Finding Winter Bass: Key Structure Types That Hold Fish in Winter

With winter in full swing, chances are you’ve noticed that bass are acting differently than they were a few months ago. Gone are the days of tossing big, aggressive baits and getting huge reaction strikes from hungry bass. Instead, they’re going to be harder to find and even harder to hook into. Here’s what you need to know about locating and hooking into a big winter bass.

When winter rolls in, water temperatures start to drop, and bass metabolisms slow way, way down. When this happens, their feeding habits become far less frequent, and they typically don’t move around the body of water much at all. They like to conserve their energy this time of year, sticking to areas where water temps, oxygen levels, and food levels stay consistent.

On that note, the prey that bass go after (shad, bluegill, etc…) also move to the same areas for the same reasons. Even though the bass won’t be feeding heavily, they still need to eat. So wherever the food is, that’s where the bass will likely end up eventually.

So now that we know how the bass are going to be operating in winter, how does that actually translate to helping you find them when you’re out on the lake?

Channel bends and ditches are a great place to look this time of year. These areas provide depth, cover, and current breaks in one place, which is exactly what bass are going to be looking for. You’ll want to be looking for these features in water depths between 15 and 35 feet. 

To find the best area, you should try to find one of these areas as close to a main lake point as you can. Mix that with a hard bottom with scattered rocks and other structures, and you’ll have a great spot to try.

When fishing this area, try using vertical style baits like drop shots or blade baits. These allow you to target bass that are either suspended in these areas or bass that are holding closer to the bottom.

Another great spot to try is a main lake point. These work better if you notice any movement at all from the bass, as they’ll use these points as main areas to move when needed. You’ll want to look for these areas that are in somewhat deeper water; anything in the 10 to 35 foot range should be good. If you can find a point that has this depth with steep drop-offs, that’s even better.

Main lake points are typically going to be better for some of the bigger fish, while smaller secondary points can be productive but likely hold smaller fish. To fish either area, you can try slow-rolling a football jig, tossing a smaller jerkbait, or working a small finesse swimbait along the point.

Bluff walls and steep rock banks are great places to look for bass working transition zones. These areas provide some vertical structure that lets the bass change depths quickly without expending too much energy. You’ll want to find these areas in depths ranging from 15 to 40 feet. If you can find these areas, try looking for any extra ledges, pockets, or other differentiating features that may provide cover for baitfish.

Fishing these areas is best done with a suspending jerkbait or vertical presentations. Jerkbaits can be worked along the edges of these bluff walls and banks, which can be great when bass are more suspended. If they’re holding deeper, the vertical presentations like a dropshot or a ned rig are going to be most effective.

Deep humps and offshore structures are going to be one of the best options to try for big bass this time of year. These areas are found in deep water (usually 20 to 40 feet), but provide a bit of elevation that the bass can use to change depths easily and also get easier access to prey when needed. Typically, hard bottom humps are going to work better for you than muddy bottom areas.

In these areas, vertical presentations are your best bet. Blade baits or even a vertical jigging spoon can be a great option. With these presentations, try to keep it slow and steady, allowing for bass to come up and strike on the fall. If it’s a bit shallower, you can definitely try a smaller swimbait and work it along the edges of larger humps or pieces of structure.