Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

Late-season bass fishing still productive
Saturday, November 11, 2006
By Bob Gwizdz

MT. CLEMENS -- Joe Balog thinks bass anglers who have already put away their fishing rigs for the season are missing the boat.

Balog, who proved recently that he knows a little bit about bass fishing by winning the $62,000 first prize in a BASS tournament on Lake Erie, says bass fishing can be good right until ice up. More... (http://www.mlive.com/sports/statewide/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1162939203108160.xml&coll=1)

He is right on the money.  Some of the best days I have had on the water were late in the year.  When I lived in upstate NY, we fished right up until the lake froze.  I even remember a few days when there was ice on the north end of the lake, and I was whacking smallies in that 33 degree water. 

Check this out from a few years ago...

http://www.nybass.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=636&d=1071971749

http://www.nybass.com/showthread.php?t=3892&highlight=conesus

In NY we started an "Iron Man" circut, ran a few events in November and December.  Not a huge turnout, but we usually had 10 - 15 boats show up, if the weather was nice we could get 20 - 25.  Those were some HUGE weigh-ins.

Of course, when I lived in Oklahoma, the tournaments never stopped.  Year round!  Man, I miss that.  There were a few times when the first boat in the water had to break some ice along the shoreline, but it was worth it!

Seth V