“If you’re ever going to fish a small lake, winter is definitely the time to do it," insists bass expert Joey Monteleone of Christiana, Tenn. “You may not catch a lot of fish, but you’ll have a great shot at catching your biggest bass of the year — possibly the lunker of a lifetime." He knows — he’s caught hundreds of big bass, some in the 10-pound range, from mill dams, farm ponds and small municipal reservoirs during the winter months.
“Fishing pressure comes to a halt on most small waters after October; by late winter, many of them haven’t seen a lure in months. These waters’ compact size means you can work them thoroughly on a short winter day, often from the bank. I’ve had winter outings when I’ve caught a dozen big bass from a 20-acre lake in a single afternoon."
Prime time for these minilakes is when water temperatures range from 48 to 55 degrees, Monteleone says. “During a mild winter, the water may stay in that temp range from late November to mid-February, triggering a truly unbelievable lunker bass bite," he adds. “But never let frigid water deter you from fishing them. I’ve caught bass up to 9 pounds in water as cold as 41 degrees, and I’ve broken ice when launching my johnboat, and still caught quality fish."
Bass are much easier to target from a small lake in midwinter than in warmer weather, Monteleone has found. If you’re after a big fish in water below 50 degrees, you can virtually eliminate all shallow water adjacent to the shoreline, as well as flats and points with a slow taper. In these temperature conditions, most of my bass over 7 pounds have come from 6 to 10 feet of water. Target places with a fast dropoff into deep water.
Sloping banks with stair-stepping ledges are especially good now.
Ditches and creek channels are important structures in winter, Monteleone states.
“Bass holding in deep water follow these into shallower areas when feeding, especially in the middle of the day, after the sun has heated things up a bit. If they’re lined with stumps, so much the better," he explains.
You don’t need to tote along a big tacklebox for a winter outing on a minilake.
“Bass in small lakes normally eat a lot of insects and frogs, but in winter, these aren’t available, so their forage preference shifts to minnows — especially in water cold enough to send crawfish into hibernation," Monteleone believes. “My favorite winter lure is an A.C. Shiner No. 350 minnow, silver with black back." (Contact A.C. Shiner Lures, 513-738-1573; www.acshiners.com.)
“Big bass will eat this plug regardless of how cold the water is. I fish it on a 6-foot medium action spinning outfit with 8-pound mono. Cast, reel down, then twitch it all the way back to you so it never rises to the surface, pausing between twitches. If crawfish are still available — you can determine whether or not they are by turning over shallow rocks — I’ll use a 5/16-ounce jig with a No. 11 pork frog in black and blue or red and brown. Other good winter choices for small lakes include a spinnerbait, a leadhead grub, and any small, light-colored diving crankbait."
In winter, Monteleone looks for certain conditions that trigger a major feed on small lakes. He mentioned the following:
Warm rain — “This can raise the temperature of a small lake a few degrees overnight. If there are several small lakes in your area, target the clearest one first after an unseasonably warm rain. Bass that were suspending will move shallower, taking advantage of the concealment offered by murky runoff — a perfect scenario for a spinnerbait."
Full moon — “In winter, my biggest small lake bass have been taken around the full moon. Consult a solunar calendar and make sure you’re fishing your best spots on the date and times indicated."
Calm, sunny days — “These are probably the worst conditions you can have when bassin’ on a big lake, but ideal on a small lake in winter. Baitfish become energized by increased solar penetration, triggering bass to feed. Try a minnow lure around wood, rock or weed cover."
Warm front — “Bass in small lakes respond very quickly to warming air temperatures. If unseasonably mild weather is forecast, make sure you’re on the water by the second or third day of the front."
The colder the water, the less the bass will move to strike your lure. Target high-percentage areas such as sloping banks and dropoffs with slow moving lures. Suspending jerkbaits twitched with long pauses are especially deadly in clear water.
Contrary to what you’ve probably heard about using compact lures in cold water, our experts have found that bigger baits, such as spinnerbaits and bulky jigs with fat pork trailers, will catch more lunker bass in winter. Although big bass feed infrequently now, they often want a good-sized meal when they do feed.
Winter is the best time to fish a small lake from shore. Undergrowth is not as thick as in warm weather, facilitating easier access. Pests, including ticks, chiggers and snakes, are nonexistent. But remember that the shoreline won’t be nearly as productive now as in warmer weather; target casts to areas with a deep water access.
If you’re not catching quality bass at one small lake in your area, try a different one. In winter, subtle differences in water color or temperature often produce a better bass bite.
When targeting big bass from these small waters, always practice catch and release. The gene pool of a minilake can be quickly depleted by removing only a few lunker bass.
https://nojiriko-fishing.net/small-lake-winter-bass-fishing-...
