Bass Fishing Tips for Cold Weather

Location

To catch bass, you must first find them. When the weather turns cold, bass do not automatically switch from their warm-weather locations. But they do tend to focus more on areas with two things: cover and access to deep water. As a result, focus on drop-offs, points and the edges of humps where there are pieces of cover such as green vegetation, rocks or timber. Bass will be schooled up during cold weather, so when you catch one fish, it is likely there are more in the area.

Slow Down

Once you find the bass, the next goal is getting them to bite. They will eat, but anglers should remember that bass in cold water are lethargic. That means your lure should be presented slowly and, in general, close to the bottom.

Lure Options

Some of the best lures for cold-weather bass fishing are jigging spoons, jigs and pigs, deep-diving crankbaits and small, finesse-type lures, such as small worms and tubes. Jigging spoons are especially effective once you have located a school of bass. Position the boat over the top of them and let the spoon down among the school. Jig it up and down slowly, and watch for your line to jump, which signifies a strike. Jigs and pigs should be presented slowly along the bottom in the manner of a crayfish that is moving around, and crankbaits should be cast far and retrieved slowly so they bump into the ground. Finesse lures can be especially effective when a cold front hits when the weather is already cold; that causes bass to become even more sluggish.

Lure Size

Because the weather is cold, many anglers decide to fish nothing but small lures, believing as they do that bass are lethargic and not willing to chase down a bait. But cold-weather bass still will hit a big bait, because they would rather have one large meal than multiple small meals. Use jigs and pigs and spinnerbaits that weigh up to 1/2 oz. or more and crankbaits that dive to 20 feet or more. Just focus on retrieving them slowly.

Break in the Weather

When the prevailing weather pattern is cold, as it is in the late fall or winter, a day or two of warm weather can cause bass to go on a feeding frenzy. Warmer weather will cause the shallow water to warm up, which in turn draws bass. Cast quick-moving lures such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits to take advantage of the action.