rain and largemouth

americanspirit · Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 3:18 pm Post subject: rain and largemouth

so what's your recommendation for fishing tonight? i made plans earlier this week to go tonight. typically with this type of weather, tonight is a "must go" for stripers. what about the larries in freshwater?

skoda · Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 4:54 pm Post subject:

i had really great trips in the rain - but i also had real shitty trips in the rain - so.... Twisted Evil

chevin37 · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:20 pm Post subject:

i have had more good days in the rain than bad days. but everytime is different. dont let the rain stop you from fishing that can be a big mistake

americanspirit · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:49 pm Post subject: worth getting wet

i went out. it was good. got em on the jointed jitterbug and also dragging some 3" tubes on the bottom. a littler bigger than my last trip so i'm happy.

thorn168 · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 3:51 pm Post subject:

Its November, its cool, its dark and its rainy. LMBs are lethargic in this weather. So unless you are hitting them on the head with a live bait you are most likely just going to go home empty handed and very wet.

Now if you said you where going to fish for Walleye or even catfish then you might catch something.

Keep in mind that night fishing while it can be thrilling and productive can also be life threatening...

riverrat82 · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 4:21 pm Post subject: well put

americanspirit · Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 8:18 pm Post subject:

Keep in mind that night fishing while it can be thrilling and productive can also be life threatening...[/quote]

besides being out for 1/2 hour or so before work on saturdays, night time is the only time i can be out fishing. twins, wife, work...... pretty much impossible to take off for a day on the weekends. technique seems to carryover from striper fishing to freshwater bass fishing. watching something slam a surface plug during the day would be nice to see though.

meatballs · Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 8:14 am Post subject:

I like fishing in the rain, fish are already wet! Very Happy

sinista · Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2011 8:28 pm Post subject:

thorn168 · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:00 pm Post subject:

americanspirit,

I understand the challenges you have finding time to go out fishing. I have them too. Which is why I responded to you the way I did.

Saltwater fishing and freshwater fishing is different in that water temperatures in saltwater fall more slowly then water temperatures in freshwater. Because large mouthed bass are cold blooded "warm water" fish they go into torpor when the water falls below 55 degrees.

Large mouth bass also primarily hunt by sight. So if it is a dark rainy night in November, the bass are not likely to be swimming around hunting for food they can not see. At this time of year the Bass's primary objective is to conserve energy and stay alive. So night fishing for LMB in the winter is not going to be very productive.

Now if you had said you where gonna target Carp, Catfish, Walleye or even SMB then you might have better luck. LMB not so much.

blackstonecarp · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:49 pm Post subject:

I'm gonna have to disagree with a few points there...

Saltwater temps may fall slower but they never get as high either.

Yes, LGM are a warm water species but they do not simply stop moving when it gets colder. They slow down sure, but people land them through the ice. They change habits, slow down to conserve energy and may be holding in different locations. They are still catchable though...even on a rainy night. It isn't as though bass are blind at night. They will not only use their good sight but their sense of smell, they will notice disturbances/vibrations and sounds etc.

I will also point out that carp are a warm water species as well..they slow down just as much during the winter to conserve energy. I mention this only to say that telling someone to target another warm water species in the winter may not be the best solution if they are looking for fast times...

Heres the thing...Yes warm water species slow down for the winter/cold weather... they do not however stop being fish. They need to eat to survive and even in ice covered lakes they will feed all through the winter, they simply need less to survive because they are less active. They still move around the lakes, follow warm water, follow oxygen sources, follow food sources. Finding the times, the areas and what baits work is a challenge but coming from someone who has caught 20+ pound carp ( when people said they could not be caught in water below 35 degrees ) in the middle of January and February it is well worth it, if you enjoy the challenge.

That said it is always good to take some time to focus on more active cold water species from time to time as well..just to keep things fun lol...nothing like sitting for 3 months or more with no fish, blegh. I said I liked the challenge, I didn't say I was a masochist.

It sounds like you had a good trip however so good on ya. I wouldn't plan to give up on the waters and Bass yet..but you may have to start really working for them soon lol Wink

americanspirit · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:05 pm Post subject:

thanks thorn168,

i hope my response to your post didn't read like i had attitude. that definately wasn't the intention. thanks for the input. this site has been super helpful for me this season finding and landing fish with semi-consistency.

thorn168 · Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:29 pm Post subject:

@Americanspirit

Thanks for understanding where I was coming from. Everyone seems to read the conditions differently. Good luck with your fishing. Maybe I'll see you around some time.