Winter Bassin From Shore?

[BassAssassin726]

Im a shoreline fisherman. At least until i meet someone with a boat. lol. Ive had lousy luck so far this fall and winter. I literally havent caught anything my last 3 times out. Where are good places to find the bass when the water is cold? I live in PA so it gets pretty cold up here. What are good lures and techniques to use when its that cold? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I need to catch some fish! Ill try multiple lakes in a day as well, still nothing.

[NCLifetimer]

Shore fishing on large lakes or smaller ponds/lakes? If on large lakes, I would throw crankbaits and rattle traps so you can cover alot of water. If pond fishing, either crankbaits or plastics fished slow, that's how I catch most of the fish in the winter.

That's down south of course(north carolina). I haven't fished up north, but i would image if its cold that plastics/jigs fished sloooowwwww would be best.

[Grey Wolf]

SHORE FISHING IN PENN THIS TIME OF YEAR =FRUSTRATION. IF YOU INSIST , SLOW WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY DOWN.

[tomustang]

Slow down your lures and try to find the deeper parts of the rivers or where there's an creek opening

[Bass Junkie]

Find any spots you can that have a water temperature difference. Drain pipes, spillways, even those small inch and a half pipes that pour overflow water into the lake below resorts and what not. That two degrees of water temperature can make a big difference. Also, rip-rap or concrete is another fish magnet. If you can get below a large motel or summer home where there is an overflow pipe emptying in a spot with rip-rap or concrete you can bet there is fish there, you've just gotta hook 'em. This is where drop-shots and shakey-heads can shine, but a tube or small jerkbait shouldn't be over looked.

[Jigfishn10]

Jig & Uncle Josh Pork Rind, tubes and yo-yo'd trap type cranks. For some reason I like the pork rind trailer for cold water bassin. Yo-Yo'd traps really imitate baitfish dying like no other hard bait because of it's nosedown weighted design. Tubes will spiral down like a dying baitfish. Deeper water is generally the rule, but don't overlook shallower water with vegetation (what's left of it) present.

[NoBassPro]

Slow down your lures and try to find the deeper parts of the rivers or where there's an creek opening

If there are rivers around with smallmouth, I'd recommend giving those a shot. For whatever reason, it seems I've had better luck with smallmouths in late fall. Never really tried this late, though.

[Bass Junkie]

Smallmouth have a cooler preferred temperature range than do largemouth bass so it stands to reason that smallmouth are more likely to bite later in the year or earlier in the spring. And river fish will be more willing to bite per average than lake fish, especially in a tail water.

[ChiCityBasser]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/94912-dinks-in-40-degree-weather/

I got the two fish in the attachment fishing a Fat Ika near some dying vegetation after missing them a couple of times. I fished it slow with the fat ika reversed and a worm rattle inserted inside of it.

[Scorcher214]

Just outta curiosity, at what temperature will you stop fishing? it gets to about 40 and down to 30 at night. Is there a temperature where you just stop fishing?

[Bass Junkie]

I stop fishing lakes for bass when I can't punch through the ice. Rivers, never.... Steelhead and smallies are quite the combo.

[NoBassPro]

. And river fish will be more willing to bite per average than lake fish, especially in a tail water.

We have some small dams that don't do much except slow the rivers down. I've found they seem to stack up in the deeper holes just on top of them when the water cools. I'd guess they stay in the same locations throughout the winter.

[Scorcher214]

Well tomorrow it is supposed to rain but Thursday it is supposed to get to 43 at my favorite shore spot. Jigs and big worms it shall be.

[Bass Junkie]

Well tomorrow it is supposed to rain but Thursday it is supposed to get to 43 at my favorite shore spot. Jigs and big worms it shall be.

Good luck out there. Give us all a shout on how you do.

[ChiCityBasser]

Just outta curiosity, at what temperature will you stop fishing? it gets to about 40 and down to 30 at night. Is there a temperature where you just stop fishing?

I stop fishing when the hard water sets in and I can't get a lure in the water. I've fished with temps being in the low to mid 30's during the mid afternoon as long as the wind isn't kicking up I can and will get a line in the water at one or two lakes near me.

[steverowbotham]

Here in Canada, we can fish for bass until Nov 30. I dont fish from shore much but if we time it right, we've had 20lbs+ stringers of smallies. When the water's cold, the fish's metabolism will slow. So fish slow. We deadstick tubes and dropshots for our best success

[Scorcher214]

I stop fishing when the hard water sets in and I can't get a lure in the water. I've fished with temps being in the low to mid 30's during the mid afternoon as long as the wind isn't kicking up I can and will get a line in the water at one or two lakes near me.

Do you do any catching or just a lot of fishing

[Bass Junkie]

^^^^^^^^^

Does it matter that late in the year? Cabin fever....

[ChiCityBasser]

Do you do any catching or just a lot of fishing

Some days its fishing and other days its catching but it beats the cabin fever. Last time out that I spent any real time (1 hour or more) I caught 2 and missed 2 more. They were dinks but felt good and caught them on a reversed Fat Ika. Gotta spend more time with the jig in the water next time I'm out which will be this weekend if it stays in the 30-mid 40's.

[Scorcher214]

Some days its fishing and other days its catching but it beats the cabin fever. Last time out that I spent any real time (1 hour or more) I caught 2 and missed 2 more. They were dinks but felt good and caught them on a reversed Fat Ika. Gotta spend more time with the jig in the water next time I'm out which will be this weekend if it stays in the 30-mid 40's.

Well atleast you are catching something eh? Im going to my favorite shorespot today. Air temp is 39, sunny, little wind. Who knows if I will catch anything, but I know I need to get outside.

[ChiCityBasser]

Well atleast you are catching something eh? Im going to my favorite shorespot today. Air temp is 39, sunny, little wind. Who knows if I will catch anything, but I know I need to get outside.

I'll be hitting one of the lakes I've been fishing either tomorrow or saturday and air temps are around the same here and sunny as well. There is no wind today but don't know about tomorrow or saturday and I'll see how it goes when I'm out as well.

[Scorcher214]

Went to my shore spot today around 1030, fished till 2. Pretty much just hit every single dock with a dark brown and blue jig. Casting a little past the pilings and then letting it soak for a minute, then a nice slow hop, and let it sit again. Very cloudy and was about 40 degrees. Wish I could have caught at least one for the year, but it just felt good to be outside fishing. CANNOT wait till Guntersville!

[robdob]

Im a shoreline fisherman. At least until i meet someone with a boat. lol. Ive had lousy luck so far this fall and winter. I literally havent caught anything my last 3 times out. Where are good places to find the bass when the water is cold? I live in PA so it gets pretty cold up here. What are good lures and techniques to use when its that cold? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I need to catch some fish! Ill try multiple lakes in a day as well, still nothing.

where at in pa do you live

[BassAssassin726]

where at in pa do you live

I live in Northeast Philadelphia. You?

[ChiCityBasser]

Got out today for about 1.5 hrs with no bites at all before having to leave cause I only had the one rod and got a loop in the line that turned into a bit of a mess. Had to come home and cut off the line because it was so twisted. If the weather cooperates I'll try it again tomorrow.