ColdWater Lures

[Btech]

I started a thread a month ago about lures everyone should have in their box / bag as to see just what many of you are using or swear by.

Now im gona fine tune it a bit ... ID like to see what everyone uses in COLD water. please explain why it makes a good coldwater lure or why you think its better than somthing someone else is using.

Just an intersting topic I thought - maybe it would help some of us out who havn't gotten a Bass this Winter.

[Catt]

The same ones I use in warm water I just don't tell the bass there is no difference  

[Raul]

Down here there ain 't no "cold" water.

[Bad to da Bass]

Here in North Carolina you should use a Booyah Pigskin Jig in Molting Craw color and a Pumpkin PinchIt! jig Trailer from Bass Snacks

[Wayne P.]

Silver Buddy, because it works.

[jack1]

Cold water situations, bass aren't willing to go far to chase down a lure so you're best options are to go with a more vertical presentation such as jig/pig, stop and pause action like suspending jerk baits, a tighter cranking action such as a lipless crank bait, or slow rolling a spinnerbait off the bottom.  

Whatever the presentation you choose, remember to slow down in cold water conditions.

[BassFishingMachine]

The only lure that works for me in cold waters are jerkbaits. I believe in the winter the fish's forage is primarily baitfish (atleast in the waters im fishing), this being said I don't want to imitate worms, frogs, or anything in that line. I just want to imitate baitfish. I also believe the fish's metabolism slows down, meaning it takes them longer to digest meals, I think in this case a small meal is the best bet, so I don't like to use large jerkbaits, I prefer small 1 1/2 - 2inch jerkbaits in the cold. My favorite cold water jerkbait is a rapala husky jerk, in the smallest size, which I believe is 2inches.

So, a suspending jerkbait does this pretty well, and I can fish it very slowly. I can give it long pauses, and short twitches. This is the only lure which I will use in real cold water.

Once the water warms up a bit come late march, I'll start throwing lipless cranks.

I have heard jigs work well in cold water, but I have yet to have any luck with them in these conditions so I don't list them in my arsenal as a cold water bait. Though im sure they work for many in the cold water, because of how frequently I hear about them in the subject of cold water baits.

[bass wrangler569]

The key is to fish slow. I use primarily big jerkbaits and jigs (I switch to hair jigs when it gets really cold). Although lately everything has been frozen so I haven't been throwing much of anything.

[rayrock99]

1-dropshot

2-hair jigs

3-lipless crankbaits

4-LC pointers

[jjonsgaard]

Definitely jerk baits... The key is looonnnnnggggg pauses, and finding the strike zone.  If you really believe there are fish there i have left it paused for 20-30 seconds, then give it a small twitch and let it sit for 20-30 seconds.  One thing to remember is they most likely will not chase it all the way to the boat so target an area and keep it in the strike zone.

[BARON49_Northern NY]

Jig and real pork pig. Over the years in really cold water especially right after Ice out have been a proven winner not only for catching bass, but catching big bass. A light 5/16 oz jig with a #11 Uncle Josh pork frog falls slowly and can be worked in short hops or just crawled along the bottom and in most situations works perfectly. If I think there are some big fish in the area I go to as heavy as a 1/2 oz jig and use a #1 or a Big Daddy pork frog trailer. Both of my personal best Largemouths a 9.3 and a 9.1 have come on these baits.

FYI....for those Smallmouth fisherman this setup works great for Big Smallmouths right after Ice out as well.  Have lost count of the 6 lbers this rig has caught over the years.

[CWB]

I usually jig a Jigging Rapala with one rod and put a 4"-6" roach on a tip-up. Oh did you mean open water? ;D

[Bassaholic84]

40 degree water, Suspending jerks and nothing else.... may not catch 20 but they are usually bigguns.  

[5bass]

Cold water = a spoon, deep diving jerkbait and a jig