Where are the cold nights??

[Larry Hemphill]

I was reading all your comments about the lack of big bass bites this fall
Anyone been out on a cold night lately? Probably not.
We have had a very nice, boring fall - no rain, snow, or cold nights.
I can tell you after many years of guiding at Clear lake and Berryessa,
the big fish don't really show up until the first major cold front settles
in. That kicks in the late fall feeding activity. They feel the urgency to
feed as their body slows down. Some of the very best guide trips I have had
at Clear Lake were Thanksgiving weekend. BUT - we had already had some very
cold nights. One of my biggest client bass was a near 13 pounder caught at
Clear Lake around sunset - day after Thanksgiving. It was a normal November
with many cold nights already. Not so this year. Remember, the daytime temps
don't really change the water temps in late fall on lakes. It is the overnight temps
(warm this fall!) that make the change because of the low sun position and long
nights. Still waiting!! Even rainstorms are usually warmer!!

[Lawley]

Thank you for sharing experience / knowledge

[Lawley]

Every year is different

[monte300]

I was reading all your comments about the lack of big bass bites this fall
Anyone been out on a cold night lately? Probably not.
We have had a very nice, boring fall - no rain, snow, or cold nights.
I can tell you after many years of guiding at Clear lake and Berryessa,
the big fish don't really show up until the first major cold front settles
in. That kicks in the late fall feeding activity. They feel the urgency to
feed as their body slows down. Some of the very best guide trips I have had
at Clear Lake were Thanksgiving weekend. BUT - we had already had some very
cold nights. One of my biggest client bass was a near 13 pounder caught at
Clear Lake around sunset - day after Thanksgiving. It was a normal November
with many cold nights already. Not so this year. Remember, the daytime temps
don't really change the water temps in late fall on lakes. It is the overnight temps
(warm this fall!) that make the change because of the low sun position and long
nights. Still waiting!! Even rainstorms are usually warmer!!

Thanks for sharing your knowledge

[Larry Hemphill]

Every year is the same - just the timing and the extremes are different

You could name seasons like this: winter - cold
spring - unstable, combination of weather
summer - warm and hot, except the coast fog patterns
fall - most beautiful stable weather - nippy nights, beautiful days

Yes, San Francisco can reach the high 80 's in the fall
Warm weather pattern with no costal wind and fog

[mark poulson]

Every year is the same - just the timing and the extremes are different

You could name seasons like this: winter - cold
spring - unstable, combination of weather
summer - warm and hot, except the coast fog patterns
fall - most beautiful stable weather - nippy nights, beautiful days

Yes, San Francisco can reach the high 80 's in the fall
Warm weather pattern with no costal wind and fog

The "new normal" is that nothing is the same, and probably never will be again.

[Lawley]

New abnormal coming from conspiracy’s fabricated by the so called do gooders

[Smokie]

Im new to big baits, but i been chasing big girls most my years and I second larrys knowledge about theres something that clicks and makes those tanks really pick up and feed once the water truly drops hard, but in my experience living in oregon, the window is alot shorter on high moutain lakes once it does drop than on flat land lakes, i think the flat land lakes just dont stay as cold as fast as the mountain collectors do, making the window to target giants on high mountain lakes much shorter than the feeding on flat land lakes, thats my two cents to add... ps if your in oregon that window is nowish, the water temps dropped all around me with the moutains feeding most of my lakes heavy rains, but like larry said its mostly about the overnight lows more than the warmer first season rains but its starting to happen up here in oregon were having freezing nights... good luck on the gigantor hunt fellas

[Larry Hemphill]

Thanks for the comments Smokie. I just wish I could spell " coastal"

[mark poulson]

Thanks for the comments Smokie. I just wish I could spell " coastal"

I thought it meant you were sponsored by Costa Del Sol.

[James Anderson]

I was reading all your comments about the lack of big bass bites this fall
Anyone been out on a cold night lately? Probably not.
We have had a very nice, boring fall - no rain, snow, or cold nights.
I can tell you after many years of guiding at Clear lake and Berryessa,
the big fish don't really show up until the first major cold front settles
in. That kicks in the late fall feeding activity. They feel the urgency to
feed as their body slows down. Some of the very best guide trips I have had
at Clear Lake were Thanksgiving weekend. BUT - we had already had some very
cold nights. One of my biggest client bass was a near 13 pounder caught at
Clear Lake around sunset - day after Thanksgiving. It was a normal November
with many cold nights already. Not so this year. Remember, the daytime temps
don't really change the water temps in late fall on lakes. It is the overnight temps
(warm this fall!) that make the change because of the low sun position and long
nights. Still waiting!! Even rainstorms are usually warmer!!

Hey larry, thanks for sharing your experience!