Yeah most of us have cabin fever by March/April since winter fishing is a different type of fishing. You can catch bass around here during the winter, but you are primarily talking smallmouth, and techniques that aren't always fun like other times of the year. From May to Mid October, the fishing around the state can be superb. March and April can be hit or miss, and the winter months can be too, but fishing in the cold at 50-70 ft isn't like fishing in shorts and a tee in June.

Mike - welcome to the NW!

I've fished for bass in Florida, as well as Georgia, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee....well, you get the drift.  And I can tell you this: A bass is a bass is a bass.  It doesn't matter where he lives, he'll behave to the same conditions the same way regardless of what state he lives.

The primary difference between here and there is that there are less concentrations of fish.  So the action is much slower....much slower, relatively speaking.  So don't get impatient after an hour of no bites.  Around here, you're just getting started!  LOL!

Ok, maybe that's not so true during summer, but during the colder months, one or two bites for the entire day is normal - especially when the water temps are below 45 degrees (rivers are the exception here).  Yes, you may have a great day and catch 10 fish with the water temps at 47 (I've done it), but those days don't come very often around here.

So the key takeaway is be much more patient than you're accustomed to.

The other factor is...smallmouth!  You don't have them in Florida, so that's a whole new ballgame for you!  That deserves a different thread, but suffice to say, there are some techniques and tactics specific to smallies that you should learn.

Don't get discouraged. Just keep working at it and you'll succeed!

Have fun!!
Glenn

Use up to 3 hooks if you wanna lose all three hooks n bait n weight. Or snag every piece of grass or timber in the area. or create some new type of birdnest knot not even god could untie, do to line twist and casting. then try hanging it on your rod and moving to the next spot at 60mph and see how many of your other rods you can keep that rig out of. I've tried it, talked to others who have too. I'm sure you could use it in the right scenario, but I don't fish for perch that much.
If you want a better rig, just use a jig as your weight or a tube. I usually just use the one hook and one weight tho like most people do it works great.

Thanks for the info!  I don't have too much experience with the drop shot rig.  Can that be set up with more than one hook or does it change the presentation too much?

The photo period in my opinion is a small consideration. The fact that the days are getting longer causes the water to warm quicker. The water temps are the prime factor in spawning behavior. Stable weather then comes into play. Fluctuating water also can have an effect.

Very true Karl! However, the amount of daylight (photo period) is now coming into consideration. Not ONLY the water temp. One week ago last year I was catchin' smallies  in over 70 ft. but this week I would not be surprised to see them in less than 10ft. Funny Washington. There could be some deep now, but  I know some are shallower too. This is one of the two times of the year to see them every where. Which means less concentrated, and usually fewer and farther between. Sometimes u can get on a good roll tho, and get a big bag.

Mike,

I am new to bass fishing, just started last summer, and since joining the club last October I have found that the primary rig during this time has been a drop shot, with a football head jig coming in a distant second.  Seems that when the water is colder the fish are in anywhere from 30 to 50 feet deep.

I originally watched all the Bass Pro Shop videos and tournaments on TV which are all from the southern part of the country, and they just fish differently than we do up here.  The temperatures, the primary forage and the types of lakes they fish are different than here in the Northwest.  They have shad, we have sculpins and crawfish.  Shad swim through the water column, sculpins and crawfish are on the bottom.  I will be interested to see this year how much of the time we are fishing in less than 15 feet of water versus greater than 15 feet, and how much of the time we are fishing the bottom (drop shot, football head jig), versus throughout the water column.  Then there is different fishing in the Eastern part of the state.  So much to learn.

You might want to come join us at our next fish-in on Lake Washington to see what we are fishing and possibly join the club.

Karl

Get used to fishing with a spinning reel. Those are the ones with the handle under the rod...hahaha. Lighter line will probably help. Fish are spooky early in the year. The cover is different and probably more sparse. Big baits have a time and place here but with warmer water temps. May is probably like your Jan-Feb in Florida. We also have great smallmouth fishing and the approaches to them are probably different than what you're used to.

You need to hook up with someone and see what works around here. Don't be discouraged though. Fishing is still a little slow at times now. I blanked this weekend. Half the field blanked on a few tournaments locally the last few weeks. When we get 3-4 days of good weather this time of the year, the fishing can be good, especially for the largemouth. Its hit or miss. Hope this helps

Welcome Mike!! First off....dont judge the spring as alot of us are just getting into our first fish but since you've been here since last summer maybe you just need to downsize your baits and return to Earth Tone colors..we have extremely clear water in most of our waters so realistic appearance and camoflage in the form of earth tone colors can be a big step towards success...our forage fish are not nearly the size of Shad and or blueback herring...the main ones are Sculpins and Sticklebacks.

I just moved to the area from Florida last summer.  I've tried all the techniques I used down there with little luck.  I'm not sure if you just can't do the same things here due to it being such a different climate or if I just had a bad season.  Anyway, with the weather hopefully warming up here soon, I was wondering what kind of rigs are typical to the area.  Any point in the right direction would be helpful.  Thanks!