Favorite Winter Lures This Year ?

[ChrisD46]

With Fall winding down and dropping water temps coming - what will be your favorite Winter / cold water lures you will be throwing for bass this year ?

[LrgmouthShad]

We’re really not going to be in the dead of winter when I return to NC especially given recent weather patterns and I am fishing from a kayak so that influences my lure selection a little. I will use what I have and what I have confidence in. For this winter that includes senkos, spinnerbaits, and lipless. 

 

I really want to try a Hopkins spoon sometime in the dead of winter.

[DitchPanda]

A size 12 or 14 tungsten ice jig with 2-3 maggots.

[Catt]

[Reel]

My best cold water technique, and by cold water I mean chunks of ice drifting down the river and water at freezing temperature, is the drop shot.  

[Mr. Aquarium]

So far the tube has been killer in water in low 40s. Smallie and largemouth have been crushin it. No love for blade or hair jigs. And I SUCKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!! At jerkbaits 

[Bankbeater]

Not sure what is going on this year, but the bite seems off somehow.  The bass are still hitting swim jigs, lipless crankbaits, and 4" senkos.

[T-Billy]

TRD Bug, Stupid Tube, small Swing Impact or Rage Swimmer on structure. T-Rigged Sweet Craw, or Trick Worm in cover.

[soflabasser]

I like fishing with topwaters in the Winter in South Florida.

[Bluebasser86]

So far it's been a Ned rig, jerkbait, bladed jig, and RES 2 tap, just like every other year at this time. 

[CrashVector]

Same as my summer lures...just fished more slowly.

 

Powerbait pit boss and ned rigs.

[snake95]

My winter strategy for north Georgia largemouth in ponds is "vibration + flash."

 

My best baits meet these two criteria; examples include:

• Silver Buddy (smashed them a few nights ago)
• Mepps Aglia
• Lipless (have not really dialed in yet)

I fish the blade bait and lipless with variable retrieve speeds and sometimes hopping/stroking.

 

I have found the Dobyns FR 705 CB to be pretty good for smaller lipless and blade baits.  

 

[GreenPig]

When our water gets down to 50( at 56 now) it'll be Cotton Cordell jigging spoon, jerkbaits,  blade bait, and finesse jigs. As soon as the temp starts climbing I'll add the 8" Huddleston jig hook on clean bottom/rocks and a 68 Special weedless around grass.

[ChrisD46]

Good replies ... How about a Football Jig + chunk trailer during Winter ? 

[Mr. Aquarium]

5 hours ago, GreenPig said:

When our water gets down to 50( at 56 now) it'll be Cotton Cordell jigging spoon, jerkbaits,  blade bait, and finesse jigs. As soon as the temp starts climbing I'll add the 8" Huddleston jig hook on clean bottom/rocks and a 68 Special weedless around grass.

I love an ROF 0 8 inch hudd rigged with nail weights so it’s a super super slow sink like ROF 2. It’s great in shallow over weeds in the cold! I’m talking cold cold! I’m in MA 

[FishTank]

Jerkbaits.  I have been using the Megabass Vision 110 +1 in French Pearl.   It haven't been exactly killing them but I have caught a few when no one else was catching anything.  It seems they are hitting it on a long pause. 

[king fisher]

It's tough this time of year.  The surface temp. dips down to 63 degrees early in the morning, and I can't get them to hit the buzz bait until the sun comes up and warms the water a few degrees.  I guess I could try another lure, but it is easier to just sleep in and make my first casts with the buzz bait around 9:00 AM.

[Team9nine]

Same baits I throw every winter - hair jigs, Ned, suspending jerks, and blade baits. Some larger reservoirs I will throw the A-rig. Designer braces for this guy and a couple of his buddies yesterday

 

[Deleted account]

Tiny piece of plastic on a crappie jig head, hair jig, JB, blade bait, inline spinner, if that doesn't get 'em, it's indoor pickleball (wife's new thing)...

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Since the water has gotten into the lower 40s and the fish have started to transition into the winter pattern the breakout bait so far for me has been the Reins RND fat.  It kind of surprised me because its not particularly buoyant and the profile is a little smaller then what I would normally use for a bait that length.  

I had caught 2 on a trd in a particular corner that I knew was holding fish.  I had a bag of them in pocket so I figured I'd em a try.  I went from 2 fish in about 12 casts with the TRD to 7 in 10 with the RND.  I guess mostly the profile of the RND made the difference, because the colors were very similar. I was throwing a black/blue TRD and RND in bluegill which is kind of like a slightly translucent black with gold/blue flk.    

[WRB]

Lakes Castaic and Casitas winter is when water temps drop lower then 50 degrees but higher then 45 degrees. 

FLMM can’t tolerate colder water.

Our bass population goes deep to 25’ to 60’, my depth limit is 40’. 

Lures that perform at those depths are my choices. Jigs, drop shot and Slip shot soft plastics, structure spoons and ice jigs, swimbaits and crank baits are my go to lures.

Tom 

[Smallies]

1 hour ago, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Since the water has gotten into the lower 40s and the fish have started to transition into the winter pattern the breakout bait so far for me has been the Reins RND fat.  It kind of surprised me because its not particularly buoyant and the profile is a little smaller then what I would normally use for a bait that length.  

I had caught 2 on a trd in a particular corner that I knew was holding fish.  I had a bag of them in pocket so I figured I'd em a try.  I went from 2 fish in about 12 casts with the TRD to 7 in 10 with the RND.  I guess mostly the profile of the RND made the difference, because the colors were very similar. I was throwing a black/blue TRD and RND in bluegill which is kind of like a slightly translucent black with gold/blue flk.    

Took at look at these, they look pretty awesome, and looks like not a lot of guys are using them.  When you say 7/10 casts were fish, was that one one outing I'm assuming?  Also, what type of water are you fishing?  And were you out deep or close to the bank?  

 

Obviously, the Bait Monkey is on my back ...

@WRB ever fish blades in those waters, Tom?  Maybe too shallow?

[Basser2021]

The best lures for me in the winter is a 4 inch yum dinger, a storm wild eye swim shad, or a strike king mini king spinnerbait 

[The Bassman]

19 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Same baits I throw every winter - hair jigs, Ned, suspending jerks, and blade baits. Some larger reservoirs I will throw the A-rig. Designer braces for this guy and a couple of his buddies yesterday

 

This is my go to when wind makes ned difficult to control. Very effective chara lure, too as per the picture.

[the reel ess]

What has worked best for me is the Heddon Sonor blade bait in 1/2 oz. These should come in 3 packs because they're easy to lose. I've also gotten bites on a T-rigged craw, jig and wobble football head with T rigged craw. Also one bass on a spinnerbait. For most of the winter I could get by with 3 rods, often 2.

 

Side note: big crappie like the blade bait too.