LMB in an Icy Pond?

[Wild One]

Hey guys. Its been a while since I posted much on the WW forum here, but I've got a question for you folks.

I spent 2 hours Friday afternoon fishing a local city park pond that was recently stocked with rainbows. I was fishing with a bugger and a BH Deerfield special. Ait temp was around 40 degrees, but the rain and wind chill made it feel quite a bit colder. I didn't have a thermometer in the water, but I'm guessing it was around 40 ish as well. 2/3rds of the pond was iced over if that says anything about the temps.

I've always been under the impression that most bass won't due much at all unless temps are above 55 or 60. Well, not once but 3 times I hooked--and lost fish that I could have sworn were LMB in the 1 to 2 lb range. The first time I felt the take and a little head shake. I had this one on for a few seconds and got him to the surface. It was about 30-40 feet away and I didn't get a great look at him, but I sware I saw a big white belly and large gold colored scales. I would assume SMB but, there aren't any in the pond so it had to be LMB. The second and third fish I thought were snags because the fly just stopped and wouldn't budge. Then they suddenly moved, then the line came slack. One of them was only about 10 feet away, and again, I thought I saw a fat white belly in the water. This one was hooked when I was trying to pick up the line for another cast....I love it when that happens!

So, any thoughts on this? The section I was fishing was obvisouly the deepest section, hence no ice--but it was still pretty dang cold. And the weirdest part was that they all took the Deerfield special, not the bugger. What do you guys think?


PS: All told, I hooked 7 fish and landed only 4. Oh, well--still a pretty good couple hours.

[Micropteris]

I don't see why not. I catch a lot of bass through the ice in the winter, both smallmouths and largemouths. Usually some of my biggest bass of the year come through the ice. They have got to eat all winter long like everything else does.

[Normand]

but I sware I saw a big white belly and large gold colored scales.

maybe a carp ??

[flybinder]

The second, to largest LMB I've ever caught, I caught while living in North Idaho, in the middle of winter. I was trout fishing a small lake's outlet stream........ fast moving water, 2-3 feet deep, over a rocky bottom.
It was cold, (below freezing out and snowing at the time), 90% of the lake was frozen over, except close to where I was fishing the outlet creek.
All the "facts" put together....... snowing, below freezing air temp, fast water, small creek..... just didn't "add up" to any reason that a Large Mouth Bass would hit a green Wooley Bugger!?. Not, from my own LMB fishing experiences, anyway!
But, he did and I did and we did and he netted at 21" and 5 pounds. Sure shocked me, at the time and I still can't imagine catching a Bass, of that size, in a perfect "trout water" situation!
But, like Micro mentioned....... "They have to eat, all winter long, just like everyone else!?!

[Flyandtie1]

My first thought was that they were carp,,, like Normand said.

Of course If there is even carp in that pond...

[Buddy Sanders]

WO,

Assuming that there really are LMB in that pond, then this isn't unusual.

Bass will 'eat' whenever they can without expending too much energy. While lower temperatures mean that their metabolism is slowed and they don't 'have' to eat as often, the bass will still take food when it can. Genetically, the bass 'knows' that it faces a long winter and will need nourishment to make it through. They also 'know' that they can't 'chase' food to eat it, as that will expend too much precious energy.

It's likely that if it is a small pond, then most of the bass in it have congregated in the deepest water. This is where they are most likely to find the best overall water quality for them throughout the winter. Your small, slow moving fly was probably within inches of it's mouth, and all it had to do to 'eat' was open it's mouth and suck it in.

Nice thing about winter bass, they don't move much. You can go back to the same spot on that bank and cast to the same fish until the water gets too hard for the line to sink.

Good Luck!

Buddy

[SKershaw]

You hooked 7 and LANDED 4.... What were the 4 you landed?

Sure wish there was open water here in Nebraska! I would love to feel that head shake at the end of a FLY Rod! Guess I will have to wait till March or so!

I am jealous WO!

[ROR-EYE]

I'v caught a few of the bigger bass in a local creek that is stocked 6mos out of the year with rainbows. Strangely enough, they were taken in the winter, one on a size 18 Micro Mayfly. One of the small lakes in the park is stocked with Rainbows as well, and I have taken LMB and a small wiper when fishing for the trout.

[Wild One]

Thanks for all the comments guys. Norman and Chris, could've been carp though the only carp in the pond (that I'm aware of) are grass carp-but you never know.

I just may have to go back next week. They're forcasting at least 3 days straight of 50 degree temps!

Skershaw, the 4 landed were cookie cutter bows, but I'll tell ya-for stockers they sure fought well. I was really surprised.

[Bluegill222]

grass carp will hit a fly as well. Especially once the water gets cold enough some of the vegetation dies back. Granted, they are largely salad eaters, but they can be very opportunistic as well, taking nymphs, small dries, terrestrials, even occasionally a steamer or small baitfish pattern (I catch one every once in a great while fishing small epoxy minnows for crappie.