Bass Fishing Report

19 Feb

Bass Fishing Report

Bass Forecast

Bass Fishing Tips , Bass Fishing …

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Bass Fishing Report: February 19 - 23, 2026

This weekend, presentation, retrieval speed, and cadence are going to be the difference-makers.

Across the Northern half of the country, conditions are still stubborn and slow. In the Southern half, an incoming cold front will make bass noticeably more sluggish, but here’s the silver lining: water temps won’t drop enough to push fish back to true winter haunts. Shallow fish will still be there. You just have to coax them.

When you’re covering water, stick with your usual search bait: rattle traps, bladed jigs, and other early‑season movers, but slow them way down. Add a deliberate pause, count to three, and let the bait hang. Most fish last weekend were barely “picking up” the lure during that pause.

Once you locate a group of Pre‑Spawn fish, shift gears and pick the area apart with wacky rigs, soft‑plastic stickbaits/jerkbaits, and shaky heads. That’s where the quality bites will come from.

Scroll down to see how the Seasonal Pattern Heat Map plays out in your region and dial in your weekend plan.

Quick links to your specific regional fishing forecast below

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Your Regional Bass Fishing Report

Quick links to your specific regional fishing forecast below

Pacific Northwest

(Washington, Oregon, Idaho)

Bite: TOUGH → FAIR

Pattern: WINTER

A slight warm‑up and a new moon are giving PNW anglers a rare mid‑winter window. If you can find a lake that isn’t locked up with ice, the bite should be noticeably better than what February usually gives you.

Cold air is still hanging on across the PNW, and many lakes are flirting with ice or sitting in that stubborn mid‑winter chill. If your waters are iced over check out our ice-fishing for bass top tips article. But where you can find open water, there are catchable fish - just expect them to be slow and tight to deeper structure.

Focus on main‑lake basins, creek channels, steep breaks, and deeper points. Start with slow‑rolled suspending jerkbaits, deep cranks, and umbrella rigs, but build in long pauses; most bites right now happen when the bait stops. If fish won’t rise, switch to spybaits, drop shots, jigs, or jigging spoons to reach those deeper, neutral fish.

Forward‑facing sonar anglers can lean on Hover and Mid‑Strolling to pick off individual targets.

Southwest

(California, Arizona, Nevada, West Texas, New Mexico)

Bite: FAIR → GOOD

Pattern: PRE-SPAWN→ SPAWN (NV and NM – WINTER)

A cooler‑than‑normal weather pattern will nudge bass slightly off the bank and into deeper water just outside spawning areas. Your best bet is to target first drops, breaks, and any nearby cover where fish can slide back and forth as conditions shift.

Stay plugged into your Bass Forecast seasons to track which of the three active seasons is showing for your lake. If “Spawn” is detected but the bite isn’t there, switch to Pre‑Spawn patterns. Still no action? Try Post‑Spawn to match fish that have pulled back a bit.

Pre‑Spawn
Baits: Soft jerkbait/stickbait, lipless crank, spybait, Ned rig
Locations: Migration routes to spawning areas, secondary points, flats near spawning areas and transition banks.

Spawn
Baits: Jig, shaky head, craw/tube, wacky rig, soft jerkbait/stickbait
Locations: Shallow flats, Migration routes to spawning areas, secondary points, flats near spawning areas and transition banks.

Post‑Spawn
Baits: Soft jerkbait/stickbait, suspending jerkbait, plastic worm/creature, drop shot, wacky rig
Locations: Migration routes from spawning areas, points and docks.

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Southeast

(Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, East Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky)

Bite: FAIR → GOOD

Pattern: PRE-SPAWN → SPAWN → POST-SPAWN

This weekend is shaping up a lot like last weekend, so be sure to catch the HOT TIP below. In the southernmost parts of the region, the Spawn has already begun or in some cases, wrapped up. Across most of the Southeast, though, the bite is firmly in Pre‑Spawn mode.

If your Bass Forecast app shows “Spawn”, that doesn’t mean beds everywhere. It simply signals that males are beginning to scout and clear areas, and big females may already be sliding shallower than you expect. Keep checking your Bass Forecast Mobile app daily to track which of the three active seasons is in play. If “Spawn” isn’t producing, switch to Pre‑Spawn, and if that stalls, try Post‑Spawn patterns.

HOT TIP for This Weekend

Because we’re deep into Pre‑Spawn, the incoming cold front won’t cool the water enough to push fish back to winter haunts. Instead, it will make them hunker down right where they are. That means there will still be solid concentrations of shallow fish, you just need to slow your approach.

Use your usual early‑season baits, but add a pause-and-count-to-three cadence. This applies to rattle traps, bladed jigs, and other search baits. Most fish last weekend were gently picking up the bait on the pause.

Pre‑Spawn
Baits: Soft jerkbait/stickbait, lipless rattling crankbait, spybait, Ned rig
Locations: Migration routes to spawning areas, secondary points, transition banks, flats near spawning areas

Spawn
Baits: Jig, shaky head, craw/tube, wacky rig, soft jerkbait/stickbait
Locations: Shallow flats, secondary points, transition banks, nearby flat

Rocky Mountains

(Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah)

Bite: TOUGH

Pattern: WINTER

Winter still has a firm grip across the Rockies, and bass are holding tight to deep, stable water with minimal movement. Expect slow, neutral fish positioned around main‑lake basins, steep breaks, submerged timber, and deeper channel swings.

Your best approach is a true cold‑water grind: jigs, drop shots, spybaits, blade baits, and jigging spoons worked painfully slow. Long pauses and subtle movements are key. Forward‑facing sonar anglers can pick off isolated fish with Hover or Mid‑Strolling presentations, but bites will be limited.

This is a patience game - stay deep, stay slow, and commit to the winter pattern.

Click here for Ice-fishing for bass top tips

Great Plains

(Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas Panhandle, South Dakota, North Dakota)

Bite: TOUGH

Pattern: WINTER

Winter conditions continue to dominate across the Great Plains, keeping bass locked into deep, stable water with very limited feeding windows. Expect fish to hold tight to main‑lake basins, steep breaks, channel edges, and deeper rock or timber where water temps are most consistent.

Success comes from slowing everything down. Lean on jigs, drop shots, blade baits, spybaits, and jigging spoons, and work them with long pauses and minimal movement. Forward‑facing sonar can help you target isolated fish, but bites will be earned, not given.

This is classic mid‑winter grinding - stay patient, stay deep, and commit to the slow game.

Click here for Ice-fishing for bass top tips

Midwest

(Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota)

Bite: TOUGH → FAIR

Pattern: WINTER → PRE-SPAWN

In the southern portions of the Midwest, there’s a real shot at connecting with some big early Pre‑Spawn fish, especially if you can get out Thursday or Friday before the next cold front pushes bass back out. For everyone else, it’s still a classic winter grind.

If you can find a lake that isn’t iced over, bundle up and focus on drop‑offs, main‑lake basins, creek channels, and deeper points. Start with suspending jerkbaits, deep‑diving crankbaits, and umbrella rigs to locate active fish. Once you mark or catch a few, slow down and thoroughly work the same areas with Carolina rigs and Ned rigs.

If fish won’t rise to your moving baits, shift to deeper, finesse‑oriented presentations like a spybait, drop shot, jig, or jigging spoon. Subtle movements and long pauses are key in these cold‑water conditions.

Click here for Ice-fishing for bass top tips

Northeast

(New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, New England)

Bite: TOUGH

Pattern: WINTER

Winter remains firmly in control across the Northeast, keeping bass locked into deep, stable water with very limited feeding activity. Expect fish to hold around main‑lake basins, steep breaks, channel swings, and deeper rock or timber, where temperatures are most consistent.

This is a slow, precision‑presentation bite. Rely on jigs, blade baits, drop shots, spybaits, and jigging spoons, and work them with long pauses and subtle movements. Forward‑facing sonar can help you target isolated fish, but bites will be few and earned.

Classic Northeast winter fishing - stay deep, stay slow, and commit to the grind.

Click here for Ice-fishing for bass top tips

Curious about the Bass Forecast Ratings and Adapted Pattern® recommendations for the weekend?

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