Winter Bass Fishing Techniques

Taking a bass fishing trip in winter is one of those things that everybody that loves a challenge will undertake. It is also a pastime for the hardened bass
fishing enthusiasts because it is anything but easy. In fact, it is perhaps the most difficult bass fishing experience you will ever have!

However, if you get your techniques right then it would be a much better experience for you so it is all about working on your technique and style.

Before you start learning new techniques though, you have to bear in mind that you will need several personal skills.

For example, you will need to have a lot of patience and also a versatility to be able to change your technique on the lake as and when necessary because winter bass fishing is a waiting game.

Some techniques will work sometimes but then will not work again for a couple of weeks so you have to be prepared to try out various techniques and methods on a trip until you find the one that works.

The reason why bass fishing is so hard in winter is because bass are cold blooded creatures and do not tend to feed so much as a direct result of that. In winter, their bodies cool to the temperature of the water around them.

As such, their bodily processes slow down as well. They may take a few days to break down food and digest it properly so they will not need to feed as often. This is why you have to entice them and make the bait look as attractive as possible via your techniques.

Fish Slowly

In spring and summer, you should attempt to fish for bass at pace to match their own activity. However, it is the complete opposite in winter because the same principle applies. You should fish at the same pace as the bass move because it is only then that they will feel secure enough to take your bait.

If you fish too fast then they will automatically not think to attack the bait purely and simply because it will be too fast for them to catch. Try moving your line about two inches every five minutes. If that does not yield results then try casting your line every five minutes and leaving it stationary in the same spot.

Fish Deep

Fishing deep is always a good idea in winter because bass head for the warmest waters and they are not generally towards the surface. They will instead go deep into holes and under banks. As such, it is worth doing a little scouting before you actually start fishing. Does the lake have overhangs or nooks that bass could seek refuge in? If it does then you should initially target those areas.

Cast your line as deep as you can, preferably so it drags along the bottom and then raise it slowly, inch by inch over a period of ten minutes or so. Recast your line and raise it over twenty or thirty minutes if that does not attract interest the general rule is the longer you leave it in place, the more interest you will get in the line.

Fish Undercover

Vegetation is also a big favourite of the bass in any lake in winter. Vegetation is always warmer and provides them with a safe haven. As such, you should locate a body of underwater vegetation or a vegetative bank and then deliberately cast your line into it, skimming the bait as low as possible in the water and then repeating the technique as outlined above in the section about fishing deep.

There is one thing that you should bear in mind when choosing to fish vegetation though. You should always use a weedless lure. If you use a wedded one then you will get tangled in the vegetation and would undoubtedly end up losing the lure to the water. This can be frustrating and would interrupt your rhythm. A torpedo or frog is perfect for this and will bring you the greatest chances of success.