Any Tips For Winter Fishing Shallow Northeast Lakes?

[pickerelpunisher]

Once the ice melts I'm always anxious to launch the jonboat and do some bass fishing. Only problem is I can never get anything to bite consistently. The lake I fish is relatively small and fairly shallow with average depth of about 5-7ft. There is one small area off a man-made point that drops down to about 12ft deep. Water temps during this time of year is usually in the mid 30s.

I'll usually use a texas rigged green pumpkin zoom salty fat albert with a 1/8 sinker (tried crankbaits and jerkbaits in various colors with no luck) targeting deeper water and some off shore stumps. There isn't much structure in this lake aside from stumps, a couple of boulders in 3ft of water, 3 different points, and some shallow sunken timber.

Any tips on what lures to use, what structures to target, or weather patterns to look for.

[Shane J]

I'd throw a keel-weighted Rage Craw or Lobster. That gets 'em pretty good for me in places like that.

[Shane J]

Oh, and don't sweat picking certain weather patterns. Just fish whenever you can.

[IneedAnewScreenName-972354]

Oh, and don't sweat picking certain weather patterns. Just fish whenever you can.

One of the best pieces of advice you could give someone.

[A-Rob]

hmmmmm....

I would maybe find a large flat (a future spawning flat) and back off of it until you find the first drop in depth.

I would keep with the crankbait/jerkbait if possible and just slow try slowing down a bit more or a finesse worm or jig

Good luck dude!

[pickerelpunisher]

Thanks for the tips!

[Megastink]

I grew up fishing small, weedy New Jersey lakes. Sounds like the EXACT situation youre in. Her is a list, IN ORDER, of my most productive ice-out patterns:

1) Chrome Lipless crankbait BURNED over weed flats with deep water access nearby. (Yes, a FAST retreive always did better for me)

2) Silver/Black In line spinner, same areas as #1, same retrieve.

3) White Double Colorado Spinnerbait (1/4-3/8oz) rolled (not too slowly) down a 45 degree bank dotted with rocks. 6" at the bank, roll down into about 6'. Weedline at 6".

4) Bandit 200 or 300 in a bluegill pattern, or spring craw/yellow is a great producer in the wintertime at the bottom of drop offs from spawning flats.

5) Jerbaits on weedines around the same area as #4.

6) Texas Rigged flippin tube on any defined weedline. They hit it on the fall. If not, reel in and make another cast. TARGET THE WEEDLINE.

Those are my go-to's. I'm going fishing today at a new lake here in PA where I live now. I'll bring a crank, trap, spinnerbait, jerkbait and a jig.

Good luck!

Mega

[Nashua Nev]

no bass today only 3 pickerel, slow slow slow bright red crankbait bomber at the Pennichuck

slow flowing open water temp here in NH was about 30

[backwater4]

60 deg here in long island ny yesterday, my son had a few bass and sunfish on a small black grub at a local shallow water pond.

[pickerelpunisher]

Still ice on most lakes in this area. Maybe 2 more weeks of this weather and I'll be able to take the boat out.

[NateFollmer]

Hair jigs... Dark hair jigs, sometimes without a trailer even. 1/8 to 3/8 oz depending on depth.

[backwater4]

X2 on the hair jigs. That black grub has been working well this week though.

[bassnmike78]

This year for me its been the good ole 1.5 square bill in brown with an orange belly . sloooow retreive . painfully slow .