Winter bass fishing

[GoneFishingLTN]

I've done quite a bit of research and believe I have a decent understanding of bass behavior. However, this season here in Iowa has me stumped. I sometimes wonder if the bass don’t follow the textbook patterns, given that our lakes are relatively small—a "big" lake here is only around 787 acres. If that’s not the case, then I’m not sure what I’m missing.

I’ve been targeting 45-degree banks near spawning zones, rocky drop-offs, or just rock in general, or even vertical structure but so far, this has only produced one or two small fish over a seven-hour period. Any insights or corrections would be greatly appreciated!

 

 

I know a bass is a bass but is there a chance they just act different in such small lakes 

[Bird]

I personally struggle to catch LM bass with 40ish degree water temps.

Did however luck into 2 nice fish couple weeks ago on East facing bank , water temp 48*.

My 1st fish of the year are usually caught on jigs, spinnerbait and jerkbaits.

It's been said that smaller bodies of water warm quicker than larger bodies.

 

[Swamp Girl]

50 minutes ago, Bird said:

I personally struggle to catch LM bass with 40ish degree water temps.

 

Yeah, me too. Cold water means cold bass. When the ice finally melts, I expect to catch zero to three bass the first few fishing trips, just like last year.

[Catt]

3 hours ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

is there a chance they just act different

 

Yes! 😉

 

A bass's metabolism is finely tuned to its circulatory system temperature which is the same as the surrounding water temperture. What this means is it takes long for the bass to digest its food. This does not mean they stop feeding.

 

We also need to understand their food source may change from one species to another, or the size changes. 

 

Y'all understand what the bass are doing, now add in what the food is doing. 

[river-rat]

39 minutes ago, Catt said:

Y'all understand what the bass are doing, now add in what the food is doing. 

 

Their are only two things that control a bass - the spawn and their food source. A bass doesn't care how hot or cold it is, it's all about the food that controls him.

 

I was taught "find the food, find the bass." It's like the old adage, if you want to learn about the owl, study the mouse.