Never too early to talk about Winter...
- Neil Ferris
- Sep 26, 2019
- 6 min read
Here in central Illinois, the weather is finally starting to move into fall like conditions. The temperatures have been in the 70-80s with a mix of overcast and sunny days. It has been nice as a fisherman and just as a person to get away from the nasty heat. But, as a fisherman it means that the fall bite is almost here and that is what I am excited for. But as I was sitting outside the other morning drinking coffee, I got to thinking about something else... I don't know why my brain shifted to this, but I started to think about the coming winter. Not all fisherman fish in the winter, but quite a few do. One of the lakes that I fish often, Sangchris Lake, has some decent fishing in the winter because of the hot water ditch that is on the lake from the power plant. My great uncle used to go out in the winter and catch fish and some good fish too. So, how do you catch this fish in the winter?
Just like summer, winter is a tough time to bass fish. Instead of the heat and humidity, fisherman battle bitter cold and harsh winds. Also the bass are just as finicky and difficult as in the summer. I would definitely say that they are harder to get to bite in winter, but there are a lot of similarities. Bass like to be comfortable. In winter this becomes a very difficult task with the water temperature below 45 degrees. The bass become slow, lethargic, and just flat out stubborn. The bass often go to deeper water in the winter. The reason for this is that there are fewer temperature and oxygen fluctuations in the winter in deep water. Bass do not like the changes in temperature and oxygen often. Another reason is that the shad generally go deep as well, so the bass follow the bait so that they can still eat. Some bass will stay shallow if some basic needs are met, but most of your luck will be in deeper water. Normally the bass will be found stuck to the bottom, not moving. Like we said, the bass become very lethargic, only moving if they absolutely have to. This means that you have to fish very slow and very thorough. Bass will not chase down a bait in winter. They will wait for it to pass right in front of them, sometimes they won't move unless it hits them in the face. So whether you're a power fisherman or a finesse fisherman, this changes everything about the way we fish.
In winter, you still have several different bait options to use and different techniques. But, once again the key is to go very, VERY slow. The first bait we'll talk about is the blade bait. The blade bait looks like a very thin version of a lipless crankbait, and many fisherman will try to fish it with a constant retrieve like a crankbait. But, the blade bait actually is fished a little different and can be a big bass killer in the winter. When fishing a blade bait, you'll make your case and let it sink all the way to the bottom. Then, very slowly, you start to fish it just like a soft plastic. Slowly pull your rod tip up and then let the bait sink back down before reeling up your slack. I would let it sit there for 10-15 seconds and really let those bass get a good look at it. When you fish it this way, it makes the bait flutter off the bottom and flutter back down. Most blade baits are shiny as well, and help mimic bait in the area. Blade baits come in lots of different sizes and colors, and like we've talked about find the ones that work the best for you. I normally prefer a gold color and also try to stay at 1/2 ounce or heavier. I have found in my limited experience with the blade bait that it is nice to have a heavier option, because it sinks faster and stays closer to the bottom. The blade bait is a good option to really mimic the bait and is not hard to fish at all.
Another option in the winter is a football jig paired with a trailer. The football jig is good, because it tends to not get snagged in rocks because of the rounded head. It also is a good option because of how the bait sits under water with the trailer. It will tend to sit a little more straight up at times, and I think that gives it an advantage. Just like with the blade bait, the key to fishing this jig in the winter is to fish it very slow. Throw the jig out and let it sit for a good while before you do any retrieval action. Another tip that I have learned is to really let it sit between actions. Sometimes I'll drag it or hop it and then let it sit for 30-45 seconds before I make another move with it. Like I said, this will really let this bait sit in front of the bass' face and make them think about it. Sometimes you'll get one to strike because it has had a while to think about it and watch it. They will classify it as an easy meal with how slow it is moving. I don't normally change colors when it comes to jigs or trailer colors, but I will get up sizes. I'll sometimes still throw a 1/2 ounce, but if I can get a 3/4 ounce or bigger I will throw that more often. Once again, it really helps that bait get to the bottom and keeps it there where those fish can see it longer. Once again, very slow is the key. You will notice that this is slowly becoming a trend with winter fishing.
I found this picture on the internet while researching another post, and thought that it does an awesome job of showing us the drop shot and why it is a great winter fishing lure. Just like with the jig and blade bait, it is very good at staying on the bottom, while also targeting some of those fish that are on the bottom, but maybe not glued to the very bottom. The drop shot also allows for some versatility because of the many options you have to use as bait. You can use anything from worms, to craws, flukes, and more. This allows a fisherman to have some options in the winter and also allows them to find out what they're really eating. Just like the other two baits we have talked about, throwing it out and fishing it really slow is the key. Just like with the jig, letting it sit 30-45 seconds between each action is very effective. Another thing some guys will do is dropping it straight down over the edge of their boat and work it up and down in one place for a while. Some guys will do this for several minutes before reeling it up and choosing a new spot. Once again, the longer you can give those fish to think about it, the better success you will have. I also recommend throwing a little heavier weight in the winter than normal for the same reason as the other two.
The last option I want to talk about is the Ned Rig. Our first blog post on this website was all things Ned Rig, and I'll like that article below, but the Ned Rig is another awesome option for the winter time. The main reason this one is so good is because you can keep it right in front of the fish for long stretches of time. This is an effective bait fishing straight up and down in the same spot off the side of the boat because of the action it gives. I've seen videos of FLW pros fishing this in the winter and they will literally sit in the same spot fishing it up and down in the same spot for 5 minutes. A lot of times they'll get that fish to strike just because of their patience. That is the key when fishing in winter. Patience. I also will upgrade a little in size of the Ned Rig head to keep it on the bottom.
Not all lakes fish like this in winter, but its a start until you figure out exactly where those fish are. Another tip is, if you have a lake that has a hot water ditch go fish it. Any place where you can find a little warmer water, throw something in there and make sure you spend a little time fishing it. There will definitely be fish in that warmer water, and they will be a little more active. Not a ton, but you can almost guarantee that there will be fish in that warm water. There are some other baits that guys use in the winter like Spoon jigs and hair jigs, but I don't have any experience with these to write about them. The baits above are the ones I tie on when I fish in winter, and I would definitely recommend them to anyone. Remember that the key to bass fishing in winter comes down to one thing and that is patience. It may kill you, but the slower you can fish the more success you will see.
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