Fishing Bass in Winter?

[B. Amish]

not a bass expert so i thought i'd ask...

my friends want to go ice-fish bass on this private lake where they hammered them in the summer (almost one every cast)

is it worth going, i've always heard that bass are hard to catch in the winter.

Does anyone target bass in their ice fishing? what approach would one take?

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Bass are sluggish in the winter but can be caught. I tend to find them on weedlines, or main lake basins if the lake is shallower. Try putting out a tippup with a shiner, then drill other holes and hole hop with a jigging spoon or a large ratso packed with waxies. Also dont use ultra light rigs bass need to conserve there energy in the winter, long fights on ultra light rods can really takes its toll on a fish.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I havn't ever targeted bass in the winter.. I have cought quite a few, but never was it my intension. Most often I have caught them fishing for panfish on and in weeds... early ice more than late ice.. I have caught a few bass on tip-ups as well, but to be honest I fish a tip up so little I bet I can count all the bass I have caught on a tip up on one hand...

it can be done, but as stated before, bass do get a bit sluggish.. Small mouth less than largmouth. I think smallies stay a little more active in the winter as they are more of a cold water fish.