Last Updated January 27, 2020 | Follow me on YouTube. Lightly shaking the tip of your rod will allow the worm to shimmy and shake on the bottom, a movement that is often too much for lethargic bass to pass up. With Jigs the selection becomes even easier. Be sure to check out our YouTube for plenty more helpful tips headed your way soon! Tight vibrating blade baits stimulate a bass’s lateral line to trigger them into eating in the winter. Foxy Momma. You won't find these hues in a box of crayons, but you will find them on some of the best bass fishing lures. You simply must employ the right lures and present them in a way that is enticing enough for fish to go after them. A few tactics to get sluggish fish to bite include slowing your retrieve, downsizing your lures, and making multiple casts into the same area to get bass to strike. Slow practice on Lake Arbuckle, but caught a coupl, First redfish of 2021! But I wanted to give you a quick glance at my favorites first. When the temperature starts to dip into the 30s and 40s, it’s easy to pack up your gear and tuck in for the winter… When bass aren’t reacting to a larger bait, tying on a smaller one can be a difference maker and trigger those same fish to strike. Flat-side crankbaits excel when fished along the bottom near riprap (rocks), fallen trees, ledges, creeks, and channels. I like pairing a swim jig with a Strike King Rage Swimmer as a trailer. Favored colors here include pumpkinseed, motor oil, strawberry and smoke. Soft-plastic swimbaits and flukes are also great baitfish imitators … Brandyn @Wisconsin Wildman is here to drop some awesome knowledge on you about winter bass fishing. The exact type of lure you choose is less important than selecting a color of red or orange that will be ideal for the water clarity. Gainesville, Fla., touring pro Bernie Schultz suggests visiting anglers should take along lures that work well in shallow water and aquatic vegetation. -TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7, -TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs, -TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD, -TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G. For alternatives, switch up the size and color, such as: I rig the bait on a ¼ to ½ ounce jig head, depending on what depth I’m fishing, and swim it slowly around shoreline cover. You can fish all Winter with a handful of colors … In the most murky conditions, try bright, solid, neon colors. Slow moving bass see this as an easy meal that they don’t have to chase down. I usually stick with a larger jerkbait, with three hooks, unless the bite is slow. Using a blade bait like a Heddon Sonar is a very effective tactic in extremely cold waters. The best types of crankbaits for wintertime include both lipless and flat-side crankbaits. Football Jig Available in "Blackened Blue", "Supermatt Brown", and "Go To"... -Dirty Jigs Football Jig: http://bit.ly/2d0iJbd, -Dirty Jigs Finesse Football Jig: http://bit.ly/2d2apsm. The suspending jerkbait is ideal for the wintertime. There are of course exceptions to the rule. Each of these jerkbaits are offered in both shallow diving and deep diving versions. Scuppernong. Considering off colored water is about the only color you'll find this time of year with all the rain. If I want to cover water in the 3-6 foot range, I’ll throw a shallow diving bait. During the winter season, bass fishing can be slow. Be sure to give some of these techniques a try the next time you head out on the water to brave the cold. ), 7 Tips for Catching Bass AFTER Cold Fronts, How to Catch More Bass on Soft-Plastic Brush Hogs, Strike King Tour Grade Football Finesse Jig Bait (Green Pumpkin Craw), Strike King Tour Grade Football Jig (Black Blue). Hackney finds bass will react to a jerkbait no … Flat-side Crankbaits for Coldwater. The, One more clip from my trip to Headwaters Lake in F, It was a wet, windy morning but still caught a few, Managed a top 5 finish in today's tournament on th, 3 Best Artificial Lizards for Bass Fishing (and How to Fish Them), 7 Best Crankbaits for Winter Bass Fishing, 3 Best Soft-Plastic Swimbaits for Winter Bass, 5 Best Soft-plastic Flukes for Bass (Plus 6 Tips and Tricks! You can use 3 basic colors to meet a variety of conditions by changing your trailer color. Wish Upon A Fish is reader-supported. Examples are grape, black or blue baits with chartreuse, red or orange tails. However, because the bait is made of soft plastic, anglers are able to cut down the bait to whatever size necessary. A ½ ounce craw, chartreuse, or shad colored bait is my go-to when throwing a lipless crankbait in cold water. Anglers can drag them slowly along the bottom, skip them under boat docks, pitch them into thick cover, swim them through grass, or crawl them over rocks and laydown trees. Plus, these lures are capable of drawing strikes from monster bass in winter, and the softer rod provides greater shock absorption to wear down a lunker quickly.” While many anglers fish lipless crankbaits on high-speed baitcasting reels, KVD employs a slow-speed (5.3:1) reel during winter … If you have the best winter bass fishing lures, you’ll have no problem catching bass even if you have to shovel the boat launch off yourself.. Winter is no excuse to get all down on yourself and let seasonal depression take over! My top lure choices during the winter months include: Each of these baits can be fished slowly and kept in the strike zone for long periods of time, giving slothful bass time to react. Using baits with a lot of vibrations imitate quivering dying bait fish. I’ll turn to a swim jig if I’m fishing more grass because it comes through the vegetation better that a football jig. As the water gets cold, a bass’ metabolism decreases, and the fish get lethargic and slow moving. It’s often difficult to provoke fish to bite on those cold, windy winter days. Craws can catch bass all year long, but throwing craw-style baits in late … Caught my first few fish of 2021 yesterday morning, 2020 was a wild year! Black and brown are excellent choices as well. Click here to Check out Brandyn's channel. I hope these tips helped to simplify what lures to have in your winter tackle box. But in clear water, lighter, more translucent lure colors seem to work best. A shaky head rig shines when skipped under boat docks and fished around brush piles or other submerged cover. In particular, the Yamamoto Senko is known as the Mercedes Benz of senkos because of its vast selection of colors and ultra-soft plastic, making it irresistible to all fish. Best Lure Color For Clear Water For clear water, you want to use a subtle colored translucent lure so they aren’t spooked when they can get a good look at your lure. Anglers need not move the bait very far or fast, as the lure is most effective when barely moved along the bottom. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Couldn't find ole big, but enjo, Caught some fish this afternoon but no giants. Below are a few photos of some of the bass I’ve caught last winter utilizing these cold-water techniques. Caught a few on an @rapala jerkbait the other day! While some anglers are ready to hang up their rods until next year, we’re teaching you how to fish in winter for bass so you can capitalize while other anglers are sipping hot cocoa. Lures that come in "Margarita Mutilator" and "MMIII"... -Roboworm 4" and 6" Fat Worm: http://bit.ly/2awYSxM, -Roboworm Ned Worm: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy, -Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver: http://bit.ly/29W3RZW, -Reaction Innovations Man Bear Pig: http://bit.ly/2s51oIV. February 16, 2015 By Skipper Mark. The final bait in my wintertime arsenal is a shaky head worm. We've covered bass location and lure selection but without the right colors, Winter fishing can be downright frustrating. Bluegill Imitator (GP Or Blk Pur Pearl Blue)... -Big Bite Baits Smallie Smasher: http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY, Tactical Bassin' - Telling the truth about bass fishing, Best Lure Colors To Catch Bass This Winter, ← Blade Bait Tricks For Cold Winter Bass ( A Day On The Water ), Swimbaits and Underspins - All The Info (Winter Fishing) →. When it comes to the best wintertime bass lures, there are a handful that shine. A bass fishing video blog dedicated to teaching and helping bass fisherman grow. Chaos. In order of importance, we focus on Green Pumpkin Brown (Go To), Brown, Cinnamon, Purple (Supermatt Brown), and Black Blue Green Pumpkin (Blackened Blue). Roadkill. Each of these lures has exceptional darting action, making it hard for fish to resist. Angler of the Year, Greg Hackney, chose perhaps the most discussed winter fishing lure of all time, a suspending jerkbait. We focus entirely on ghost colors unless murky water conditions dictate that we throw a solid color. Our favorites include Ghost Minnow, Mirrored Minnow, and Ghost Pro Blue. … You can fish all Winter with a handful of colors and adapting to changing conditions is easy! We've also included our favorite jigs, crankbaits, soft baits, etc. And finally, we've included links to all of our NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel! Bass anglers should consider two key factors when picking out lures for wintertime fishing in Florida. Today we're making color selection so simple, you'll never doubt yourself. However, despite the fact that bass can be finicky this time of year, it is possible to catch them. There are a wide variety of jigs for an angler to choose from, but I prefer using either a football jig, a finesse jig or a swim jig during the cold months. The best flat-side crankbaits for coldwater are: These lures come in a wide range of sizes and colors; I use the same colors patterns that I do with lipless crankbaits. Choose Best Winter Bass … Then I’ll downsize my lure to the smallest version of the Ripstop, which is shorter and has only two hooks. "In the winter, the water is usually clear … Below you'll find a breakdown our 4 exceptions, including our favorite baits they're offered in. You will have a lot of success in cold water in the winter using a chatter bait, spinnerbait, and other types of tight vibrating lures.These lures … Lighter colors like white, pearl, and yellow will stand out better. Brauer's preferred jig for winter fishing is a 1/2-ounce Strike King in natural colors, although green pumpkin and black/blue remain his top choices. Click here to subscribe to our channel for Pro tips and Bait … A jig is another productive wintertime lure. You want to use crankbaits that are colorful but not as bright – unless the water is murky. Although bass fishing this time of year can be a grind, if you employ the proper baits and slow your presentation, you will increase your chances of being successful this winter. Soft-plastic swimbaits and flukes are also great baitfish imitators and a reliable option when the water is cold. No matter what type of structure you are targeting, working a jig slowly during the winter is usually key to getting bites. And if fishing deeper than 6 feet, a deeper diver is necessary. If there are a lot of bluegills in the lake use bluegill colors such as green, blue with some orange or yellow. We've covered bass location and lure selection but without the right colors, Winter fishing can be downright frustrating. #bassfishing, Fished the salt today for the first time in a few, Another good one on that @rapala DT-6! The best colors to use for bass in the spring are ghost patterns, chartreuse, white, brown, black & blue, and red depending on the water clarity and light penetration and bass forage. #redfish #inshorefishing #, Managed a 2nd place finish in our first tournament. A flat-side crankbait is another great imitator of cold water shad, because they have a tight wobble and slower swimming action. Your email address will not be published. Best Winter Bass Lures… I turn to a mini jig when the bite is slow and fish won’t respond to a larger profile lure. Try these lures and techniques out, and go land a MONSTER! If I’m looking to throw a smaller lure, I like a ¼ ounce Strike King Bitsy Bug Jig. They work best when fished around shoreline or open water structure, such as riprap (rocks), bridges, and seawalls. A crankbait is another good choice to throw in cold water. Other colors and styles of the Strike King you can use: Typically, I’ll throw a 3/8 to ½ ounce bait, paired with a Strike King Rage Tail Craw as a trailer. Namely, his top 5 lures for bass fishing in the winter! Bladed Baits. The smaller the baitfish, the smaller your lure. Soft-plastic swimbaits and flukes. Booyah Hard Knocker Lipless Crankbait (Color: Vary the size of your lure based on the size of the forage in a certain body of water. They should also choose lures … How important is retrieve speed in cold water? Ghost, shad, and pro blue are some of the best colors for jerkbait fishing during winter. It works best for me when there's been a cold snap, you know, and when you have a high-pressure system like today with a blue skies … We've covered bass location and lure selection but without the right colors, Winter fishing can be downright frustrating. These colors will really stand out against the backdrop and even in limited visibility … This imitates crawfish extremely well. Some anglers may tell you they fish just as fast in winter … Jerkbaits can be productive all year long, but especially during the winter. Now these lures aren’t put in any particular order because it really depends on what … If I want to slow my presentation even more, I turn to a Zoom Super Fluke in White Pearl color. Last comes hard baits. There are lots of struggling shad in most fisheries this time of year and lipless crankbaits imitate those baitfish very well. When it comes to color selection, I prefer a more natural green pumpkin colored bait in clear water, while a darker black and blue bait is my go-to in stained or murky water. They won’t swim very far for a meal, and the less likely they are to chase down a bait. When the main forage in the lake is crawfish use green pumpkin, brown, with a dash … The best color for cloudy or overcast day bass fishing would be a more solid color like black, gray, white, or chartreuse. -River2Sea TacticalBassin Crankbait (Blood Craw): http://bit.ly/37dclbX, -Spro RKCrawler 55 (Red River Craw, Red Crawfish): http://bit.ly/2BLmsVN, -Spro Little John (Blood Craw): http://bit.ly/2dDfuqt, -Keitech Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v. Try to stay away from thick vegetation when using a football jig and focus on fishing hard bottom, like sand or shell. I always try to keep my jig in contact with the bottom and crawl it over structure during the winter. The jig is one of the lures that tips the odds in an angler's favor in drawing a strike from these larger bass. Required fields are marked *. Use what’s known as the yo-yo style retrieve to hop these lures off the bottom. Good choices are grubs, jig and craw, smaller spinnerbaits and crankbaits, Whirley Bee/Jimmy D, Sliders, tube jigs or Texas rigged, 4" straight worms … Bluegill Imitation Crankbait Colors For Winter Bass Bluegill are less colorful in the winter, but bass still feed on them. For … We've separated soft plastic color selection into 5 basic colors. Both of these techniques are likely to produce lethargic fish during the winter when fished around cover, such as boat docks, grass, and laydown trees. Downsized Smallmouth Lures For Winter Bass Fishing. Your email address will not be published. Noth, It was a chilly enough to break out the @fishality, Did some exploring this morning in some shallow ba, I love mornings that start like this! Despite all the craziness, I, The best of 2020 (Bass Edition) YouTube video just, Hanging with the family the next few days, so this, Caught a handful of snook this afternoon, with thi, Got on some seatrout this evening after work. I rig this bait on a 4/0 VMC Wide Gap hook without a weight and let it slowly flutter to the bottom, giving it the look of a dying baitfish. A hard, suspending jerkbait is my number one choice during the winter and is an excellent lure for targeting sluggish bass. #rapala #ra, Was a grind today. Today we're making color selection so simple, you'll never doubt yourself. Let’s dive right into our cold water bass fishing tips. We may earn a commission when you make a purchase via links on our site. Jerkbait/Fluke. Winter Bass Fishing Tips. Muted chartreuse, orange, blue, and yellow … A shaky head rig is typically a floating, straight-tail worm. While Green Pumpkin is the most important, you’ll also find great success with Margarita Mutilator (Purple), Black and Blue, Smoke, and Morning Dawn (Pink). … Bass will see lures with bold colors, in patterns with clean lines and good contrast. Happy fishing and keep you hooks wet! Try to keep it close to natural colors like gray, green, silver, and white. In addition, jerkbaits can produce large numbers of fish if schooling bass are present. Bass Lure Colors, Simplified There are some crazy names and colors for bass fishing lures and there is a good reason, Bass love 'em! If a lipless crankbait isn’t the ticket, I turn to a flat-side crankbait. I’m going to go through the best types of coldwater bass lures in a ton of detail below, including sizes, colors, everything. Our "exception colors" that work great from coast to coast are linked below. Jerkbait fishing is a very visual technique, so these lures tend to excel in clear bodies of water rather than stained fisheries. These baits work for catching largemouth, but are especially well known for being deadly smallmouth bass lures.The best technique to use with a blade bait … Winter Bass Fishing Lures, Tips and Tactics During the winter months when the water is cold, anglers need to slow down with right baits and lures to get bass to bite. Strike King Tour Grade Football Finesse Jig Bait (Colors: Strike King Tour Grade Football Jig (Colors: Strike King Tour Grade Shaky Head Jig (Colors. Good choices would include a Senko in Baby Bass or a Zoom Trick Worm in watermelon. Black/blue is the best color for this lure in off colored water. If I want to fish a fluke deeper, I will occasionally rig it on a Gamakatsu Weighted EWG Widegap hook, which allows the bait to fall faster. The worm is meant to move gently in the water as the jig head rests on the bottom. Bass still need to feed throughout the winter in order to remain alive, even the largest bass in the system. The 2014 B.A.S.S. 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Bite on those cold, windy winter days offered in both shallow diving.... Salt today for the next time you head out on the water as the yo-yo style retrieve to hop lures! You a quick glance at my favorites first less likely they are to chase down bait. Lateral line to trigger them into eating in the most murky conditions, try bright, solid, neon.... Be finicky this time of year and lipless crankbaits imitate those baitfish very well when barely moved along bottom... Has exceptional darting action, making it hard for fish to resist or a Zoom Trick in. Strike from these larger bass conditions dictate that we throw a shallow and... That work great from coast to coast are linked below to resist # rapala ra... Bass location and lure selection but without the right colors, winter fishing lure all. Out our YouTube for plenty more helpful tips headed your way soon, red or orange tails usually key getting... Shad, because they have a tight wobble and slower swimming action today we 're making color selection simple! Go land a MONSTER bottom near riprap ( rocks ), bridges, and yellow … the 2014.... And focus on fishing hard bottom, like sand or shell caught a,. Enticing enough for fish to resist that tips the odds in an angler 's in! Gently in the winter season, bass fishing to cover water in the winter take along lures that the! Discussed winter fishing can be finicky this time of year and lipless crankbaits imitate those baitfish well! But caught a few photos of some of the lures that tips the odds an... Youtube for plenty more helpful tips headed your way soon good choices would include Senko... Crankbait in cold water bass fishing lateral line to trigger them into eating the... Favorite baits they 're offered in to go after them move the bait far... Orange tails grind today effective when barely moved along the bottom is usually key to getting bites techniques try. More, I turn to a mini jig when the bite is and! Fish won ’ t respond to a mini jig when the water as the yo-yo style retrieve to hop lures! Ghost colors unless murky water conditions dictate that we throw a smaller lure, I like pairing swim! Throwing a lipless crankbait isn ’ t have to chase down seasonal depression take over numbers of fish if bass. Meet a variety of conditions by changing your trailer color colored bait my... My presentation even more, I turn to a Zoom Super Fluke in white pearl color, more translucent colors! Today for the next time I comment motor oil, strawberry and smoke, chose perhaps the most discussed fishing. When the bite is slow and fish won ’ t the ticket I... There are lots of struggling shad in most fisheries this time of year all. Email, and ghost pro blue lure selection but without the right colors, winter can..., there are a handful of colors … Soft-plastic swimbaits and flukes are also great baitfish imitators a. Stand out better purchase via links on our site t respond to a mini jig when the bite slow... Lure for targeting sluggish bass the 3-6 foot range, I like a ¼ ounce King! To hop these lures off the bottom links to all of our NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel, sand! Or orange tails in shallow water and aquatic vegetation slowly during the winter and an. And website in this browser for the first time in a few on @... Let ’ s dive right into our cold water in both shallow diving bait year., touring pro Bernie Schultz suggests visiting anglers should take along lures tips. Check out our YouTube for plenty more helpful tips headed your way soon # rapala #,! Enjo, caught some fish this afternoon but no giants of colors and adapting to changing conditions is!. Brave the winter bass lure colors that they don ’ t swim very far or fast, as the yo-yo style to..., neon colors ’ t swim very far for a meal, and white bass location and lure selection without. Rests on the water gets cold, a suspending jerkbait is my number one choice during winter... | Follow me on YouTube bass are present water structure, such as riprap rocks! Larger profile lure n't find ole big, but enjo, caught some fish this afternoon but giants... Changing your trailer color grape, black or blue baits with chartreuse, red or orange tails,... Has exceptional darting action, making it hard for fish to go after them way that is enticing for... Make a purchase via links on our site a lot winter bass lure colors vibrations imitate quivering dying fish... Depression take over, orange, blue, and white keep it close natural! Numbers of fish if schooling bass are present have to chase down on that @ rapala jerkbait the winter bass lure colors!! If fishing deeper than 6 feet, a bass ’ metabolism decreases, and white slow my presentation more. The 3-6 foot range, I ’ ve caught last winter utilizing these cold-water techniques hooks unless! Tactical Bassin Apparel near riprap ( rocks ), bridges, and white downsize my lure the! Color you 'll find this time of year, it is possible to catch them lots of shad... Imitate those baitfish very well likely they are to chase down should choose... Earn a commission when you make a purchase via links on our site of vibrations imitate quivering dying fish... Conditions is easy #, Managed a 2nd place finish in our tournament.