Cold water

[Dpatt402]

Looking for just a suggestion of baits for cold water bass fishing. Water from 34-42 degrees. Mostly for the transition from fall into winter before the water freezes up. 

[pawpaw]

A-rigs, suspending jerkbaits and jigs for me in those temps.

[A-Jay]

 If your fish are on or over clean bottom areas, (meaning little to no vegetation), Blade baits are hard to beat.

A-Jay

[pawpaw]

15 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 If your fish are on or over clean bottom areas, (meaning little to no vegetation), Blade baits are hard to beat.

A-Jay

Could you elaborate? We don't hear much about them down here.

 

[A-Jay]

14 minutes ago, pawpaw said:

Could you elaborate? We don't hear much about them down here.

 

Sure ~

This thread & the included video should get you started.

A-Jay

[pawpaw]

Great video. Thanks. I'll be checking those out.

[burrows]

Top water frog and poppers

 

 

 

 

 

jk

[fishnkamp]

The blade baits work really well as do spoons too. That is a mostly vertical presentation. If you fish larger lakes with big dock structures often the bass will suspend around them since there is deep water there ( dep is relative, on the Potomac River marinas with 10 foot or more can be considered deep)   

[IndianaFinesse]

Suspending jerkbaits, the ned rig, blade baits, and small 1/8 ounce bucktail jigs will cover just about every situation you are likely to face in the winter.

[Bluebasser86]

Jerkbaits, jigs, shakyheads, jigging spoons, grubs, A rigs. I'm working on my blade bait fishing with my inspiration from @A-Jay catching big cold water bass on them. Haven't had much luck yet but I caught a few last winter after having never had a bite on one, so it's a start. 

[WIGuide]

Best baits I have success with this time of year are suspending jerkbaits, crankbaits, and jigs. I've been experimenting with the A-rig this fall as well with marginal success. Part of the issue is the lake I fish the most this time of year is full of timber and that thing hangs up a lot, so it's been more of an exercise in frustration haha. 

[pawpaw]

4 minutes ago, WIGuide said:

Best baits I have success with this time of year are suspending jerkbaits, crankbaits, and jigs. I've been experimenting with the A-rig this fall as well with marginal success. Part of the issue is the lake I fish the most this time of year is full of timber and that thing hangs up a lot, so it's been more of an exercise in frustration haha. 

Are you using open hooked swimbait jig heads or texas rigging with screwlock belly weighted hooks. The belly weight hooks may help you out alot.

[WIGuide]

28 minutes ago, pawpaw said:

Are you using open hooked swimbait jig heads or texas rigging with screwlock belly weighted hooks. The belly weight hooks may help you out alot.

Currently have them on jigheads for hookup ratio. I've thought about fishing them texas rigged instead. I've just been too lazy to switch them over. I might have to do that anyway.

[smalljaw67]

Suspending jerkbaits, hair jigs, 1/8oz bucktail will be like the all purpose size. I also like smaller 2.5" to 2.75" tubes and something I haven't heard mentioned, soft plastic swimbaits, preferably 4" and less for water under 45 degrees. Fish the swimbaits slow similar to how you would fish a tube or jig, my friend showed me this 3 years ago and I'm still amazed at how well it works, especially for big fish.

[WRB]

We live in a era were bass anglers relate to surface water temps only due in part to our boats having surface temperature probes. The coldest water can get is 32 degrees when it freezes to ice, common knowledge. The coldest water can get and be heavier than the water colder water is 39.4 degrees, very important fact because otherwise lake would freeze bottom up to the surface.

When the water gets colder than 39.4 degrees it gets lighter weight and floats above towards the surface. What this means is the bass go deeper to find the warmest water available during the cold water period, think deep. How do you locate bass in deep cold water, use your sonar. The warmest water will be springs that have a constant 50 to 60 degree temperature year around.

Look for schools of baitfish or bass, the life depth zone should be fairly constant around the lake, depth is critical. 

Bass are cold blooded and don't waste any energy in cold water and they eat less because thier metabolism is very slow and they don't need food often. Bite size or slower moving easy to catch prey is what bass prefer during cold water periods. Structure spoons, tail spins, under spins, blade baits, ice jigs, drop shot finesse worms fished vertically and jigs and swimbaits fished slowly are the type of lures that are high % during cold water periods.

Tom

 

[fishballer06]

Lots of good knowledge in here. 

I like suspending jerkbaits, blade baits, and fish head spins (under spins) myself. A simple jighead and twister tail grub can be good as well.

[Wind Knot]

My personal favorite technique for cold water is to drop shot a banjo minnow.  It works even better when you tip it with a 20 inch Jelly Worm.  As for a rod, a Ronco Pocket Fisherman is my preference.

 

 

 

good luck