| Water temperature is one of the most significant | | | | expend less energy capturing and digesting food, |
| factors to rely on when trying to locate and catch | | | | which enables them to be more efficient in cold |
| largemouth bass. As water temperature changes | | | | water. |
| throughout the year, so does fish behavior and | | | | At 39° F, which would occur mostly in northern |
| metabolism. Learning to identify how lakes change | | | | latitudes where ice cover is possible, it is theorized |
| and how largemouth adapt to these changes can | | | | that largemouth bass may only feed a couple of |
| improve your success on any body of water. | | | | times per month during the winter, and each meal |
| Fishing for largemouth bass during the hot summer | | | | takes between 14 and 17 days to digest. Therefore, |
| months is often frustrating because warm water | | | | locations that consistently produce notable catches in |
| temperatures can make finding and catching fish | | | | late fall or early winter are likely to be where large |
| difficult. Periods of seasonal transition, however, are | | | | aggregations of largemouth bass can be found until |
| typically excellent times to track largemouth bass | | | | they "migrate" to spawning grounds in the spring. |
| based on water temperature. One such time is early | | | | However, only a few will be caught on a daily basis |
| fall when air temperatures begin to dip into the | | | | due to their slow metabolic processes and feeding |
| 70° F range. In ponds and lakes, this initial | | | | behavior in cold water. |
| cool-down period is a precursor to fall turnover. | | | | Fish must use the energy from a single meal to meet |
| Pre-turnover water temperatures instinctively cue | | | | several needs. Carnivorous fish, like largemouth bass, |
| fish that winter is coming and feeding activity | | | | have an energy budget that differs from herbivorous |
| generally increases. | | | | fish such as grass carp. Approximately 20% of the |
| What is fall turnover? It's a process that breaks | | | | energy gained from what largemouth bass eat is |
| down the stratification, or layering, of warm surface | | | | discarded as waste, 15% is used for activity or |
| waters above cool or cold deeper waters that | | | | movement costs, 14% is applied for digestion, 7% is |
| occurs in lakes during the summer. During the | | | | used for standard metabolic processes, and the |
| summer, mixing only occurs in the uppermost layer of | | | | remaining energy is split between growth and |
| water. Most folks that have been swimming in a farm | | | | reproduction. |
| pond during the summer have noticed this | | | | One thing you must keep in mind when fishing |
| stratification...your upper body feels nice and warm, | | | | transitional periods (drastic or seasonal changes in |
| but your feet are ice cold. Fall turnover occurs as | | | | water temperature) is that largemouth bass are |
| surface waters cool, become more dense than | | | | adapting to climatic changes. Accordingly, anglers |
| underlying layers, and sink, thereby pushing the | | | | must also adapt their fishing patterns and techniques |
| underlying water layers to the surface. This mixing | | | | if they expect to consistently find and catch |
| action occurs until all water is the same temperature | | | | largemouth bass. |
| (isothermal) from surface to bottom. | | | | It is key to pay careful attention to aquatic |
| Fall turnover of a stratified lake | | | | vegetation during the fall to winter transition in lakes. |
| In most lakes and reservoirs, as water mixes from | | | | Observing the state of vegetation, whether heavy |
| surface to bottom, it is likely to become less clear | | | | or sparse, green or brown, or deep versus shallow, is |
| and odorous from gases trapped in the bottom mud. | | | | helpful in locating and catching largemouth bass. For |
| Dark, dead vegetation is another clue that fall | | | | example, aquatic plants become sparse in shallow |
| turnover has occurred. | | | | water, which will cause largemouth bass to seek |
| The body temperature of a largemouth bass is the | | | | vegetation in deeper water on protected breaks and |
| same as the water where it lives. As a result, its | | | | on inside bends near large flats. As winter |
| metabolism and body chemistry change as water | | | | approaches, all vegetation in the shallow portion of |
| temperature changes. An abrupt decrease or increase | | | | the lake has begun to turn brown and die. |
| in temperature of 8 degrees or more can cause | | | | Occasionally, largemouth bass will cruise these areas |
| internal chemical imbalances in fish. It's important to | | | | on warm, sunny days, but, more often they are |
| realize that when largemouth bass experience | | | | forced to hold on steeper drop-offs among rocks or |
| changes in temperature, they may become inactive | | | | stumps. |
| until their bodies can reach equilibrium at a new | | | | Another important factor to consider is wind direction |
| temperature. It may take largemouth bass several | | | | and time of day. During the pre-turnover period, |
| days to recover from a decline in temperature, | | | | when largemouth bass tend to school and feed |
| whereas they can recuperate from an increase in | | | | heavily on baitfish, anglers often target the windy |
| temperature in only a few hours. Therefore, cold | | | | banks because baitfish tend to be concentrated in |
| fronts have a greater impact on fishing than warm | | | | these areas. However, on cool days in late fall or |
| fronts. | | | | early winter, this may not be the best strategy. |
| Largemouth bass will instinctively move to warmer | | | | When there is a little "chop" on the water, light, and |
| water when the water temperature is below | | | | thus heat, do not penetrate the water's surface to |
| 76° F and to colder water when above 86° | | | | any considerable depth. As a result, areas affected |
| F. A largemouth bass can detect changes in water | | | | by wind may become less attractive to largemouth |
| temperature less than one half of a degree using its | | | | bass. In areas that are as flat as glass on cool days, |
| lateral line. In spite of this, bass will not normally | | | | light, and subsequently heat, can stimulate inactive |
| search for locations that offer optimum | | | | fish to feed more readily. Largemouth bass are |
| temperatures if all of their basic needs are being met. | | | | typically more active during the middle or warmest |
| Even though they are most likely to move to feed | | | | part of the day in fall and winter. As a result, you |
| or avoid life-threatening conditions, no single factor is | | | | may have success fishing for largemouth bass on |
| dominant enough to force bass to move away from | | | | large flats or in shallow coves adjacent to deeper |
| satisfactory conditions in an effort to achieve | | | | water during the warmest part of most autumn days |
| optimum conditions. | | | | or during sudden warm spells. |
| Cooler water temperatures slow the metabolism of | | | | As discussed above, water temperature directly |
| largemouth bass, which causes them to limit | | | | affects the bodily functions and behavior of |
| movement and eat less. Even though the metabolism | | | | largemouth bass in many ways. When water |
| of largemouth bass slows in cooler water, this does | | | | temperature is actively changing, bass will adapt |
| not mean that they cannot swim fast or aggressively | | | | accordingly. For consistent fishing success, therefore, |
| strike a passing lure. However, smaller prey such as | | | | it is vital that anglers understand how and why bass |
| aquatic insects typically offer less resistance to | | | | behave as they do at various temperatures. It's also |
| capture, take less energy to digest, and are often | | | | very important to know, not only the water |
| targeted by largemouth bass when the water cools | | | | temperature at the time you are fishing, but also the |
| to around 50° F. Even at this temperature it | | | | temperature trend in the days preceding your trip. |
| may take between 4 and 7 days for a largemouth | | | | Doing your homework on water temperature |
| bass to digest a single meal. This strategy of | | | | definitely increases fishing success. |
| consuming small prey items allows largemouth bass to | | | | |