Winter Bassin From Shore?

[Shinyboy]

Who stops fishing when it gets cold? That's what they make jackets for!!! Get out there and get after it!!!

[Teh]

I don't have a boat either and only fish from shore. We've had the most luck currently using rattle traps, with a medium speed retrieve after letting it fall to the bottom on the initial drop.

[ChiCityBasser]

Water turned hard here and even though the temps have been higher than normal most of the lakes and small ponds and things are still frozen over.

[Bluebasser86]

I've done most of my fishing this winter from the shore. Not usually the case because the ponds would normally be long frozen by now but not the case this year. Most of our ponds are muck bottoms with lots of moss so baits that stay out of the crud are about the only option. I've been doing pretty well with a jerkbait with pauses up to 15 seconds. It kills me to wait that long between twitches but I only do it in likely areas. In the few places I can get away from the moss I like a finesse worm on a shakeyhead or jighead and just drag it, no hops and move very slowly. You have to keep in mind that whatever the bass is eating is in very cold water and moving very slowly and so are the bass. If you move something with fast jerks or hops it probably isn't going to get eaten this time of year. Rocks and trees also hold heat and concentrate fish this time of year. I fished an entire 3 acre pond yesterday and caught 6, all on a jerkbait, each one of them off the same tree branch which happens to be the only one in the pond. Today I caught a few more, all off of rocks or pieces of wood on jerkbaits or finesse worms.

[Phoenix_1953]

I get that "I think you're nuts." look a lot when I talk fishing in the cold months, but think of it this way.. as long as they are alive, they have to eat, hot, or cold. Im going out to try a wacky rigged minnow on a 1/8 oz jig head today. My wife even thinks Im crazy.. So maybe I am, about Bassin'.

[hookset on 3]

I get that "I think you're nuts." look a lot when I talk fishing in the cold months, but think of it this way.. as long as they are alive, they have to eat, hot, or cold. Im going out to try a wacky rigged minnow on a 1/8 oz jig head today. My wife even thinks Im crazy.. So maybe I am, about Bassin'.

I think you're perfectly normal, getting out there in the fresh air. It was 46 degrees out today and I went fishin for a hour or so. didn't catch anything, but sure beats sitting in the office.