Ice out bass fishing could be some of the best bass fishing of the year. Typically fish will be close to wintering areas but also close to vertical drops that allows for easy vertical movement back and forth between shallow rocky areas and transitional areas in deeper water. This will apply to both Susquehanna River bass as well as Lake Wallenpaupack bass. In both ecosystems fish will usually be in large schools.
River current plays a role in bass location. Wintering areas tend to be slack water areas. As the water temp increases their location changes slightly, but are still close to that deeper slack water. When water temp reaches about 47-53 bass usually start to commit to shallower areas and will start to spread out. In Lake Wallenpaupack the same holds true. The current in a reservoir will effect bass in the same way. When the power plant is running water or generating power, fish in reservoirs will again be in areas of slack water like, for instance, the downstream side of a point with a steep drop close by. During cold fronts and periods of cold air temperatures that affect the water temperature fish will sometimes pull back to those transition areas.
Pelagic bait impacts Lake Wallenpaupack bass in many ways. Pelagic Bait is wandering bait not relating to bottom. Alewives are the predominate bait in Lake Wallenpaupack. The saying “find the bait and find the fish” is true. The problem is Lake Wallenpaupack is stuffed with bait. The key most of the time is finding the right structure that has cover nearby and bait .If you add your seasonal patterns like pre-spawn, spawn, post-spawn, summer, fall and finally winter this gets a little more complicated. But if you always look for structure with cover and bait you are definitely off to a good start. A “bass is a bass” is another saying that holds true. Despite all the wandering bait if you focus on structure and cover you will find fish.
