The Traditional Thinking
Throughout most of the United States, winter weather can bring water temperatures down to 50 °F or colder. This is pretty chilly for many species, including bass and other sunfish.
It's no secret that, during winter, fish will often migrate to deep water to escape the harsh surface conditions. Therefore, the best winter fishing typically occurs offshore, in waters 20' or deeper. It isn't until winter comes to an end and water temperatures reach 60 °F, that the bass move shallow to begin their prespawn routines.
However, this probably isn't whole story. Many anglers believe that it's not actually warmer water that drives bass shallow, but rather longer daylight hours.
Evidence for Shallow Bass
Here's a great video from the Steve Rogers Outdoors YouTube channel, where Rogers shares that he's observed bass congregating against the bank in water temperatures as cold as 40 °F.
To explain this phenomenon, he points to an article by Kevin VanDam, which discusses how daylight and moon phase are dominating factors when it comes to bass behavior.
From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense. Some winters are colder than others, and daily water temperatures can fluctuate significantly as weather fronts move in and out.
However, the amount of daylight that your lake receives throughout, say, March, is the same year after year. The bass in your region have been experiencing the same annual light cycles for centuries. So, it would make sense for light to have a more powerful influence than temperature when it comes to seasonal bass movement.
After all, there are many living things whose seasonal behaviors are influenced by light exposure. In this article, pro angler Brian Latimer points out that a lengthening photoperiod is what stimulates many plants to enter their spring growing cycles. Extending this observation to bass, Latimer explains:
The Winter Solstice has come and gone. For most of us, everything a bass does now and for the next several weeks revolves around the spawn. As the length of the days increases, the fish will begin to move shoreward in stages regardless of weather patterns and water levels. They might not actually spawn, but they definitely will start to get into position to do the deal.
Key Takeaways
- A season isn't just defined by the weather or water temperature—it's the amount of daylight too.
- Even if water temperatures are still in the forties or fifties, try fishing shallow. Bass are likely to be hanging out in whichever areas get the most sunlight.
- For all the bank fisherman out there, cold weather is no excuse to not go fishing.
Thanks for reading, and good luck on the water!
