New Article! 5 Top Baits for Winter Bass Fishing

[Glenn]

A pro guide reveals his top five picks for wintertime bass fishing that you can use to catch trophy bass!

 

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/baits-winter-bass.html

[LrgmouthShad]

Good bait picks.
 

Historically I’ve had better luck in the winter when I keep moving. I’m not talking about fishing fast. Just fishing along at a good cadence… stopping at high percentage areas… and making good use of those select moving baits that stay effective when the water is cold

 

Its a good top 5 but you could throw spinnerbait in the mix too 

[Pat Brown]

@LrgmouthShad for me personally for my own sanity and enjoyment on the water, I'd just substitute a spinnerbait or underspin for the A Rig.

 

I am not a huge fan of throwing a rigs only because they're super heavy and expensive and annoying to fish around cover.

 

[LrgmouthShad]

@Pat Brown yes, you are offering them a snack instead of a buffet. If an a-rig works in the winter there is no reason that a spinnerbait or underspin won’t. That whole idea that spinnerbaits aren’t effective under 50 degrees is a load of BS. I’ve caught fish in the low 40s and high 30s on a spinnerbait. But you better be crawling it.
 

More on the a-rig… I ain’t even used it before. But I remember multiple trips on Badin Lake in the winter where every single boat I passed floated an angler who was chucking that umbrella. The absolutely tremendous shad population has a lot to do with that, I’m sure. 

[Jar11591]

26 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

That whole idea that spinnerbaits aren’t effective under 50 degrees is a load of BS. I’ve caught fish in the low 40s and high 30s on a spinnerbait. But you better be crawling it.

I second this. If the water is below 50 degrees, I’m most likely throwing a spinnerbait. Definitely my top cold water bait. 

[RipzLipz]

Northern strain are more resilient to colder water temps as well as cold fronts, or so I’ve read. I assume they’d be more likely to chase moving baits compared to FL strain when water temps dip down under 50°. I do OK on spinnerbaits where I fish but have yet to get a sniff on an A-rig.

[Woody B]

I never got a sniff on an A-rig until I got live sonar.  I would have never imagined how slow one sinks.   It drops slowly, but comes back up quickly if the retrieve is too fast.    I've got a torn labrum so I try to keep weight to a minimum but I suspect if you really loaded one up with lead it would still sink slowly.  An A-rig is the only lure that I strictly video game fish with.   I rarely throw mine but I suspect my cast to catch ratio is better with an A-rig than anything else.  I didn't use mine at all yesterday.  I didn't see what I wanted to see on sonar to use one.  I've watched Bass ignore spinner baits, bladed jigs, lipless cranks and various other lures, then almost jerk my rod out of my hands when they hit an A-rig.   I've also watched Bass following an A-rig, then all of a sudden one flashes out of no where and hits it.   

[WRB]

My top 5 winter cold water seasonal period in our local lake is water between 55-45 degrees.

1. Jig ‘n pig. For me that is a 7/16 oz bucktail hair jig with pork rind trailer. I fish this Horizontal from 1’ to 40’ deep generally covering every foot of rocky structure with some sparse wood.

2. Structure spoons in 3/4 oz Shad colors working bait schools anywhere from 10’ to 40’ deep.

3. Drop shot and Slip shot finesse worms and reapers. Anywhere I meter bass near the bottom on structure.

4. Keitech 3.8 Fat on a swim jig-flashy swimmer in Shad colors.

5. Top water walking lure a wooden Sammy any time I see surface action.

Back in the day a big swimbait, no longer have that tackle, so #4  fills that slot.

Jerk baits and crank baits if none of the above is working.

Not the same 5 the author selected, but not much difference either.

Tom