STOP Fishing Deep! (The 40° Winter Bass Mistake)
Winter river fishing in Illinois is a grind, especially when water temps drop to 40 degrees and the wind won’t let up. In this video, I head back to one of my favorite Illinois rivers and break down how I caught bass from my Nucanoe U10 kayak despite cold winter conditions. We flipped our jig into lay downs, timber, and grass structure and found some success.
With 40° water, strong wind, and cold air temps, I expected the bass to move deep but surprisingly, they were still shallow. By targeting laydowns, timber, and shallow river cover, I was able to catch 6 bass and dial in a cold-water pattern that actually works in winter.
The bait that made the difference was a black and blue Lil’ Magnum flipping jig by Beast Coast Fishing, paired with a Geecrack Spiron Twin trailer. I also caught one fish on the Beeble Spinnerbait by Bottomup, proving that reaction bites are still possible during winter river conditions.
If you’re struggling with winter bass fishing, this video covers:
– Where bass position in 40° water
– Why shallow cover still matters in winter
– Which jig to trust when the bite is tough
🎣 Gear & Baits Used
– Beast Coast Fishing Lil’ Magnum Flipping Jig (Black & Blue)
– Geecrack Spiron Twin (Trailer)
– Bottomup Beeble Spinnerbait
– Working Class Zero (WCZ) Micro-Citizen
– Nucanoe U10 Kayak
If you enjoy kayak bass fishing, winter river fishing, and learning what actually works when conditions are tough, consider subscribing for more!
👇 Question for you:
What’s your confidence bait when water temps hit the low 40s?
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Fishing and Camera Gear used:
– Nucanoe U10
– MinnKota Kayak Terrova
– Bending Branches ACE Paddle
– Dobyns Kaden Series Rods
– Dobyns Sierra Series Rod
– Dobyns Fred Roumbanis (utility, crankbait)
– Shimano Curado rod
– Shimano SLX XT baitcaster
– Shimano SLX baitcaster
– Shimano SLX DC baitcaster
– Shimano Curado 200K baitcaster
– Shimano Curado M baitcaster
– DJI Pocket 3
– DJI Mini 3 Pro
– DJI Action 4
– DJI Action 5