How To Catch Largemouth Bass In The Winter
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Winter time bass fishing can give you an advantage in catching bigger bass and less busy days on the water. It's also not that difficult if you have a little bit of knowledge. You just need to adjust to the habits of winter bass and get out on the water. Here is a little guidance from SHOAL to set you up for success.
BEST LURES FOR WINTER BASS FISHING
To better understand what lures you need to use to catch bass in the winter, you need to first understand that the metabolism of the bass is pretty slow during the winter making it harder for them to digest large organisms. So, you will need to start fishing smaller lures. Something around 1/4 ounces.
We like to use a smaller hair jig with no trailer for winter bass fishing. Don't think that a larger lure = larger bass. This isn't always the case. Present them what they want and you will catch more bass which will result in landing some pigs!
BEST TIMES TO CATCH WINTER BASS
Afternoons between 2pm and sunset are great times for catching bass in the winter. This is because the sun has had a few hours to heat up the water and get those bait fish active.
That said, don't miss out on those dawn fishing days. The crack of dawn will always be prime time bass fishing!
BEST AREA TO FISH FOR WINTER BASS
This pretty much stays the same year around. Bass will always be in cover. Around grassy areas, wood, docks or rock beds. GO WHERE THE COVER IS.
WATER DEPTH
Bass like to live a little bit deeper in the winter months. The will often go to the deepest parts of the body of water that is available to them. So it's a good practice to fish around the deeper areas, but it's not always necessary to fish right in the deeper areas. It's often best to fish on the edges of the deeper ares.
Water clarity is often more important that water temperature as well. The dirtier the water, the shallower the bait fish will be and the clearer the water the deeper the bait fish will be. This still rings true in the winter as well as the summer months. As always, follow the bait.
Comments
Anthony said:
Heck yea those hair jigs are a hell of a lure to have on your line in the winter. I catch giants with small 1/4 ounce hair jigs.
December 13, 2021
Greg said:
Great article! I am going to try the hair jogs out. I’ve never used them and I also haven’t had much luck this winter. Hopefully they help some.
December 13, 2021