As winter approaches dedicated bass fishermen have to face the fact their favorite target is a little bit harder to find let alone catch.
It will help to know what happens to bass when colder weather moves in for an extended stay.
Bass become lethargic as water temperatures drop.
What this really means is they conserve energy more and are less apt to actively search for food.
They are more likely to find a good spot and wait for dinner to swim by.
Because they are moving less they need less to eat.
This does not mean they are more picky or finicky, just more selective.
I realize that does not make sense to you but it does to the bass and you are in his world so you need to follow his rules.
I imagine the cold season rules for bass might be as follows: 1.
Move as little as possible.
2.
Stake out a location that provides cover, is easy to get in and out of and gives no warning you are there 3.
Never chase them! The smart fish waits for dinner to come to him.
4.
Find the optimum depth where you can get enough oxygen and still eat.
5.
If a location is not working move slowly.
Come to think of it the above pretty much explains how to catch the winter bass.
You must move as little as possible when in the fishing mode.
Because they are so immobile they are much more sensitive to changes in water pressure around them.
Once you have found a good location stay there.
Chasing winter bass will only cause them to move on you.
Bass are depth oriented especially in winter when they must balance the need for life sustaining oxygen with the need to eat.
Oxygen will win every time.
They will move to another location only when they have decided the present one is not yielding results and they will do it slowly.
One last thing; while we have stated they are sedentary in the winter never forget bass are aggressive in that they can be induced into a retaliatory strike.
If you can drop a lure or plastic bait in front of their noses they will often react with a strike.
I once saw a bass hit a sock carelessly dropped into the water.
True he did spit it out as soon as he realized it was not food.
The point is he struck before he even knew what it was simply because it fell in front of him.
It will help to know what happens to bass when colder weather moves in for an extended stay.
Bass become lethargic as water temperatures drop.
What this really means is they conserve energy more and are less apt to actively search for food.
They are more likely to find a good spot and wait for dinner to swim by.
Because they are moving less they need less to eat.
This does not mean they are more picky or finicky, just more selective.
I realize that does not make sense to you but it does to the bass and you are in his world so you need to follow his rules.
I imagine the cold season rules for bass might be as follows: 1.
Move as little as possible.
2.
Stake out a location that provides cover, is easy to get in and out of and gives no warning you are there 3.
Never chase them! The smart fish waits for dinner to come to him.
4.
Find the optimum depth where you can get enough oxygen and still eat.
5.
If a location is not working move slowly.
Come to think of it the above pretty much explains how to catch the winter bass.
You must move as little as possible when in the fishing mode.
Because they are so immobile they are much more sensitive to changes in water pressure around them.
Once you have found a good location stay there.
Chasing winter bass will only cause them to move on you.
Bass are depth oriented especially in winter when they must balance the need for life sustaining oxygen with the need to eat.
Oxygen will win every time.
They will move to another location only when they have decided the present one is not yielding results and they will do it slowly.
One last thing; while we have stated they are sedentary in the winter never forget bass are aggressive in that they can be induced into a retaliatory strike.
If you can drop a lure or plastic bait in front of their noses they will often react with a strike.
I once saw a bass hit a sock carelessly dropped into the water.
True he did spit it out as soon as he realized it was not food.
The point is he struck before he even knew what it was simply because it fell in front of him.
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