never do much winter fishing...where do bass tend to go in the colder months in the rivers and streams and where at in ponds???

On the Susquehanna in PA and on the Upper Potomac in Maryland you can look for winter bass in the current breaks and eddies on the outside bends of the river. Anything blocking the current and that is a easy ambush spot. When the river is up , fast and muddy---my favorite time--- they are pretty easy to find. We do well in those conditions around here. It pushes them up on the banks in the current breaks such as fallen trees, rocks, brush, down current points, etc. I usually start at the bottom of the eddy and work my way up. Fish sssssssslllllloooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww.

Florida!

Vertical-most drop-offs

Roger

Craig,

I enjoyed reading your post. Welcome to the boards!

Very informative post Craig.  Thanks!

Jason

Good article, Craig!  I enjoyed it.

I have located bass around fallen logs and in deeper than normal areas. I had success getting several hits and two or three bass by casting a senko with scent applied to it around fallen timber and letting it sit for about 20 second, then twitching it, and then letting it sit for a while.  Soon, you'll feel that familiar tapping of a bass inhaling your senko.

Like craig said, deep near shallow. Find the irregularity on that rip rap point (produced a 9lber last weekend doing this on jig-n-pig), or that big rock on a drop off (produced a 6 and 2 4s last week deep crankin). Dont overlook the flats during low light hours. I have had more numbers success this winter on flats shallower than 8ft than any winter before. The most important thing I have found this winter is to thoroughly cover the irregularities on structure features. Dont worry so much about covering water, just pick out a few features on breaklines or flats and cover every inch with a couple different speeds and colors. It seems in winter the dinks are fewer and farther between, but the big boys come out to play.

Bass in shallow water during the winter?

Bass chasing baits during the winter?

You bet your sweet bippy!

Okay, here's a specific case to focus on. I went out to my neighborhood pond (30-40 acres) for about an hour last Saturday. I'm in southeastern Mass., where it's been unseasonably warm, so I thought the bass might have wandered into the shallower places. Water temp was in the low forties, and I concentrated in areas 5-6 feet deep near water 15-25 feet deep. I used jigs, at first 3/8 oz, then downsized 3/16 oz. I worked them as slowly as I could stand, which means I let them sit for 30 seconds before moving them almost imperceptibly and letting them sit again.

Nothing. This can be a finicky pond, but I never get skunked and I've caught some 5 & 6 pounders out of it. After leaving on Saturday, I decided I'd try deeper next time (this weekend?), but the trouble is that my depth finder shows zero cover deep. Looks to be fairly flat muddy bottom. Now, this pond is small enough that I should be able to find the bass in an afternoon of fishing, but I had no luck in all the submerged cover I could find in the shallower parts. Could the bass be just suspended deep, away from any cover?

I've never fished in January before, mostly because there really hasn't been much open water in Jan. here before!

Bass in shallow water during the winter?

Bass chasing baits during the winter?

You bet your sweet bippy!

That should come as no surprise.

Shallow water warms-up more quickly than deep water (esp. a sunny day in late afternoon)

However, on an overcast winter day after a cold front, you might be a tad happier in deeper water

Roger

Craig,

Great answer to the question.

But I still think they go to Florida. ;D

wow guys!!! thanks