I always preface my posts with the fact that I'm a bank angler. I frequent a few ponds around me, but don't have anything like a power plant coolant lake around. My question is: Before freezing over, do ponds ever become completely unproductive? Do bass still bite when the water is 33 degrees?

 

I've heard that extreme cold weather can kill bass. How cold does the water have to get before the bass are killed off? Does this every occur before ice-over?

My question is: Before freezing over, do ponds ever become completely unproductive?

 

Usually not, unless they are also very muddy at the same time. Usually cold water means clear water, and the fish bite even with ice on parts of the pond.

 

Do bass still bite when the water is 33 degrees?

 

Yes, though technically you almost never see 33 degree water except in rivers. There is a phase where water switches between states rather easily and quickly. If you go out on a partly frozen lake and take water temps, you often have about 38-39 degrees in the open water away from the ice, and about 36ish degrees next to ice sheets. The only water close to 33 degrees is usually immediately under the ice itself once froze over, and that is a very thin band.

 

I've heard that extreme cold weather can kill bass. How cold does the water have to get before the bass are killed off?

 

If the pond is too shallow, a hard winter with a lot of ice could freeze out the pond, or extended ice and snow cover could create a situation where all the oxygen gets used up and the fish die off (winterkill). The cold water temp itself usually doesn't kill the bass.

 

Does this every occur before ice-over?

 

No, after...see above comment.

4 hours ago, joshuaray83 said:

I always preface my posts with the fact that I'm a bank angler. I frequent a few ponds around me, but don't have anything like a power plant coolant lake around. My question is: Before freezing over, do ponds ever become completely unproductive? Do bass still bite when the water is 33 degrees?

 

I've heard that extreme cold weather can kill bass. How cold does the water have to get before the bass are killed off? Does this every occur before ice-over?

The bite will slow down in the winter so you'll have to adjust your presentations accordingly. The ned rig and drop shot become your best friend...

6 hours ago, joshuaray83 said:

I always preface my posts with the fact that I'm a bank angler. I frequent a few ponds around me, but don't have anything like a power plant coolant lake around. My question is: Before freezing over, do ponds ever become completely unproductive? Do bass still bite when the water is 33 degrees?

 

I've heard that extreme cold weather can kill bass. How cold does the water have to get before the bass are killed off? Does this every occur before ice-over?

Completely unproductive? No

Tougher? Yes

Trust me on this..we are from the same area with the same weather and after 20 years of fishing until ice up and immediately after ice out for bass it can be challenging to say the least. I to am a bank angler...which makes it even tougher in my opinion.

A few things I've used successfully in those conditions are Ned rig, shaky head, finesse jig with a chunk trailer and smaller jerkbaits. About the only moving bait I can ever get bit on in water that cold is a smaller lipless. I've heard shad rap works that cold but it usually stops working for me in low 40s.

One thing I will say is cold water can mean big bass. I caught an 8lb largemouth a couple years back on a jig in November.

18 hours ago, Team9nine said:

I've heard that extreme cold weather can kill bass. How cold does the water have to get before the bass are killed off?

 

If the pond is too shallow, a hard winter with a lot of ice could freeze out the pond, or extended ice and snow cover could create a situation where all the oxygen gets used up and the fish die off (winterkill). The cold water temp itself usually doesn't kill the bass.

So, it's not the cold water so much as the fact that oxygen can't get to the water and fish suffocate. I've wondered what the term "winterkill" was referring to and this makes sense. I think the max depth of the pond I most frequent is 12 feet, so I shouldn't have to worry about the pond freezing completely. Thanks for all the good info.

14 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

Completely unproductive? No

Tougher? Yes

Trust me on this..we are from the same area with the same weather and after 20 years of fishing until ice up and immediately after ice out for bass it can be challenging to say the least. I to am a bank angler...which makes it even tougher in my opinion.

A few things I've used successfully in those conditions are Ned rig, shaky head, finesse jig with a chunk trailer and smaller jerkbaits. About the only moving bait I can ever get bit on in water that cold is a smaller lipless. I've heard shad rap works that cold but it usually stops working for me in low 40s.

One thing I will say is cold water can mean big bass. I caught an 8lb largemouth a couple years back on a jig in November.

I don't have any Ned rig gear as of yet. I'm usually finesse fishing a drop-shot or small jig. I think I'll be making a purchase of some Ned rig hooks and baits here this week, though. Seems like that is the go-to late fall/winter bait for most.

The way winterkill works the way I understand is once your pond is frozen and you get snow cover on top all the plant life in the pond dies from lack of sunlight. Therefore they are producing no oxygen...and with the pond froze there is no way for wind to push oxygen in. So the fish are then using up a dwindling supply of oxygen until it gets under critical level and the fish die.

As far as Ned goes I don't use it all the time but it has become handy for me in the worst conditions...coldest and hottest water temps being those times.

One of my favourite winter pond baits is a smaller jig, like the SK Bitsy Bug. I use a Zoom chunk trailer. You can trim the trailer down if need be. I like the blk/blue color, fished with a slow crawl on the bottom. Some days a lift/ fall retrieve can be good also, with an occasional pause. Fish them slowly. When it's cold, the strikes can be light. Good luck!

24 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

One of my favourite winter pond baits is a smaller jig, like the SK Bitsy Bug. I use a Zoom chunk trailer. You can trim the trailer down if need be. I like the blk/blue color, fished with a slow crawl on the bottom. Some days a lift/ fall retrieve can be good also, with an occasional pause. Fish them slowly. When it's cold, the strikes can be light. Good luck!

I do have a 3/8 oz. SK Bitsy Flipping jig, I think. My problem with that one is the lead mold on it comes down over the hook. It doesn't have a keeper and because the lead comes down so thick over the hook, I can't put a trailer on it. I'm almost wondering if it's a defect...