Big winter bass?

[bassturds]

2 hours ago, MurdaJ said:

It might just be that my focus shifts from salt in the summer to fresh I'm the winter. 

 

The largemouth I catch in the summer have huge mouths but are always anorexic. I caught one this summer same exact spot, bigger mouth but weighed less 

Yea I usually fish for bass from fall to early spring. Saltwater in the summer. I’m in New England it gets cold in winter but  I’m near the cape! We get open water all year.  I do well in winter even wake bait bass in dead winter but always smaller fish 

[119bowhunter]

Are you fishing water that you know has numbers of big bass in it? Winter is definitely my most productive season for big fish but only on certain lakes that I have confidence that there are lots of big fish in, I guess that’s applicable year round but targeting water that actually produces that size class you’re looking for is pretty important 

[Tpreston]

Swimbaits were tough for me last winter at the urban spots I go to. But after going day in and day out I got my pb December 31st at like 930 am. She went 8.2 on a gantarel jr in the black impact color of all things fishin slow and methodical. Couldn’t make any sense as to why she bit but was happy regardless. Most of the pond fish here seem pretty pelagic since they lack features and get tons of pressure. Theres a few 7+ pounders I’ve caught before and plenty of 4-5s, tons of juvenile-3s. But only 1 elusive 8+ although I’ve been told there’s a 10 in there by non avid anglers several times they claim to have seen caught. There’s no shad in that particular pond, just gills which is the main forage next to crappie and bass/catfish fry, also has some craws but not a ton. I presented a size most similar to the bigger gills in there with the same profile and went slow. I live in Texas though so our coldest months are usually January to beginning of march with snow and ice in February or march if at all. I’ve caught far more big fish in the spring than any other season 

[bassturds]

13 hours ago, 119bowhunter said:

Are you fishing water that you know has numbers of big bass in it? Winter is definitely my most productive season for big fish but only on certain lakes that I have confidence that there are lots of big fish in, I guess that’s applicable year round but targeting water that actually produces that size class you’re looking for is pretty important 

I think that’s my issue. I got 2 great winter ponds I can get bit in the coldest of water but doesn’t have the quality I’m looking for. They are healthy fish but not big. That’s why I always try to fish different ponds each winter! 

[Jon P]

Really want to try ice fishing for bass more this winter, seems like some of the biggest bass get caught through the ice.

[bassturds]

3 hours ago, Jon P said:

Really want to try ice fishing for bass more this winter, seems like some of the biggest bass get caught through the ice.

I’ve caught a lot of bass through the ice. Biggest was 5lbs on a panfish rod 4lbs test and a micro jig fishing for gills

[MurdaJ]

3 hours ago, Jon P said:

Really want to try ice fishing for bass more this winter, seems like some of the biggest bass get caught through the ice.

One of my biggest bass came on a fly while i was casting on carp. Bertha came out of the cattails casually, did the tiniest inhale to get the fly, then started sinking back into the cattails. Fun battle on a paddleboard and fly rod in the cattails 

 

[urbanhick]

4 hours ago, Jon P said:

Really want to try ice fishing for bass more this winter, seems like some of the biggest bass get caught through the ice.

Our state record of 15lbs 8oz came thru the ice in 1975.

[Jon P]

1 hour ago, urbanhick said:

Our state record of 15lbs 8oz came thru the ice in 1975.

If I remember correctly, the MA state record is the largest pure northern strain recorded. Gives me a lot of faith Montana will produce a double digit in the next few years. Our state record is 22”, my length PB is 24”, and the longest bass I’ve seen here is a 27” that was a buddies PB for length.