desperation mode:

[wisconsin heat]

fishing isnt easy rite now... all the water is stained or downright muddy and its freezing, and im gonna be fishing from shore a little longer... so i want your opinions:how can i catch my first bass of the year?

the water just thawed this week::last week it was thick enough to walk on::(rally cold!!)

kinda dirty and fishing from shore...

[basskatcher()]

I'm waiting until the water warms up and clears up a bit.  Maybe two more weeks? 

[Gatorbassman]

Muddy and cold are the only conditions where I would suggest that you stay home and hang out. If you insist on going fishing the practice some flipping and pitching.

[tbird]

MOVE !

                 T

[Grey Wolf]

Patience , it's only march and you live in wisconsin.

[Bass_Akwards]

It's simple once you know the answer to the question "What would I rather do, be outdoors and fishing by an awesome lake or pond, practicing fishing, learning about the structure on the bottom of my lake by casting a C- rig out there and have a small shot at catching a bass, OR sit at home and watch TV?"  Personally I like the former.

[brushhoggin]

ok but don't tell anybody. take a spinnerbait, preferably one with a barb on the hook shank that holds a trailer in place. take off the skirt (optional...i do it cause bass where i fish see spinnerbaits everyday) and thread a 3.5 in paddletail swimbait(preferably a YUM money minnow) on the hook.  somewhere between a slow roll and moderate retrieve. you can just thank me later. 

[Hooligan]

Hit a river for smallies.  There's ALWAYS slack water that you can access that will produce fish.  When we were in Eau Claire, we'd make the short drive to the C+R zone and hit them on rivers.

[BassThumb]

If you have any dams nearby with heated water being released, that would be a solid option.

[Chris]

Early in the year you want to find the clearest water available because bass will be more opt to bite. What I look for is baitfish that have moved up usually you will see a bluegill or two to give you an indication that the fish have moved up. I try to target the shallow fish with a red rattletrap 1/4 oz on heavy braid to help me slow the bait down. I try to parallel the shore and slow roll it just off the bottom. If the fish have not moved up yet I tend to yoyo it out from shore. I also yo yo a spinnerbait the same way with success. I scale down the blades some to keep it deep. Sometimes I take a single colo bladed spinnerbait and hop it off the bottom like a worm which also works. Swimming a jig can be killer this time of year so don't over look it. For both the jig and the spinnerbait I tend to use a pork trailer. Casting a jig and pig and fishing it on the bottom still produces also in these conditions. Balsa lures slow rolled is another option. I choose balsa because you can slow it way down and still have a lot of action. The is going to be a soft bite so you need to pay attention otherwise you will miss it but they are still catchable.

[Chris]

Bill Norman's Deep Tiny N (crappie lure) modified with a larger back hook to help with casting and it also changes the vibration pattern of the bait (puts out more vibration than normal) is another excellent option early in the year. I like the gel finish blue back chartreuse sides, chart/green, and the shad colors.

[wisconsin heat]

thanks guys...actually decided to fish today...below a dam(thanks) with that swimbait/spinnerbait thinger (thanks) and i got 1 bite!!! one problem: it was not a bass, but a huge 40+ inch muskie!!  i was so shocked that i couldnt set the hook and it spit the bait out!! it took a few minutes for me to calm myself down, then resumed casting without anymore success! haha

[tnbassfisher]

Muddy and cold are the only conditions where I would suggest that you stay home and hang out. If you insist on going fishing the practice some flipping and pitching.

They have shorter windows of time to fish during the year than we do down south. I would do nearly anything to be fishing right now if I lived up there after having to wait that long.

[brushhoggin]

thanks guys...actually decided to fish today...below a dam(thanks) with that swimbait/spinnerbait thinger (thanks) and i got 1 bite!!! one problem: it was not a bass, but a huge 40+ inch muskie!! i was so shocked that i couldnt set the hook and it spit the bait out!! it took a few minutes for me to calm myself down, then resumed casting without anymore success! haha

keep throwin it man and dont reel too fast it tends to lay on its side if u do. i guess its that tiny change from skirt to paddletail that keeps the bite fresh. they dont recognize it as a threat and absolutely destroy it

[bassmajor]

Like mentioned before, key on warm water if you can.  Fish on warm, sunny afternoons.  Look for places where the water will warm faster, rocky bottoms, weed beds, points.  Also look for areas where the wind is blowing directly into shore, that will help hold the heat instead of a crosswind which will keep the water from warming.

I just got rid of the ice on my lake.  Yesterday the only places I could catch fish was a point with the wind hitting it head on and next to it in 4 fow that had grass on it.  I got bites on a jig/craw and a crappie pattern lipless crank.  Good luck.