Most fishermen don’t bother with largemouth bass fishing in the snow. While it is true that cold weather and snow is not ideal for largemouth bass fishing they can still be caught. However, when the water temperature is very cold largemouth bass are very difficult to catch. Ice cold winter weather is probably a better time for fish for other species, but if you are determined to bass fish then here are some tips for you.
Anyone who has ice fished a lot has probably pulled the occasional largemouth through the ice. If ice fishermen catch largemouth bass, then the winter weather fisherman heading out into the snow can catch them as well. Falling snow does make fishing miserable for the fisherman but snow makes little difference to the fish. Winter fishing for largemouth bass will require fishing lures and baits very slowly so a fisherman needs to be well dressed to withstand the cold temperatures as well as the snow.
In my experience, the best times for fishing for largemouth bass in the winter is the first day of warmer weather after a cold spell and bright sunny days. In either situation a fisherman should look for largemouth bass to be moving into the shallow areas to feed. Sources of warm water should be fished hard in the winter when they can be located. On large rivers, power plant discharge areas often hold good fishing year around.
Lure choices for winter bass fishing should be large lures that can be fished slowly. The bass will be moving slowly and are unlikely to go a long distance to strike. By fishing a large lure thoroughly in each area likely to hold bass the fisherman can be sure to present the lure close to any fish in the area. Large artificial worms, tubes, and creature baits are all good choices. Adding an attractant to the lures will help give you more time to set the hook which will be important as the strikes will probably be soft.
In cold water bass will often be found close to each other. This means that if you fight through the snow and catch a largemouth you should fish that area hard. When catching a largemouth note the depth that it was caught and fish this depth even when moving to a new spot on the water.
Largemouth bass fishing in the snow is not for everyone. But for those who brave the miserable weather will probably have the water to themselves.
