| When the water temperature dips below 50 | | | | look for schools of bait fish. When you locate a |
| degrees bass fishing becomes a real challenge. | | | | school of baitfish located along an elevation |
| When the cold water temperatures of winter | | | | change described above you will have located a |
| arrive bass head toward deep water. While in the | | | | prime opportunity to be successful in your search |
| fall you were able to find bass back in shallow | | | | winter bass. By fishing along a drop at the depths |
| coves and creeks where they were busy | | | | where the baitfish are located you will swing the |
| foraging preparing for long periods of winter | | | | odds of catching bass in your favor. |
| inactivity, once the water temperatures drop | | | | It is important to remember that in addition to |
| they migrate away from these areas into the | | | | being less active, what activity a bass does have |
| main body of the lake where they are able to | | | | during the winter will be much more sluggish than |
| find areas with deeper water. Often they will be | | | | at other times of the year. For this reason the |
| found along sharp drops where they can move in | | | | retrieval of bait should be done at a much slower |
| and out of the deeper water into a more shallow | | | | speed than in spring or summer when the fish will |
| area to feed. A depth finder will be an invaluable | | | | respond much more quickly. During this colder |
| tool during this time of year. | | | | time of year a jig, Jig-n-pig or worm type bait |
| It is important to remember that because a bass | | | | that you can drop down and let drift in front of a |
| is cold blooded, a decrease in temperature also | | | | bass may be more effective than any type of |
| brings a decrease in the fish's activity level. This | | | | lure that requires any degree of movement to be |
| decrease in activity is a result of a decrease in | | | | effective. You should also keep in mind that |
| the fish's metabolism. Put simply, because a bass | | | | strikes will be less forceful during this period of |
| does not digest his food as quickly in winter he | | | | reduced activity and you will need a lighter touch |
| does not need to feed as often. Food that is | | | | to pick up hits before the bass has a chance to |
| digested within a few hours in the summer may | | | | spit out your bait. You might even consider using |
| take up to a couple of days to digest in winter, | | | | a lighter rod than you would during other times of |
| depending upon the water temperature. Unlike the | | | | the year in order to increase your sensitivity. |
| spring pre-spawn period when the bass have a | | | | To sum up winter bass fishing... Slow down your |
| seemingly endless appetite, during the winter | | | | warm weather techniques, fish close to around |
| months they will feed only a few hours during the | | | | near drop offs, slow down some more, look for |
| day. This will generally be during the warmer | | | | schools of bait fish, and finally slow down even |
| periods of a day - often in mid afternoon. | | | | more. |
| When searching for fish it will be very helpful to | | | | |