Spinning for bass in winter?

[bulletproof]

I've ready many contradictory things on the web about spinning for Bass in the winter.

My general understanding is that the smaller species which lures, wedges, etc imitate will have moved out to warmer waters in the winter months around our shores and so spinning would be pointless. However, some sites talk about spinning with large lures in the winter with a very slow retrieval as the bass will be looking to conserve energy and wont waste it chasing down a speeding small lure.

Confused.

Can anyone advise please?

[Gremlin]

Hi

You've got two problems to contend with.

Large, mature bass tend to migrate to the SW approaches for the winter months. It appears they don't spawn there, but they gather as if some kind of spawning ritual .

Generally, therefore, the new all-year-round bass tend to be smaller than average. The bass in and near Nursery Grounds tend to be very numerous all through the year. Compare this to 50 years ago, when bass (even schoolies) showed only from mid-April - end of October along the S Coast.

The second problem is a combination of water clarity, sea temperatures and weather.

To be honest, I would imagine there are very few areas capable of lure-caught shore bass through the colder months.

Ada

[bulletproof]

Thanks Ada,

Helpful advice. I'm off down to West Cornwall in a couple of weeks and would love to land my first bass.

My plan is local 'matured' limpet with squid and lug as a backup.

Gotta give it a try.

[Gremlin]

Good luck .... have fun.

This man knows a lot more about it than I do ...

http://www.mikeladle.com/archive/

Bit of reading needed for this one .... search out the Chapters on Lure fishing for Bass.

http://www.mikeladle.com/

[bulletproof]

That's interesting.

In the article 'Last Bass?' Mike has used a lure to catch a few bass (on that was only a few days ago on 22nd Nov) so perhaps it's still worth a chucking in a lure alongside a baited rod?

[fishy_steve]

your not the only one thats thinking about bass in Dec mate, i did it about 2/3 years ago and got some really good results plugging it in the choppy shallows, theres an awsome mark dont mind sharing which is at the mouth of the river camel its at the very tip of hawkers cove, tricky to get to etc but me and my dad were getting maccas pollock and Bass of all sizes all day long, they dont like sandy water so stay to the left as much as you can and choppy waters a good thing, fish side to side with a surface lure to avoid getting snagged and youl love it.... tightlines

[bulletproof]

Thanks Steve,

Do you think plugging would be more successful than a weighted lure?

[fishy_steve]

sent you a pm mate but try different things, one sneeky thing you can do is use a calcuta swim head or any largeish lure and then about .5 ft above do a bead knot with a ball weight and just below that tie one feather. it sounds stupid but it looks to a bass like a medium fish chassing a smaller fish which draws atention. and you can just bang that accross the floor but you will loose tackle!!

if you use a Maria Angel Kiss that will sit about 1ft below the surface reel fast and twitch pull stop start dab it anything! good luck fella! :0)

[bulletproof]

Thanks Steve,

Seems I have much to learn about the art of Bass fishing. I will follow your advice when down in Cornwall and let you know how I get on.

I think at this stage I've read so much information from various sources that I just need to get a line in the water and do it for real. Afterall, you cant catch fish from a book or computer screen.