As a
Minnesota-based angler, cold water can be an understatement. Almost half the
year our lakes turn into frozen prairies. Small fishing communities begin to
form on the frozen surface in search of the fish that lay beneath the ice.
Although ice fishing is a great sport and can provide for lots of action, it is
not what we are going to be focusing on today. Since the bass fishing season in our region is greatly
shortened by winter, fisherman need to take advantage of every chance to hit
the water. I do a lot of fishing
in water that is from the mid 30's to low 50's degree range in the spring and
fall. The period just before ice
forms or just after ice-out inspires many of my co-anglers resort to hunting or
other forms of outdoor recreation. It is true that this can be a difficult time
to fish but with a little additional effort and knowledge, one can locate and
catch some trophy largemouth bass.
The number one thing people ask me when it comes to catching
fish in cold water is where to fish. The traditional areas you would typically
fish in the summer will rarely produce fish in the cold months. If you take a few minutes to look at a
good topography map for the lake you plan on fishing it will greatly reduce
your time locating the fish. First the fish will usually be near their winter
hang outs in feeding areas such as rock flats in 10-20 feet of water and steep
banks. One of the first place's I look on when fishing lakes and rivers is steep
drop offs or bluffs with a 40-degree or more drop off that has access to deep
water. I also take note on how fast
that area may warm over the day from the sun. Bass will migrate to these warmer areas later in the day
looking for a quick serving from an area of bunched up baitfish. Other places I will search are at
the deepest parts of points and jetties. Transition areas are also another
great place to locate winter bass. Transition areas can be defined as an area
where the bottom structure changes from soft to hard or maybe a rock flat to a
steep drop off. If I am not
finding bass deep in a natural lake, I will try and locate some oxygen
producing green vegetation in shallower water in hopes of finding holding bass.
For river fishing I tend to gravitate to some of the same types of areas I would
look for on lakes, but also focus on eddies, break dams, large wood lay- downs,
and boulders. On occasion, a warm area around a dam or hydroelectric power plant
is another good spot to look for cold-water bass. A good warm water outflow can
offer near year-round angling success. Just remember to slow down your search and use your
electronics to locate the fish. Typically the fish will be bunched up and somewhat more
difficult to locate than summer bass. Don't let this discourage you. With a little
persistence and a keen eye on your electronics, a well-earned catch can be put
together.
In early spring
the best time to fish is often during warm fronts when the air and water
temperature have been rising and the sun is shining. The bass will usually move up a little and get more
active. The schooled baitfish they
may have been feeding on all winter have been somewhat depleted and the fish
need to start looking for other sources of food. In the very late fall or winter months, I tend to favor
cloudy days with a lower barometric pressure. Try fishing different times of the
day but from my experience, the latter part of the day will be most productive
followed closely by early mornings.
Once I have determined
the spots I want to try fishing, I usually rig my rods with the same 4 types of
proven lures. My number one lure choice for largemouth bass when the water is stained or muddy is a
rubber skirted jig and trailer. My personal favorite is the new the Strike King
Hack Attack Jig in 3/8 oz size and a baby craw trailer. I tend to scale down
the weed guard and make the bait a little more compact by trimming the skirt.
We fish this set up with Vicious fluorocarbon line in a medium or heavy weight
on a bait casting reel and med to med heavy rod. My preferred colors are black
blue, green pumpkin craw and texas craw. I can't stress how important it is to
slowly bounce this bait off the bottom, giving an little twitch when
encountering cover. The next weapon in my cold-water arsenal is the hair jig or
bucktail jig in 1/4 oz or 3/8 oz sizes .
If smallmouth bass are present in your home waters, don't leave home
without this bait. It is an extremely
effective way to turn on smallmouth bass due to its compact size. The small
size and slow presentation match the bass's lowered metabolism. We base our
color choice on the forage for the lake and typically try to mimic a crawfish
or minnow. Generally we fish this
bait in waters 10-15 feet deep and in water around 50 degrees. At times this
technique can be effective in depths up to 30' and in water temps as low as 40
degrees . I like a stiff 6'-6" spinning rod with 6-8 lb test monofilament line
for the smaller jigs and often go to a small bait cast reel with a medium to medium
heavy rod with 12 lb test line for the heaver jigs in stained water. If I find the fish are holding in a more
suspended pattern and the lake is clear or slightly stained, I sometimes fish a
suspending jerkbait. I like the
Strike King Kevin Van Dam Wild Shiner in a chrome sexy shad pattern or chrome
and black. This lure is ideal for
catching slow moving winter bass. The properties of this bait allow it to sit
motionless in the water column right in front of a reluctant fish, resulting in
an instinct driven strike. A
medium action spinning rod and medium-sized spinning reel rigged with 8lb test
line is a good all-purpose outfit for fishing a suspending jerkbait. Again, fish this bait slow and pause for
5-6 seconds in between short 3 to 4 foot retrieves. I know this sounds like a long pause but it gives the fish
time to react to the presentation. Last of all, I never leave home without a
large grub-style bait on a 1/4 oz jig head for both smallmouth and largemouth
bass. This bait will sometimes
produce when no other bait or lures will work. Its simple design replicates a minnow and can be slowly
bounced off the bottom or cover. Always use your rod tip to move the bait
instead of a reeling action. And as you can you guess, a slow presentation is
often the key to success. We use colors resembling the baitfish the bass tend
to be feeding on in that particular body of water. If the water is stained pumpkin colors are a good choice. A
medium spinning gear with 6-8 lb test monofilament line is a solid set-up for
this type of fishing.
By combining
these tips with a little patience, your chances of becoming a better coldwater
fisherman will greatly improve. Don't forget appropriate cold weather gear and
proper boating safety devices.
When fishing in coldwater conditions always wear a life jackets or other
suitable PFD. Today's compact inflatable automatic life vests like the ones we
use from Mustang, are very comfortable and do not impair one's ability to
effectively fish. Be sure to dress
warm and dry start to enjoy these often forgotten fishing days. Extend your productive
fishing season by a few extra weeks or even months with a few simple tips.
