Northern Winter Fishing Tips.

[BassAssassin726]

I live in Pennsylvania so this time of year its getting pretty cold. That wont stop me from fishin. But i havent been doing so well. Ive been throwing jigs with and without trailers and spinnerbaits and Senkos but havent had much luck. I know bass get lazy in the winter so i really like throwing the jig with a trailer and retrieving it real slow to give em something big and slow to eat but still not much luck. Anybody live above the freeze line can give me some tips and tricks to bagging lunkers in the cold winter months?

[Bluebasser86]

Small, natural colored finesse worms on a shakeyhead or open jighead if you can get away with it. Move the bait very slowly. You're trying to mimic something that is small that doesn't make big movements anyways and would be moving even slower in the cold water. Plus if it's moving slowly it looks like an easier meal for a sluggish bass. Look for deep water closest to where you caught them during the fall and you should find some fish. A jerkbait fished with long pauses is another good option. If you're in a boat you can try to graph bait with fish under them and hop a jigging spoon also.

[BradH]

I'm hoping to get one more trip in on the 10th or 11th of December but I'm not so sure I won't be dodging icebergs by then. Right up until now I've been using cranks and jerkbaits for bass. I just work the cranks a little slower and snap the rod quick if I feel anything. Suspending Normans or deep x-raps are a good bet where I fish. The fish are moving deeper here but if you have a calm day don't pass up shallow, sun baked areas on the north side of the river/lake near wintering spots. I threw some finesse stuff a week ago for a little bit but the crankbait bite was good so I switched back pretty fast after catching a carp on a straight tail 4" worm on a jighead. If I can't get hit on hardbaits I switch to plastic as described above.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I'm just a little further up river from you. Small paddletail swimbaits slow on the bottom, spoons and blade baits. small hair jigs all the way down to crappie size on the bottom or below a float (float&fly). Smallies and walleye been having a quick bite right at sundown.

[jorilo]

I fish Maine waters and have been catching them the last few weeks on a #7 Shad Rap, tube & finnesse worm on a shakeyhead

[BrianSnat]

I've been doing OK in northern NJ trolling slowly with crankbaits. Nothing close to what I was catching in the spring/summer as far as numbers. But I'll get a bass or two and some pickerel.

I actually put my boat away for the winter today and now I'm waiting for the ice.