Canal fishing question.

[CanalStalkin]

Hey guys, here in central CA there are a ton of canals big and small. The small dirt ones aren't very deep or big, and have little to no structure, but do hold largemouth. What has me confused is what do these fish do during winter? We have mild winters, so do they just stay in the same place? I mean there really isn't anywhere else to go other than in the canal system. I have heard stories of people pulling out some real nice fish and was wondering what I should be looking for since my luck has sucked. There are some small fast running wier's where I have caught some small striper. Would largemouth be hanging in the same vicinity?

[WTL]

They are probably not too far away from where you catch them in warmer months, unless the canals are extremely shallow. If there is nowhere to go, there is nowhere to go - the deepest water, if that is 5 feet in a canal that averages 3, thats it. If there is any depth at all, as in a few feet, the fish will get down on the edge of the depth breaks and probably suspend. I havent heard many stories of largemouth making big seasonal migrations, I have heard of a few limited studies suggesting smallies will more a little, but they arent like salmon.

[Bassboss]

One thing bass fishing man look for a lot is Submergence vegetation or cover, and I'm one of the worst at that. But that you need to look for Emergent cover. Something like a sunken tree, or cabbage patch. If you can find any, make your one sweet spot. It's after Christmas, and people are gonna be throwing away a x-mas trees. So go around the neighborhood and grab a few and through them and toss them in the back of your truck.

Once you get a few, take them and sink them some where. Are will be drawn to them in nothing else!

OR find out if there is all ready some. Go to a tackle store and ask around.

[TN_Bassin]

Originally Posted by Bassboss

Once you get a few, take them and sink them some where. Are will be drawn to them in nothing else!

OR find out if there is all ready some. Go to a tackle store and ask around.

Watch out for local enviroment laws though before dumping stuff .

Well like you said California has mild winters so the water temperature shouldn't change too much. The fish shouldn't move too awful much either.

I would try fishing what little structure there is, I've caught 10+ fish off of a single log less that 3 foot long, then if that's a bust try to find drops and fish them. Also if there are places where the canals intersect I would fish that spot particularly hard. Try a bunch of different stuff until you find the fish. I would be willing to bet though if the water temp is above 60 the fish will still be shallow.


If there is baitfish where you caught the striper then there would be no reason why some largemouth wouldn't also be there.

[CanalStalkin]

Thanks for the great responses guys. I will head out there and try a few new stuff, especially around the faster moving water. I have noticed there is a spot where three pipes dump water into this small canal, maybe try some flukes around that. I really need to get out there and REALLY try and make out the bottom, I too am no good at really getting the lay of the land.

[cassidyta]

I have done some fishing in your neck of the woods. The canals can be tough, but the good part is that the fish usually stage in one spot. Once you are on them, you can be confident that there will be several in the same spot. The best bait for me was to toss a fat IKA upstream from the moving water. Most of my bites came from hopping it and letting the current move it.
Most fo your canals have both pipes and bridges. These are your friends in that type of fishing. They will provide shade, structure, and a point of reference to the fish. Make sure you work these spots slowly and from every angle.