2 days after. 
 

Either way, I appreciate the advice & input of everyone and it’s good to confirm/be reminded that there really isn’t a “formula” for catching bass on any water at any place in the world at any time. 

[Zcoker]

No winter formulas down here in south Florida, just a bunch of fronts that always seem come through on Fridays! Where I fish is very shallow, so any temp drop seems to instantly affect the fish. They’re a bunch clowns who run for the weeds when those temps drop. Lockjaw is the name of the game. I caught a few fish the other day that felt like ice cubes, literally. Seems like they sucked in and retained all the cooler weather. Hard to get them to hit when they’re like that. I’m so used to them annihilating everything I through at them during the summer months. I know better when it gets colder out and save my fishing trips for the warming trends. They’ve thawed out by then and are very very hungry! So it really comes down to timing things after the fronts to get the fish, timing things after the fronts as well as before the fronts. 

[BigAngus752]

1 hour ago, Zcoker said:

No winter formulas down here in south Florida, just a bunch of fronts that always seem come through on Fridays! Where I fish is very shallow, so any temp drop seems to instantly affect the fish. They’re a bunch clowns who run for the weeds when those temps drop. Lockjaw is the name of the game. I caught a few fish the other day that felt like ice cubes, literally. Seems like they sucked in and retained all the cooler weather. Hard to get them to hit when they’re like that. I’m so used to them annihilating everything I through at them during the summer months. I know better when it gets colder out and save my fishing trips for the warming trends. They’ve thawed out by then and are very very hungry! So it really comes down to timing things after the fronts to get the fish, timing things after the fronts as well as before the fronts. 

Hey @Scherbacj read @Zcokerreally well!  He doesn't see "winter", but he sees a difference in how the fish act seasonally.  His "winter" fish behavior is completely different than my winter fish behavior in central-Illinois and mine is completely different than @A-Jay's winter fish behavior in the where-the-heck-is-that north.  The important thing is that all of our fish (and yours) behave differently because of season and water temp, just like @WRB said. What you do in July probably won't work in January, but it's the figuring it out that is the most fun. 

 

I envy you.  You've got a lot more opportunity than I do this time of year, but at least I'm not @A-Jay up there helping Santa take care of the reindeer until the water thaws next August.  

[Pat Brown]

I think winter affects bait a lot more than bass so learning what your bait tends to do in the winter seems like really good advice.

 

I know - personally - I enjoy fishing spots that have golden shiners and crappie more than shad when it's winter here.

 

The shad tend to group up and move around a lot and fishing for the Largemouth can be very tricky.

 

On the crappie and shiner spots - you'll see those guys up in the grass with ice on the banks.

 

Sunfish oriented bass can also be tough when it's super cold.

 

Cold resistant forage seems to be nice to have around if you like fishing shallow in the cold months.

[Catt]

The bass are always biting somewhere, our job is to find somewhere.

 

The only "lull" I see is in my ability to locate actively feeding fish.