Tips For December Fishing?

[peoriaone]

Hello, I have a place on LOTO but have never fished in December. I am coming down this weekend and seeking any advice? Do people catch largemouth, crappie or white bass when the water is this cold? Any tips on depths or lures to use, minnow? Thanks for any advice. Will post my results.

[stuartsx5]

I don't know what the water temp is right now but I have caught white bass up there all the way past New Year. I don't know what the water temp was then either. Wind blown rocky points for them. My boss has a place up there and he told me this morning that he is catching a lot of crappie around his dock. He put out the brushy attractors. This is my favorite time of the year to be up there fishing but unfortunately the water pump went out on my truck today and don't know when the mechanic will be able to get it in. Good luck, post some pics.

[fishinwrench]

A 1/8oz. 3" Sassy shad fished right off the bank will find you some bass now. Green bass and Whites both.

Look for banks that either have no docks, or considerable space between the docks.

"Trailer park" type banks are worthless, shade is a bad thing.

I'm gonna recommend the road less traveled and let Stuartsx5 have every windy bank on the lake

Gimme the slick water side with Rocks and No Docks!

Move in and throw parallel to the bank once you determine how far out the quality bites are coming.

The bank cruising fish have been way easier for me to sell a bait to than the ones that are hanging around cover lately.

[stuartsx5]

The last time I went I caught the majority on the slick side of the bank which is rare for me. Of course, slick was relative that day since the wind was gusting to 30 even the slick side had a little ripple. I'm more interested in the sassy shad. I have never had any luck with anything other than a Bass Pro marabou jig in a 1/16 ounce. What color of sassy shad are you using? I have thrown those up a Bagnell trying to catch some hybrids but have had no luck and this summer I trolled some pearl ones without much luck.

[peoriaone]

Thanks for the advice!

[fishinwrench]

I am just recently reunited with the SS. I usually flyfish for the whites but lost track of the population of shallow fish I had been harassing when the lake started dropping. Rather than cast my arm off double-hauling a 7wt. in an attempt to relocate them I bought a bag of 3" pearl/black bodies and some 1/8oz heads and took the spinning gear out just as a method of quickly finding a few new spots where they were hanging out.

That worked just fine and was a lot easier on my arm and my temperment since I didn't have to pick up the fly rod until I knew there were a school of whites where I was casting, and in addition I stumbled onto a really good green-bass pattern. And as of the last time I was out (2 days ago) it is still working great.

I've experimented with some jerkbaits and hair jigs also but the SS has been 3x more consistent.

Probably any paddle-tailed swimbait that size would do equally as well, and there may even be a better one out there but over the last 3 weeks I've been able to seriously clean up on decent sized bass by tossing that SS around rocky banks just about everywhere there is a large gap between the docks.

[peoriaone]

Sorry for my ignorance... What is SS? and THANKS for the input. Planning to use all this advice this weekend

[Dewayne French]

SS = Sassy Shad Most tackle stories even Wally World carries them. Also the green fish up there do like a surface swimbait/buzz/frog type of bait before the water temp gets really cold.

[Dewayne French]

My crappie action lately has been further south but I would tend to agree Docks + Brush= Crappie

[peoriaone]

Thanks for all the advice... Anyone interested in joining me Friday, Saturday or Sunday? I will have the boat and cover the gas Just be somewhat close to MM43