Natural Elements and Bass Fishing

Natural Elements and Bass Fishing

There is no time of year that nature becomes the key to catching fish like the winter on most bass fishing lakes. There are many signs during the winter that lead you to the active bass; you must however embrace nature and use the signs as a source of information to find the fish. There are many story telling signs but the keys to success are just a few: food source, birds feeding, structure and cover are all key elements to a successful day on the water in the winter time. Sure, there are others like water temperature, water clarity, seasonal patterns, weather patterns and more but if you focus on the keys of nature, you will be successful.

One of the most telling details for me is always birds feeding, if you’re fishing an area and look off a half mile away and see gulls diving and feeding you best move your boat to that area to find out if the bass are also feeding on the same bait the gulls are feasting on! Gulls, Loons, Pelicans all feed on bait fish and take in tremendous amounts of food during a feeding day and you can bet they will lead you to bass feeding also. We have all invested large amounts of money in our electronics on our boats, if you haven’t learned how to spot bait balls on your electronics then make it a New Years Resolution to do so as it will be a big addition to your ability to find bass especially in the winter! Lastly don’t ignore the obvious, a laydown stuck on top of a shallow water area or hung up on a stump is a tell-tale sign of a great spot for bass to hold in the winter. Deep stumps in water that seems to have current breaks and attached structure around them always holds fish in the cold water and should never be ignored.

The other keys like water temperature, water clarity, weather and patterns all come into play in the winter and shouldn’t be ignored, but they are only a small piece of the puzzle when it comes to finding active bass in the winter. Commit your time in the winter on the key elements and you will be a better winter fisherman.