Winter Bass Fishing

As every angler sits inside during the winter organizing their tackle and making a wish list for Christmas they are starting to get cabin fever.

Like every other angler, I was getting a little antsy to get out on the water! Wednesday 12/21 I finally got all my warm gear on and went out. I launched out of Ellisport Bay with my kayak and a determination to catch some bass.

I thought this would give me the chance to find bass easier...

The rod setups consisted of a 6'6" Medium action Abu Garcia Veritas bait casting rod with the black max reel, a 6' medium action spinning rod with a Pflueger President Limited Edition, and a 6'6" light powered rod with an Abu Garcia Cardinal spinning reel.

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For my adventure I tried trolling most of the time, because I don't have a fish finder for my kayak yet. I thought this would give me the chance to find fish easier. The temps were rising to 30 degrees Fahrenheit, which was a lot warmer than the week prior with highs in the low teens.

Want to read about other winter fishing adventures? Check this out.

One thing that is key to catching more bass in the winter is...

Unfortunately, on my fishing adventure I didn't hook into any fish. I learned a lot in the fact that there were many drop offs and spots that will fish remarkably well in the spring and summer, when the lake levels rise. This being said, spots that fish really well in the spring, that have these drop offs, should have fish nearby.

One thing that is key to catching fish in the winter is having a really good fish finder that has down imaging. It helps you see deep structure that may be holding fish. Any of the helix series fish finders by Humminbird would be a great choice.

Looking for a really good fish finder? Check out our selection here.

With this being said, for winter fishing you want to fish fast and slow. By this I mean, you want to fish quickly to locate fish, but your retrieve should be slow with any method you are using. When I'm using a suspending jerk bait, I will have a cadence on how many times I twitch the bait. Then I will let it sit for 8-12 seconds. As you can see, I carry a lot of crankbaits with me, because I'm looking for a reaction strike.

I also use the Storm Arashi crankbaits that we just received. I'm very excited to use them this spring.

Don't lose confidence in your bass fishing lures.

Another great lure to use this time of year is the Johnson ThinFisher and a flutter spoon. The retrieve on both of these baits can vary. With the ThinFisher, I like to cast it and jig it back to the boat feeling for a bite on the drop.

We've got a wide selection of fishing bait & lures online here. 

The flutter spoon is the same way. The ThinFisher will sink faster than the flutter spoon, so you can also retrieve the bait like a lipless crankbait. You will see a few other baits in the photos such as a swimbait, curly tail grub, dropshot and the ned rig.  All of these should work well in the winter months. You just have to be persistent and not lose confidence in you lures. Always remember to be safe out on the water and to wear your PFD.

Curious about the ThinFisher? Check out our selection of bait and lures here.