How's The Winter Fishing Been?

[Haris122]

A bit bored and since I haven't seen much on here reports-wise recently I was wondering if anyone has been having any luck out fishing in the winter?

[Al Agnew]

I went yesterday. Fished a section that I don't fish as much because I haven't been able yet to catch a whole lot of fish there. Caught about 20 bass (two largemouth, the rest smallies), but as usual in this stretch, no big ones. Biggest was about 15 inches. Caught most of them on hair jigs. Basically fished six pools I thought should hold fish in the winter, and caught fish in four of them. The pool I've always thought should be one of the best in this stretch, as usual, produced nothing. It has everything. Logs, huge boulders, a sand drop-off, a big, quiet eddy, plenty of water over 8 feet deep, even a jutting bluff that would block the current in a flood and give the fish a floodwater resting place. But for some strange reason it just never seems to have any fish in it.

In the absolute best pool in this stretch, I caught more than a dozen fish and only got to fish about 2/3rds of it before it got too late, but as usual they were all scattered and all less than 15 inches.

So far this winter I just haven't found any big ones.

[Seth]

I've made two trips to the Gasconade and managed three smallmouth between 17-19". Not a lot of fish, but good quality. I tried the Osage last weekend and caught several small green bass, couple crappie and a walleye on jerkbaits.

[Hog Wally]

Al, water temp ?

[Al Agnew]

Water temp was 42-43 degrees all day.

[Haris122]

Just got back from a trip to Baldwin Lake. We had lots of little catfish bite and all the ones we hooked were really small. Think the biggest was barely a foot. All channels. But I will say it was a welcome change to have that much action.

[ciRe]

With the warm weather we had I decided not to work and took the fiancé fishing. We just went down the street to Busch and we did pretty well. Saturday we fished from 2-430 and both caught over 30 and Sunday I went by myself for an hour and a half and caught 25 including a nicer one.

[Hog Wally]

Al, that's some cold water. It was 50 yesterday here on meramec. 48 down at Fenton this morn. Side note, caught a really big spot this morn. Let him go at ramp though.

[Norm M]

water temps on the river I fish in north east Illinois just got back up into the 40's . it's had ice cover on the slack areas during some of the more recent cold snaps.

smallmouth bass has been spotty, some decent days, some skunks and a couple outstanding days during the warming trend lately.

haven't targeted walleyes real hard but catching enough to make it worth it .

some northern pike action but very inconsistent .