Bass Fishing 10 Day Outlook - January 02, 2025
January 02, 2025 Bass Fishing Update 🎣
Bass fishing fanatics! Dive in and explore all three 10-day Bass Fishing Outlook heat maps below. Make sure you don’t miss it — scroll down to check out the latest Bass Season and Bass High Wind maps to stay ahead of the game. Know-Adapt-Catch® more Bass.
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10 day bass fishing outlook for this week
If you live in the southern half of the nation, since we are just coming off a warm trend and new moon, you will still find bass more active than normal for this time of year for the next few days. Until a major cold front hits Sunday/Monday.
In the northern states, if you love a challenge and braving the cold, get your finesse game on and be sure to refer to BassForecast Adapted Patterns® recommendations to improve your odds. You may need an ice auger to get after em…especially later next week.
Be sure to check the BassForecast Rating Explained, inside the BassForecast app, for specific break-downs of your local waters here.
BassForecast Rating (BFR):
The BassForecast Rating (BFR) is an advanced predictive system that analyzes over 11,000 real-time data variables, including past and forecasted weather conditions, water parameters, solunar, bass industry intel, and known bass biology. By synthesizing this extensive data, the BFR generates a comprehensive 1-10 rating a predictive indicator of bass feeding behavior from EPIC (relatively high activity) to SLOW. You can find your local bass fishing forecast details inside the BassForecast mobile app.
Bass Season Forecast Forecast:
Plan your next fishing trip with confidence! These Bass Season maps are must-see tools for staying ahead of changing conditions and boosting your chances of landing more bass.
Overview:
Southern States: The recent relatively long and unseasonably warming trend is coming to an end in 3 days. If you go in the next few days, you will still find fish in fall and pre-spawn pattern spots. They will drop back into a winter pattern sometime next week depending on where you live and when you go. So, be sure to look at your BassForecast Adapted Patterns for each day in the upcoming 10 days to see what day that is projected to happen.
Note that the BassForecast AI uses complex data and calculations including a “time variable” for the delayed effect weather has on bass environments. Even very experienced guides and pros refer to BassForecast Adapted Patterns® during rapidly changing conditions to open up their minds and get a few ideas to help them figure out the bite during rapidly changing weather conditions.
What this means for you - over the next 5 days be prepared to quickly adapt the baits and locations you fish. Look at your BassForecast PRO Adapted Patterns recommendations ahead of time to make sure you have time to pack or buy any baits you might need.
Get out there and make the most of the changing conditions this week!
Top Bait Recommendations
The success of each bait will depend on where you fish it, how you present it, having the right rod, reel, and line set-up, and even your hook-setting technique. Use the BassForecast app to view best bet lake locations for each day and how to use each bait most effectively. Click on the bait recommended and you will be able to see 5 different, short (30 to 90 seconds each) vids with everything you need to know to fish each bait like a boss!
Good / Epic Rated Days
Based on the BassForecast AI - Weather forecast and seasonal bass pattern intel.
GOOD / EPIC (6-10 rating) - Here are the baits to fish when BFR is showing Good or Epic (6-10 rating).
BassForecast App Tip:
If you have a 6-10 BFR day inside the BassForecast app, it means fish will likely be actively feeding on accessible prey. Fish the baits to cover more water in the pockets where bait fish are congregating. Be sure to have these top 3 baits in your arsenal. See all 5 baits adjusted for cover type (weed, wood, rock) in the BassForecast Mobile App.
Lipless Rattling Crankbait
Strike King Red Eye Shad – A lipless rattling crankbait that is gaining popularity on the Pro Tour. Awesome paint jobs, premium hooks, 3D eyes and great action triggers reaction bites. Ideal for covering lots of water and finding fish when they are roaming in the fall. Match the forage in the lake and hold on! Pro tip. Where grass and crawfish are present, fish the Phantom Watermelon Red Claw or Orange Craw by ripping it through the grass with occasional short pauses.
Spoon
6th Sense Flutter Spoon - To use the natural fluttering action, you need to fish this bait on a semi slack line with your rod pointed toward the water so that when you detect a bite, you can immediately pull up to set the hook. Speed in hook setting is key because a bass is not going to spit the metal spoon fairly quickly. Make short casts. Let it fall to the bottom. Reel in and repeat in a fan cast pattern in any area where you think fish are suspended or on the bottom. 
Spinnerbait
Booyah Blade Spinner-Bait Bass Fishing Lure – Another versatile bait that can be fished with a variety of blade sizes and retrieves including bumping cover to trigger strikes since the wire helps prevent snags. Ideal for mimicking bait fish, retrieve steadily and add pauses near structure like rocks or weed edges to entice strikes.
BassForecast PRO Tip:
Presentation is the most overlooked of the 3 parts of a fish catching pattern. This time of year, most of the time, you need to fish slowly. But, if you are fishing on a higher than normal activity day, this could change. So, always consult your BassForecast PRO adapted patterns to improve your odds. “Just 2 minutes could 2x your catch rate”
Slow / Fair Rated Days
Based on the BassForecast AI - Weather forecast and seasonal bass pattern intel.
SLOW or FAIR (1-5 rating) - Here are the baits to fish when BFR is showing Tough or Slow (1-5 rating).
Spybait
Realis Duo Realis Spybait – Great when targeting suspending fish that feeding on small bait fish. When it’s recommended in the app, you can click on it to see 5 very short (30 to 90 second) videos on how to use it to increase catch rates in tough conditions.
Drop Shot
Strike King KVD Drop Shot Half Shelf – Using a drop shot in cold weather is ideal because it allows you to present your bait slowly and precisely, targeting bass holding tight to the bottom. Its subtle action mimics an easy meal, which is perfect for sluggish fish in colder temperatures.
JerkBait
Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait XR10 Fishing Lure - Select a Jerkbait that you can work a few feet above the fish. If you do not have a fish finder, try both a standard and deep diving version. Cover lots of water in and around the backs of creeks, steep banks and points with a jerk, jerk pause cadence. Try increasing or decreasing the time between pauses until you find a pattern that bass respond to.
BassForecast PRO Tip:
No matter the day you plan to bass fish be sure to check the BassForecast app to see all 5 baits adjusted for cover type (weed, wood, rock) with additional details of how to fish effectively for landing bigger winter bass — changing conditions could affect the ratings or bait recommendations!
4 Bonus baits to try if you live in the South from 01/02/2025 through 01/06/2025:
Jig
Squarebill Crankbait
Soft Plastic Jerkbait
Lipless Rattling Crankbait
These baits are must-haves for your tackle box. Gab them here.
BassForecast High Wind Forecast:
Plan your next fishing trip with confidence! These High Wind maps are must-see tools for staying ahead of changing conditions and boosting your chances of landing more bass.
Get out there and make the most of the changing conditions this week!
BassForecast PRO Tip:
Over 1.5 million+ BassForecast anglers have used these tips to boost catch rates during the cooler season.
1. DO NOT rely on “what worked yesterday”. It's not a solid strategy. The trickiest part of figuring out the bite in bass fishing is that patterns can change daily based on the weather, thus changing the feeding behavior of bass. Use the BassForecast app feature Adapted Patterns® to help adapt your strategy in real time. BassForecast Adapted Patterns® has predicted the winning pattern in 86% of top flight bass fishing tournaments 7 to 10 days before the tournament began.
2. Select best odds days up to 10 days in advance by getting BassForecast PRO inside the app. While there's no ‘guarantee’ of success on any single outing, double blind research has shown that season long average catch rates during GOOD/EPIC rated days are 68% to 305% higher than the average. Fisheries biologist research has also proven that bigger bass are caught during GOOD/EPIC days due to proactive vs reactive feeding behavior.
3. NO MATTER WHEN YOU GO, the BFR combined with the Seasonal Pattern (see map below) guides the 3 key elements of a successful bass catching pattern: 1. Baits to use. 2. Best bet fish feeding locations. 3. Best bet presentation speed.
Tight lines and happy fishing!
Stay ahead of the seasonal shifts, and make the most of these prime bass fishing days. Don't forget to check the BassForecast app for all the latest insights to keep your trips productive.
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