Ponds are easier cuz they can't hide from shore fisherman.  But, I'm having a real problem catching them from the bank on a proper lake.  Right now I mainly pound the banks at Rocky Mountain PFA near Rome, GA.  However, since the weather's cooling off, I've not even seen any fish the last two time I've been there.  Any help will be appreciated.  Bait choices, articles to read, videos to watch???

I like fishing below a dam in the winter . But I have done a little winter pond fishing on a golf course growing up and it seemed like the fish would roam the bank soaking up the afternoon sun in shallow water 

I fish from a boat/kayak but as far as shallow spots they seem to be around the edges of any remaining weeds, rip rap and on main lake points that go from 3-5' water to "deep" quickly. The ones around me can all be reached from a guy fishing from the shore. Water temps in my area are 47-49 and size tends to be on the smaller side since it went below 52. The shad are all suspended over deep water now consistently and the fish are laying on the bottom below at the deeper points (my lake max is 20' and they seem to be in the 15-18' range now). I'd focus on those 3 spots above if I was on shore and see what happens...Ned Rig has been king lately in those shallow locations.

In general, winter is tough for bass fishing.  It's almost as bad as the end of summer.

 

The hardest period of fishing down here is Sept/oct...when the fish are literally scattered everywhere, oxygen levels are at their lowest of the year, and baitfish aren't schooling.

 

Second hardest is winter.

 

Fish SLOW.  Slow down, and then slow down even more.  Just remember that during the winter, bass usually only have to eat once every 3 days or so.

I either slow way down with a jig....Or slow roll a grub or shad rap. More often than not I'll catch something but not a lot..here I get a Saugeye every now and then. 

 

Mostly I vertically jig for Crappie in Winter in that 12-14 depth. Way more action than Bass fishing for me when it gets cold.

On 11/30/2021 at 5:54 PM, jskaterp said:

Rocky Mountain PFA

 

Ya gonna have to look at a map & try to determine winter areas with bank access.

 

Once ya figured that out then you can determine presentations.

Thank you for your input guys, lots of good ideas and advice here!