I've caught bass in a cemetery pond near my house all summer. It's full of little bass and a lot of fun to fish. However, after the first cold fronts started sweeping through, the bass shut up and I haven't been able to draw a strike or even see a bass.

I don't have experience with winter fishing at all, but I've tried most traditional techniques, such as finessing the bottom (using grubs and then bigger baits), and small jigs. Like I said, haven't caught a thing.

Any suggestions?

Live bait

Live bait

 

Besides that lol.

It was a joke.. Time for tv shows.. And scouting new spots for next year

I have good luck with suspending cranks in clearer water.  Rapala Xrap shad even when part of the lake is freezing over.

It's the same thing on the pond near my house, recently a really cold, cold front came by and the fish stopped being active.

 

However a wacky rigged roboworm straight tail (6 inch) on a 1/8 oz wacky jig head fished slowly for a really long flutter/sink, and fishing a H2O express swimbait sunfish 3 1/2 inch (only $4.99) has worked ok for me, considering the conditions.

It was a joke.. Time for tv shows.. And scouting new spots for next year

Take a bucket full of shiners and some slip floats out to your local pond this winter and tell me it's a joke 

Take a bucket full of shiners and some slip floats out to your local pond this winter and tell me it's a joke 

I used to do this every winter until I bought a boat and started fishing the power plant lakes. Find the deepest water in the pond and suspend a couple minnows right off the bottom or even fish them on the bottom with a slip sinker rig. It's not the most exciting fishing but you'll catch way more fish in extremely cold ponds doing that than you will on lures.

 

A suspending jerkbait is about the only lure I'll fish in very cold ponds. Soft twitches and long pauses will get them, but you have to be very patient to do it. I took this one on the second of February a few years ago a day or two after ice out from a pond on a 78 pointer.

I used to do this every winter until I bought a boat and started fishing the power plant lakes. Find the deepest water in the pond and suspend a couple minnows right off the bottom or even fish them on the bottom with a slip sinker rig. It's not the most exciting fishing but you'll catch way more fish in extremely cold ponds doing that than you will on lures.

 

A suspending jerkbait is about the only lure I'll fish in very cold ponds. Soft twitches and long pauses will get them, but you have to be very patient to do it. I took this one on the second of February a few years ago a day or two after ice out from a pond on a 78 pointer.

That fish is a tank! Did you get a weight on her?

That fish is a tank! Did you get a weight on her?

Right at 5. 

Thanks for the advice, guys. I have tried a suspending jerk as well to no success. However, as I posted elsewhere, I was able to catch one when I went out yesterday. My first fish since the cold fronts went through and also my first jig fish! It was fun. I used a small finesse jig (Strike King Bitsy Flip) and was able to draw that one strike.

Right at 5. 

You ever fish light blade baits? (for those same winter pond bass)

I would try ripping rat l traps or a Blade bait off the bottom looking foe a reaction strike.If thats a no go try a more non aggresive tactic by slow rolling Keitech swing impacts(swimbait) very very slow off the bottom.

You ever fish light blade baits? (for those same winter pond bass)

That particular pond was only about 7' deep and because of a few bad apples nobody is allowed to fish it anymore.

 

I've never had much luck with blade baits. I've caught white bass with Cicadas but very few bass with any of them. 

Cemetery pond?

 

Its the ghosts.

 

The ghosts are fed up with you and they are spooking the  bass.

 

DON'T FISH THAT POND AT NIGHT.

 

They will get you.

Cemetery pond?

 

Its the ghosts.

 

The ghosts are fed up with you and they are spooking the  bass.

 

DON'T FISH THAT POND AT NIGHT.

 

They will get you.

Thanks for the help guys.

Hmmmm do you think the ghosts bass fish? Is there fishing in the afterlife?