In the coldest water of the year, bass often hunker down or even lay on the bottom (you may notice fine silt on their bellies) on structure with sparse cover – relatively snag-free bottom – where the Carolina rig works best. ... Bass will be in all stages as the water rises but focus on the bass that are moving up in the shallow water and flooded cover for your best chance at success. "I grew up in an area where we have those conditions every spring. Once I'm fishing more that 5 feet deep and looking to crank, it's time to decide between a Shad Rap-style lure and a medium-diving flat-sided bait and typically I'll go with the flat side. My favorite retrieve is to yo-yo it on a semi-slack line; I let it flutter down because the Red Eye has an enticing shimmy as it falls. If you Google "bass fishing in cold water", half of the results that fill your feed will be about flat-sided crankbaits, likely many being made of balsa. Our electronics are so good that, while graphing creek channels, you’ll see pods of bait and mark fish around them. And that's for good reason; they work extremely well. As the temps bottom out, you've really got to slow down. And remember: both blade baits and the Red Eye work best this time of year on heavier line because it slows the fall and reduces problems with it burying in the grass. Spinnerbaits have just the right combo of color options, flash and vibration to trigger reluctant bass. Best Bass Lures For Cold Clear Water 2021 posted on November 12, 2020 In this article, we will present the top 10 best bass lures for cold clear water available on the market, along with our expert reviews. You need to be presenting as long as you can to get that strike! I love to fish this bait parallel on channel swings close to the bank in major creeks and even along bluffs, riprap and laydowns. If it does, jiggle it and it shakes free. A flat-sided medium diver like the Strike King KVD 1.5 Flat here has a similar tight action but is a good bit easier to cast on a baitcaster, which is enough to sway me in its direction quite often. When the water temperatures are in the high 40s, you can afford to fish a little looser and quicker, but not much. A jerkbait gives you a great bait to toss into that scenario and trick a bass into biting. Pursue your passion folks-BRN Check out my sponsors below: Keep those windows in mind and try to make the most of them by putting yourself in the most productive places at the right times. 3 or 4) on the inside. Bass anglers have success with these baits by casting and retrieving and also vertically jigging beneath the boat for fish they have located on their electronics. Play with it and figure out the combo that works best that day and you'll be on your way to a big bag. There’s something about a flat-sided crankbait that neutral bass react to better in cold water than they do to rounded-body lures. This will allow you to put your presentation right in front of the bass. If there’s grass, I like to allow it to touch the vegetation and pull it free. Bass are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature is the same as the surrounding water. For example, use a ¼ ounce jighead with a plastic grub instead of larger baits like Texas-rigged plastic lizards or craws. You want to pick a spinnerbait with large blades for a couple reasons. Slow rolling a spinnerbait around docks, logs, stumps and through treetops is one of the most productive ways to catch fish and to catch big ones in particular, once the water reaches the 40-degree range. The Z Man Slilm Swimz is a scaled-down paddle tail swimbait that perfectly matches small baitfish and will drive bass crazy especially in finesse fishing situations. That's the time of day the fish will get the most sunshine to warm them up. Bass are focused on shad during the winter, and I prefer a suspending jerkbait for fishing around vertical structure, like main lake bluffs and bridges, this time of year. This is because jerk baits are ideal for fishing steep banks, and are really well suited to attracting bass’s attention during fall. A jerkbait also offers something different from any other bait on this list - the ability to target fish that are loosely relating to cover as opposed to holding tightly to it. Cadence is key; you'll hear that a lot anytime someone mentions a jerkbait and rightfully so. While it’s true that a bass’ metabolism slows down, he still has to eat. The weather is the determining factor when it comes to which I'll choose. All of that is important when picking a jig. In 50 degree water it takes about four days. That being said, there will be times when you need to give them a second look to draw the strike... or perhaps even a fifth or a sixth look. “Spinnerbaits and blade baits of all kinds flat out work in cold water. In clear water you should try to keep the bait moving and only pause for short periods. A Shad Rap and baits like it, are extremely productive in cold water. It’s a great tool for fishing shallow to midrange depths in the winter. However, the bass are still biting and choosing to fish water in the 40s gives you a chance to have some of the best days on the water you'll have all year. Instead, you have to hit them right on the nose and sometimes, you even have to do that multiple times to get them to bite. As the water temperature drops, so does their metabolic level. A spinnerbait can be used in all four seasons in less than a foot of water all the way down to deep-water ledges. To be fair, I have caught fish and some good ones on flat-sided crankbaits. Bass are cold-blooded creatures, so when the water gets super cold, their metabolism slows down and they try to conserve as much energy as they can. Nice, tight and compact is the way to go in the cold. Membership Includes 1 Year Bassmaster Magazine, Plus $50 in free gear. Then you have ball head and football head jigs meant more for dragging, each with a different shape to the head and orientation of the eye. In fact, as much or more so than several of the other baits previously mentioned here. But it's not a one-size-fits-all deal. Martens was quick to point out, as we saw in Casey Ashley’s 2015 Classic victory, blade baits are extremely effective even in the coldest of water temperatures. So there's often a lull at times, especially mid morning after that initial bite. They won't often move far or fast and instead just sit still and try to absorb heat either from the sun or from some object around them. What I believe holds true across the board in cold water, you want a compact jig 99% of the time. Most of the tournaments have either wound down as we work into the winter or haven't started up yet as we move towards the early spring. Their body temperature, bass being cold blooded, is the same as the surrounding water, usually in the 40's. It's not as bad as what our northern brethren are faced with when having to decide between staying home or sitting on a bucket over a hole in the ice. But with a jerkbait, you're able to target suspended fish that are loosely relating to cover. When the water is cold, you don’t want to present a challenge to the bass. Find a steeply breaking point; cast a jerkbait like the Ima Flit 100 out, and twitch-twitch-pause all the way back to the boat. So if you're considerably better with one or the other, you should pick your strength. That being said, both are still great options in any weather when the water is super cold. With the right lure and the right approach, winter bass fishing can be a time of year when you not only have the water to yourself, but the bite can be remarkably good. This is my favorite choice for lakes that have clear water. But I personally never drank that particular flavor of Kool-Aid. And remember, the baitfish continue to dart and glide quickly for survival, so a bass has to move equally fast to eat during cold water months. But I married a squarebill early on in my fishing and she's been hard to cheat on. Some of the worst conditions you can face. I don't often slow down to a jig, even in the winter. If the bait hits a solid object, pause and allow it to suspend momentarily. Their ability to suspend in place allows anglers to perfectly mimic a dying baitfish – which is number one on winter bass’ menu. When water temperatures dip into the 30s, slowing down your approach and downsizing your baits are the keys to catching bass. When I do slow down to a jig, it's typically when I've found a concentration of fish. I really like the Strike King Shadalicious in either the 4 1/2- or 5-inch sizes, opting for the larger one in lakes with big bass and big shad. Ned Rig. Take one of these baits and take your time and you'll be setting yourself up for a good day on the water. Mike Iaconelli is winter fishing and in a cold front with high pressure. I know guys who lay with a jig all day in shallow, cold water and they are hard to beat. Whether I've gotten into a muddy creek with a lot of fish hanging tight to isolated cover like rocks or stumps or I've found an offshore hard spot that's holding a group of fish, pitching and dragging a small jig gives me the approach I want. You'll notice patterns too this time of year. If you can stand the cold, these are a handful of options that work well in cold water. Often your most productive times of the day will be the first 30 minutes, last 30 minutes and the middle of the day from say 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on sunny days. But when it gets really cold, nearing the 40-degree mark, this next bait is hard to beat. Whether they’re swimming deep or shallow, cold-water bass eat baitfish. But when it's in cold and shallow water, you need to slow your roll. In cold dingy water here in the southeast, the bass are going to be in about 10 feet of water following the shad..... period. The hard metal holds up well in the cold water, and they help offer the appearance of a dying baitfish, which is important during the winter. I typically use a 3/8-, 1/2- or even 3/4-ounce, depending upon the depth. Winter bass fishing can be tough but by using these baits you can improve your odds of catching big largemouth and smallmouth bass. Advertisement. On sunny and calmer days, I'll typically lean towards the squarebill. "The main thing is to fish big baits and dark colors," he continues. The digestive process is greatly slowed; according to Doug Hannon, ESPN's Bass Professor, it takes a bass about four hours to digest a meal in 80-degree water, four days in 50-degree water! Safety is a concern, especially if fishing alone. ... and then put these cold water bass fishing tips to the test. No matter the cover and in almost any water color, you can put a squarebill in your hand and just go, knowing you have something a shallow-water fish will have a hard time passing up. Soft-plastic jerkbaits can be rigged several ways. The lipless crankbait can be dynamite on cold, lowland reservoirs or natural lakes, especially if there is vegetation. 6-keys: sports/wired2fish//// Recommended Setup: Z-Man TRD and Ned Rig Jig Head The Ned Rig has taken the bass industry by storm lately and for good reason, this simple rig is a killer way to catch bass anywhere in the country. 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