Hello,

I'm new here. I have picked up this crazy sport of bass fishing. Been trying to get some basics down. Like lure selection. Was wondering if someone could give a reference to bass depth to water temp? So I'm not fishing banks when they are deeper.

Thanks

Daryl

Welcome to the site.

 

There are too many variables to give you a simple answer to this. I'd start by reading the seasonal articles on this site to get an idea of bass behavior.

http://www.bassresource.com/seasonal-fishing-articles/

 

On most bodies of water you will find some bass in the shallows year round (here the water is in the low 30's in winter and the 90's in summer, and there will always be a few fish near the shore.) To find bigger fish consistently, you'll need to do some serious reading and lots of hours on the water.

 

Not trying to discourage you at all, but there are so many skill levels in bass fishing that it can be overwhelming. Start by learning the basics and work your way up when you're ready. If you are dedicated, you will seek out the knowledge and pick it up quickly. The nice thing about fishing is the learning curve gets sharper the better you get, making it easy for beginners to start out (and frustrating for experienced anglers trying level up  )

Wow, thanks, But isnt there some kind of general rule, for depth vs temp?

Wow, thanks, But isnt there some kind of general rule, for depth vs temp?

Simply put, no. Yes bass are creatures of habit, but all bodies of water are different. Deep water in one body of water might be 5' or 10', while elsewhere it may be well over 30'.

 

Most lakes stratify during the warmer months which means that the water below the thermocline will not circulate with the warmer water above it. The water below the thermocline becomes depleted of oxygen quickly as fish and other organisms consume the oxygen in the water, rendering it uninhabitable to bass and other fish until the fall turnover. Bass in the heat of summer will tend to move toward deeper water, but they will not inhabit the areas below the thermocline once the oxygen there is depleted. Not all lakes stratify but many do, and of those that do the thermocline may be at any depth (even very shallow water which stratifies before deeper water, also see thermal bar.)

 

On the other hand some of my biggest fish to date were caught in 3' of water or less in August when the water temp was in the high 80's or low 90's, though these are exceptional and not the norm. My friend Edwin caught a 14lb'er in Virginia in less than 3' of water during December when the water temp was about 38 degrees, which is also very exceptional. You never know where big bass lurk until you start prodding around looking for them. 

 

If you have a fish finder you can see the thermocline usually, as it will give a faint sonar return. 

Bass are cold blooded.

 

Bass like warm water, or water that is slightly warmer than the rest of the water where they live.

 

So how does water heat?

1.  Sun

2.  Particles in the water.

3.  Underground springs feeding the body of water.

5.  Creeks feedign the body of water.

 

Water warms up the fastest on the north and west side where the morning sun strikes the bank. Stained or dirty water warms faster than clean water. Still water warms faster than moving water unless the moving water is from a warmer creek or underground stream. Rocks in the water will heat up faster than a sand bottom. Anything you see that could hold heat, no matter if it is only one or two degrees are places to fish.

 

Shallow water warms faster than deeper water.

 

Bass will hunt, rest and spawn in shallow water.

 

Bass will rest and hold in deeper water.

 

Please start to read every article in the Articles link at the top of this page and then hit Woo Daves web site for his articles: www.woodaves.com

 

Watch as many bass fishing shows on TV.

 

Get some good bass fishing books, especially by Kevin VanDam and Denny Braurer.

 

Suscribe to various bass magazines.

 

Join B.A.S.S. to get their Bassmasters magazine.

 

Join FLW to get their FLW magazine.

 

Always fish shallow water first and then move to deeper water.

 

From the bank throw in a "fan" pattern from left to right and right to left and then back again.

 

Remember, bass like to relate to "structure" on the bottom or coming off the bank as they feel safe, get out of the current and believe they have an excellent ambush point. So fish any structure in shallow water and hit it with your bait at least five times before moving on. If you beleive there should be a bass holding against the structure throw 10 to 20 times before moving. A small stick-up can hold a five pound or larger bass.

 

When we fish from the bank we throw out to deeper water.

 

When we buy a $30,000 bass boat we throw to the bank.

 

Are we crazy, or what????

 A small stick-up can hold a five pound or larger bass.

This. 

 

Some of the best fish come from negligible looking cover.