Weather Question

Just speaking VERY generally here, and assuming a medium-sized Southern reservoir, how does the temperature affect bass?

Cold weather: deeper or shallower? More or less active? Fish for them slower or faster?

I know there are a gazillion variables, but I'm asking just on the most elementary, basic terms.

Thanks!

[zman]

Cold weather - deeper. Less active except for maybe the early fall. Fish slower.

[Rob Mak]

depends on the lake actually. and where the bait fish-shad- are. i am still waiting for them to move shallow in high rock. slower for sure would use a jerk bait or a suspending crank bait of any kind.


zooker

[macgyver]

[quote author=G Wallace link=board=news;num=1101316185;start=0#0 date=11/24/04 at 12:09:45]Just speaking VERY generally here, and assuming a medium-sized Southern reservoir, how does the temperature affect bass?[/quote]

Dramatically is shallower bodies of water IMO

Cold weather: deeper or shallower? More or less active? Fish for them slower or faster?

Cold fronts/water usually means deeper and a lot slower presentations, very inactive fish.

I know there are a gazillion variables, but I'm asking just on the most elementary, basic terms.

Thanks!

The fish's metabolism will slow down in colder water, which means LESS ACTIVE. Amazingly enough the Fish in the Northern part of the country actually live longer on average, but are smaller in size. Due to the warmer fish always being more active, and feeding regularly year round. I believe it's kinda like Hunting dogs. They run and run and run, and burn their bodies out quicker than the ones that are sitting on the porch


Lizards

Thanks for your help, everyone. Although I'm not young, I'm pretty new at bass-fishing and didn't know whether it's worth it to go out on the lake in winter.

The problem is, I caught a 6 1/2 pound largemouth my last time out, and -- to borrow a phrase -- I'm hooked on it, and can't wait to get out on the water again.

[macgyver]

[quote author=G Wallace link=board=news;num=1101316185;start=0#4 date=11/26/04 at 10:25:06]Thanks for your help, everyone. Although I'm not young, I'm pretty new at bass-fishing and didn't know whether it's worth it to go out on the lake in winter.

The problem is, I caught a 6 1/2 pound largemouth my last time out, and -- to borrow a phrase -- I'm hooked on it, and can't wait to get out on the water again.[/quote]


Please feel free to join, it doesn't cost a dime And anytime I can fish, cold/hot/raining/snowing etc... is a good time to fish. Most of us have jobs so we fish when we can, which isn't nearly as often as it should be ;D ANd nice fish by the way, that a HAWG in anyones book.

Lizards

[UtahBass]

[quote author=lizardsrule link=board=news;num=1101316185;start=0#5 date=11/26/04 at 14:02:44]


Please feel free to join, it doesn't cost a dime Â*And anytime I can fish, cold/hot/raining/snowing etc... is a good time to fish. Â*Most of us have jobs so we fish when we can, which isn't nearly as often as it should be ;D Â*ANd nice fish by the way, that a HAWG in anyones book.

Lizards[/quote]

Thanks for the invite, Lizards... I just joined and it didn't hurt a bit.

Yeah, that 6 1/2 pounder was quite a surprise. My wife and I were on a fairly shallow 170-acre lake near here, just creeping the boat close to the shore and throwing little 3" chartreuse mister-twister type spinners towards brushpiles and stickups. We were catching plenty of small bass (less than a pound) and having fun, but I decided to make a few casts on the "wrong" side of the boat. The water there was deeper, but still only about 6 feet deep or so, and I let the lure settle all the way to the bottom, then yo-yo'ed it back. After only 3 - 4 casts, I knew I had a good fish... and you should've heard my wife gasp when I lifted that bass into the boat.

The bass was full of eggs -- or at least I think so, because her belly was VERY distended; it looked like a baseball in her gut. So we weighed her quickly and put her back into the water. She took off like a green torpedo...

[Rob Mak]

triton
yep ya got the bassin bug it is worst than crack. you will spend your every waking moment dreaming of catching a hawg. while spending money like it was not yours.

zooker

[macgyver]

[quote author=Triton link=board=news;num=1101316185;start=0#6 date=11/26/04 at 18:58:40]

Thanks for the invite, Lizards... I just joined and it didn't hurt a bit.

Yeah, that 6 1/2 pounder was quite a surprise. My wife and I were on a fairly shallow 170-acre lake near here, just creeping the boat close to the shore and throwing little 3" chartreuse mister-twister type spinners towards brushpiles and stickups. We were catching plenty of small bass (less than a pound) and having fun, but I decided to make a few casts on the "wrong" side of the boat. The water there was deeper, but still only about 6 feet deep or so, and I let the lure settle all the way to the bottom, then yo-yo'ed it back. After only 3 - 4 casts, I knew I had a good fish... and you should've heard my wife gasp when I lifted that bass into the boat.

The bass was full of eggs -- or at least I think so, because her belly was VERY distended; it looked like a baseball in her gut. So we weighed her quickly and put her back into the water. She took off like a green torpedo...[/quote]


Glad you joined, and welcome again Look forward to talkin some bassin with ya. Theres a ton of knowledgeable folks around here, and of course some rookies like myself also Join in, and let the FUN begin 8)

Lizards

[fredhatch]

Welcome aboard. 8)