Targeting bass movment in cold water

Fishing cold water to catch bass

Winter 2022

®

By Scott M. Petersen

Lat C e OL S DW e A a TE s R o BA n SS

MOVEMENTS

C

anglers.

ooler, longer nights are one of the things that will send the bass a message that a change is coming. It sends the same message to the

So how will bass react? Let’s breakdown cold water, late

season bass movements, and how to stay with them along

the way.

We mark seasonal changes on our calendar; but that is

just a noted date, it does not truly mean that when we wake

up on a certain day, the season is in full force. The date is

just a marker that a change will be noted to take effect.

We have had years many years that see a season show

weeks later or weeks earlier. This, like a lot of things are

just noted points, and like the bass you just have to pay

attention to the current conditions in your area and adjust

with them.

CHANGES TO EXPECT

As the cold weathers hits your area, the daylight hours will start to get shorter as this will be the first noticeable point that will take effect.

This will translate with the area water temperatures starting to lose heat. When this happens, you will see some of the shallower resident bass make moves to slightly deeper water. This is a slight adjustment that the bass make. You will not see a mass exodus from the shallows. You will just see bass reposition a little, following shallow food sources.

You will also start to see the deeper bass start to make shallower adjustments as well. Once again related to water temperature changes, deep water food sources will start to make movements back towards shallower water. This may

be due to falling water temperatures or have

to do with their spawning season. If the bass

want to eat, they will have to make these

moves as well along with their food sources.

page

6