Pro's Picks For Winter Bassin'

For decades, blade baits were a common staple among serious winter bass anglers. The trend took a downward fall for a short time, but with the emergence of new blade baits appearing on the market through the past decade or so, a resurgence in this tactic has occurred.

I have experience using these baits with various tactics since the 1960s, producing numerous trophy largemouth and smallmouth. With a wider variety of options available today these baits have become even more productive.

Location & Lure Presentation:

Searching for groups of consolidated fish holding on deep structure is my initial starting point. Secondly, I'll cover the main channels, river bends and offshore rock piles for isolated giant largemouth and smallmouth. They can be dispersed throughout the main-lake basin or located on deep structures when the larger groups of wintering fish cannot be found. Although many fish are consolidated, some of the largest fish in the system can be isolated or suspending on or over a particular area in no man's land.

Once fish are located and zoned, I start with a 1/2-ounce bait, with baits up to 1 ounce rigged and ready on various combos. Twelve- to 17-pound fluorocarbon is my first choice for clear deep-water impoundments.

Vertical presentations work best, but casting and working blades through structures and basin channels with a lift-and-drop retrieve can produce well depending on activity levels throughout the day.

Bite windows can be short, but I've found that mid-mornings and afternoons with daily warming trends produce the highest activity levels during the stages of winter. This holds true in regions of the country with hard water and open seasons on bass. Specific jigging rods with a blade bait have helped me pull some big bass through the ice in the Northeastern part of the country.

Fishing open water during the winter months offers a chance to fish the most productive stages of the season during prime times of the day. Early winter and the last stage of winter into early spring usually produce the best activity and the heaviest fish of the season. Mid-winter can still produce some big fish but is usually a slower stage of the cold-water season.

I've found the most productive tactic to be dropping the blade vertically, with a slow lift and drop, following the bait with the rod tip back through fish on a tight line. If the bait falls too fast when fish are in a neutral or negative mood is not as productive for triggering bites from obstinate bass.

Depending on wind conditions, a variety of 1/2- to 1-ounce baits are my prime choices. A 5/8-ounce bait is a good choice for variable wind conditions. On dead calm days, a lighter bait comes into play. Lighter baits on calm water offers a slower fall when both vertically and horizontally presenting these baits. When large groups of consolidated bass are found, multiple bites can be the norm during the highest activity levels of the day.

Rods with a medium-fast action and a slower tip are good choices for fishing blades during winter. My back-up rigs include 7- to 8-foot rods rigged with large flutter spoons and lighter rigs with a hair jig.

One tactic that has been successful for me over the years is ripping and fluttering large spoons to locate active fish. Once fish with higher activity levels are located, I'll go back on top of these fish and vertically fish the blade baits. When action slows down, switch to a lighter blade when conditions allow. The slow-falling blade can trigger extra numbers of fish as the bite window narrows. There are a good number of new blade baits to choose from on the market today. Some of the original blades introduced many years ago still are highly productive today.

Lure Selection:

The Silver Buddy is the original blade that I used and still use today. This bait was brought to the world's attention many moons ago by the late Billy Westmoreland who fished it for giant smallies on Dale Hollow for decades. This bait is available in 1/4- to 1-ounce models in the original design, and it even has an added big game lineup which can also be used for giant bass.

I choose my various models and weights of blade baits for specific waters and conditions. To cover every water clarity, depth and weather conditions choose 1/4- to 1-ounce blades in a variety of color patterns. Adding a good number of blade bait options to your arsenal will increase your catch rate dramatically while searching for winter bass. Learning to fish these baits during every condition you encounter on open water or through the ice is a great option for trophy fish.

Brett Richardson. "Blade Baiting For Winter Bass" Bass Angler Magazine, Winter 2019/20, pp. 34-35.

Bradley Roy recently hosted a tournament on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky, and competitors were pleasantly surprised by the weights for a December event. Roy says that the weights were higher than they had been during an event on the same lake during the previous spring.

Winter may not normally be synonymous with big-time bites, but Roy thinks it may be time for that narrative to change.

"The wintertime is a great time to fish in my opinion," Roy said. "People may think that it's a tough time to fish but it's really no different than the spring, summer or fall. You can still catch big fish in the winter, and I have a few baits I like to use to do it."

Wide & Tight Wobbling Crankbaits:

Crankbaits are a great way to get bit in the colder months of the year, but with so many options to choose from, the Kentucky pro really likes to narrow down his arsenal.

"I like to go with something that's going to trigger a reaction bite or something that doesn't wobble much at all," Roy explained. "An old-style Storm Wiggle Wart or SPRO RkCrawler are big-wobbling baits that I like. A Rapala DT6 or Shad Rap are two that I like for a tight wobble."

Matching the color of your bait with a lake's forage is a common rule, so when temperatures drop, Roy says to start thinking of crustaceans. The focus in the fall may be on shad, but in the winter - at least, winter in Kentucky - that means crawfish.

"I really focus more on crawfish colors than shad colors for my crankbaits," Roy said. "I like to cover a lot of water with it and even will throw it when the water gets below 45 degrees. The fish are going to be more shallow than you think they are, so I try to range my depth from 6 to 12 feet."

Roy prefers a 7-foot or 7-foot-6 medium rod, a 6:1 reel spooled with 12-pound Seaguar AbrazX fluorocarbon for his winter cranking.

Jigs With Quiet Trailers:

If fish aren't biting a crankbait, Roy says that a jig is another good option.

"If the fish aren't reacting to a crankbait or they're out a little deeper, I love using a jig," Roy said. "You can fish a jig from the bank to all the way out into 30 feet of water. I use a 1/4-ounce D&L Tackle jig in the winter because that slower fall seems to get more bites."

A jig may sometimes only be as good as its trailer, but instead of reaching for a big crawfish or bug, Roy recommends that simpler is always better come winter.

"I try to get away from trailers that move a lot of water," Roy detailed. "I don't want to use something that's going to kick up a lot of water so something simple is probably best. An old pork-style chunk is the way I like to go."

Roy prefers to slightly downsize his line when he's fishing a jig in the winter.

"If you can get by with a lighter line, it seems to get you more bites," Roy tipped. "I'm not entirely sure why but it has always worked for me. I usually cast a jig on 17-pound fluorocarbon, but in the winter I always drop it down to 15-pound. Pair that with a 7-foot-2 heavy rod and a 7:1 reel and that's a perfect setup."

Small Swimbait:

The final bait on Roy's list of winter must-haves is a small swimbait. While he's looking for a reaction bite with his crankbaits, Roy prefers to work the swimbait much slower as he searches the bottom.

"I usually try to downsize my swimbait to like a 3.3-inch or a 3.8-inch on an Owner 3/8-ounce Ultrahead," Roy said. "I'm going to fish that on the bottom near a point or something like that. Fish often use the bottom of the lake for warmth since the ground temperature is usually higher than the water, so that's why the bottom is a good place to fish."

A light line and a slow-retrieve reel are two necessities for winter swimbait success.

"I like to use 10-pound fluorocarbon spooled on a 6:1 reel because I really want to work it slowly along the bottom," Roy said. "I'll use a medium or medium-heavy rod because you don't want to overpower the fish. That light line also tends to get me a few more bites in the winter."

Mason Prince. "Bradley Roy's Three Must-Have Baits for Winter Success" 13 December 2019, majorleaguefishing.com/tips/bradley-roys-three-must-have-baits-for-winter-success. Accessed 10 October 2020.

With the vast amount of fish-holding cover that our lakes and rivers provide, something needs to stand out to attract and hold bass on a specific piece of cover. Often the time of year, water level, water color, or current plays a major role in whether or not a bass will be holding and feeding on a specific piece of cover. Regardless of these variables, many times the one consistent variable in terms of the cover and/or structure that hold bass is when one form of structure transitions to another form.

Here are four key structure transitions that you as a bass fisherman should be looking for when you are on the water this coming fishing season.

Chunk Rock To Gravel:

What usually comes to mind initially when bass anglers talk about fishing transition banks during the early months of the year is a bank that transitions from chunk rock to gravel. Often these banks are fairly obvious to locate when you can see the rock on the bank go from large chunks to gravel. But to further dial in your pattern, you can determine what size of chunk rock the bass want, or possibly a certain style of rock they are flocking to.

If the lake or river level is high and the rock on the bank is submerged, then you'll need to rely on your electronics to find the transitions. This is when I idle the shore evaluating what my Humminbird MEGA Side Imagining unit is showing me, as the screen will clearly depict the size of the rock on the shoreline. Other items to consider when evaluating a chunk rock to gravel transition are its proximity to the creek channel or strategic location between pre-spawn and spawning locations.

Two lures for fishing this type of transition in the spring would be a 1/2-ounce War Eagle Spinnerbait for covering water and searching out actively feeding bass. Then, in order to slow down and dissect an area or target heavily pressured fish, I would fish a 1/2-ounce All-Terrain Tackle AT Jig in either green pumpkin or black and blue with a Zoom Super Chunk trailer.

Riprap to Sand:

A popular transition that river fisherman seek is a section of bank that goes from riprap to sand. Two possible scenarios will create this transition: first, no riprap was placed on the bank and the current has naturally pushed sand to that location, and second, the natural current or wake from tug boats has pushed sand over the rock. So in essence this transition happens because of that's bank location and the current hitting it.

Similar to the previous transition scenario, using your eyes to locate it is possible when the water levels are right. If not, and the current isn't too strong to hold the fish in that area, relying on your electronics is critical to locating the underwater transitions.

Fishing this type of transition on the Mississippi River is common, and usually, the water levels allow me to deploy my dual Minn Kota Talons to keep me in the prime spot for targeting schooling bass on the sand. When there is an active school, a lipless crankbait is hard to beat, while a Carolina-rigged Baby Brush Hog or Super Speed Craw gets the nod when the school is inactive, or the bass are feeding on crawfish in the rocks.

Angled Bank To Cut Bank:

Sticking with the theme of transitions on a river system, many times the transition that takes place from a gradually angled bank to a cut bank is one that can be very productive when bass are feeding heavily on crawfish. It's possible you'll see the scoured-out holes in the mud bank from where the crawfish live.

What makes a cut bank so favorable for a bass to locate themselves is that as the water level or flow increases, they can just tuck up further and tighter to that bank, sometimes only leaving that bank if the river level goes over the bank completely. Bass will also start the day feeding on the "normal" bank, but once the sun gets up, they'll take cover under the shade of the cut bank.

One of the main keys to locating bass staged on a cut bank are the current breaks along it. This could be a stump, laydown, weed clump, or just a small point on the bank. My tried-and-true lure of choice when flipping a cut bank is a Texas-rigged Zoom Z-Craw rigged on an Eagle Claw Lazer TroKar TK133 Pro-V Bend Flippin' Hook, with a 7/16-ounce tungsten weight.

While idling around on your next fishing trip, be sure to keep a keen eye to the shoreline or your electronics to search out some of the transitions I mentioned above-fishing them will help you have more success on the water.

Walker, Glenn. "Breaking Down Transition Banks For Early Season Bass." Bass Angler Magazine, Winter 2019/20, pp. 42-43.

When the water is cold and most anglers are fishing steep bluffs or deep water, Davy Hite is quite content to stay shallow and flip the cover.

Crazy? Not according to Hite, who uses flipping/pitching techniques year-round. He says it's the best technique to use when you're unfamiliar with a lake during the winter months.

"Most people don't realize that there are shallow fish during winter, even when the water temperature is in the 40s ... or even 30s," said the South Carolina pro. "It's true that a lot of bass will suspend in deep water during winter, but when they're ready to eat, they'll move to a shallow ambush area. That's just their nature."

However, you're probably wasting your time flipping to bushes in the back of a shallow cove. Shallow cover adjacent to deep water is more likely to hold bass on a sun-drenched bank on a cold winter day.

To be an effective winter flipper, keep these three keys in mind:

Opt For A Jig:

Leave your Texas rigged creature baits at home, Hite advised. A jig and trailer is all you need.

"A jig with a living rubber skirt is critical," he insisted. "That skirt gives a subtle action even when you aren't moving the bait."

His favorite winter jig is a Buckeye Lures Mop Jig with a bushy, long living rubber skirt.

"Avoid the temptation to trim the skirt in the winter," Hite offered. "Big fish in winter are lethargic and want a big, easy meal. They aren't in a chasing mood, so a bigger bait that falls in front of them can satisfy their feeding needs."

While Hite prefers heavier, fast sinking jigs during the summer, lighter jigs (1/4 and 3/8) that fall slower are more appealing and look more natural this time of year. Stick to basic colors, like black, black/blue or green pumpkin.

Also, avoid vibrating or wiggly jig trailers. For winter, he uses a Trigger X Goo Bug and leaves the craw pinchers attached.

"With pinchers attached, the bait has more of a slow, gliding action which is more appealing this time of year," he said.

Make Precise Pitches:

It's critical to present your bait quietly and directly into the heaviest cover. The bass won't stray outside of it to feed, so a direct hit will get you the best reaction.

For that reason, you must be very familiar and comfortable with your equipment.

"Everyone thinks they have to have a big ol' flipping rod, big heavy line and fast gear ratio reel to flip," he explained. That's just not true, especially when you're new at this and not built to handle that kind of outfit." For example, a short person or youngster may be better suited for a 6-6 or 7-foot rod. They'll be more accurate and a better fishermen with one that fits their stature.

Be Patient:

This is not the time of year to impart a lot of action in your jig when it hits the bottom. Oftentimes, Hite will let it lie for several seconds before he moves it. "Again, that Mop Jig skirt ‘breathes' and moves with natural currents," he explained. "In that cold water, nothing really moves fast. You want the bait to look natural."

He may twitch the jig occasionally or pull it up into the cover and let it ease back to the bottom and let it get in the fish's face again. Also, he added, the bites are very subtle and will feel a little mushy in the winter.

"Gently tighten up on the line and feel for any resistance," he described. "That could be a bass that has the jig in his mouth and you didn't feel him bite it."

You might not always catch bass as well as Bryan Thrift, but in early December you sure can fish like him by throwing the same three baits he usually has tied on when he's out fishing in the winter.

By the way, Thrift doesn't divide his time between fishing and deer hunting in fall and winter. There are too many bass to be caught.

"I fish all winter," says the North Carolina pro. "That's the best time to fish as far as catching big fish. But I actually catch numbers too because they'll really group up in the wintertime, and they don't roam as much. If you find them, they'll be there for a number of days or even a week, and you can really have some fun."

Umbrella Rig:

"Shane's Baits Blades of Glory umbrella rig is probably my No. 1 go-to bait if I'm fun-fishing or in a tournament that allows it. I'm going to have 1/8-ounce jigheads on it with 4-inch Damiki Anchovy Shads," Thrift reveals. "That's the 'funnest' wintertime fishing you can do."

Thrift likes his Anchovy Shad swimbaits in white with silver flake for fishing slightly stained water and either pro blue or pro purple for fishing clear water.

The Blades of Glory rig resembles two "standard" umbrella rigs connected in tandem for a total of nine wire arms. Obviously, it needs to be rigged in such a manner that is legally allowed on the waters being fished. It also requires a stout rod. Thrift's choice is the Okeechobee Rod, which is a 7-foot, 6-inch, heavy-action model in Fitzgerald Rods' Original Series. He spools up with 20-pound-test P-Line Tactical Fluorocarbon.

"When I first started out throwing the umbrella rig, I threw it on braid a lot," Thrift says. "I found out you get a lot more bites on fluoro. I think the biggest reason is that the diameter of the braid is so small, and when you throw it on braid, you have to wind it fast to keep it off bottom. But the key to fishing an umbrella rig is to wind it as slowly as possible. With fluoro [which is thicker] you don't have to fish it as fast, and it'll stay in the depth of water you're trying to target."

Depth varies according to the area, but the most important factor is the bait.

"That time of year I'm looking for baitfish that are schooled up and bass that are actively eating the bait," Thrift adds. "That's when you catch those giant, fat bass that are gorging on shad. I'll fish a main-lake point, creek channel, or river channel, but you can catch them anywhere the bait is stacked up."

Tail Spinner:

"If fish aren't really reacting to the umbrella rig or they're closer to the bottom, that's when I pull out a Damiki Axe Blade," Thrift says. "It's a 3/4-ounce tail-spinner with a willow-leaf blade on the back."

Handling a 7-foot, medium-heavy Fitzgerald Rods Stunner HD, Thrift bombs casts as far as possible. Using thin 12-pound-test P-Line fluorocarbon helps with casting distance and presentation.

"That seems like light line, but it lets the bait get down to do what it's supposed to do," Thrift explains. "After I throw it as far as I can, I let it pendulum down to the bottom. Then I kind of yo-yo it off the bottom and let it swing back down each time. Don't rip it like you'd rip a spoon. Lift it up with the rod straight up, wind two or three times, and let it fall back down on a tight line. It's not falling vertically; it's falling toward you."

Thrift fishes the tail-spinner in the same areas as he fishes the umbrella rig. He says he's not as concerned about structure as he is locating balls of bait that are on the bottom and being actively pursued by bass.

Jig:

The umbrella rig and tail-spinner are Thrift's preferred wintertime lures, but he'll usually have a jig rigged up and ready too. Being a Damiki guy, Thrift likes the 1/2-ounce Mamba Jig with a Damiki Knock Out as a trailer.

"Fishing the jig is more structure and cover-related," Thrift explains. "I throw it where there's not really a lot of schooling fish, but more around docks, rocks or brush where I'm looking for one big kicker fish. I fish more isolated targets, and it doesn't really matter if bait is there or not. I'm just targeting a place where a big fish might be in the wintertime."

Niedermier, Curtis. "How Bryan Thrift Catches Winter Bass." FLW Fishing, https://www.flwfishing.com/tips/2018-12-02-how-bryan-thrift-catches-winter-bass. Accessed 6 October 2020.

B.A.S.S. Elite Series young gun Brandon Card hails from Knoxville, TN. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Card was a force on the UK Bass Fishing Team and is the first Bassmaster College Series angler to qualify for the Elites. With his roots firmly planted in east Tennessee, Card is all too familiar with the winter smallmouth jewels in the area.

"I guess my favorite smallmouth lake would be my home lake, Norris," he revealed. "We're fortunate to have several great fisheries close by, including Cherokee and of course Dale Hollow."

Location:

Card's preparation begins with his Navionics mapping chip and his Lowrance electronics.

"I like to look for bluffs and places where the bluff flattens out for a little bit and turns into a 45-degree slope," he said. "I also look for pockets on bluff walls where there are points on both sides of the pocket."

Similar to their largemouth cousins, smallmouth can often be found on any type of irregularity and with a quality mapping card, these locales will usually stand out. Because of the uniform nature of most bluffs-which will occasionally extend for miles-anything different as far as the layout can be a bass magnet.

"It seems like in east and middle Tennessee in the winter, the smallmouth will congregate on bluff transitions," Card said. "There are times where you'll also find them on flatter points or humps, but the trick is figuring out how deep they are on any particular day. There are days where the prime depth is 15 feet and others where it might be 30 feet."

The young gun, as a rule, focuses his effort on main-lake locales or in the larger and deeper creeks.

"Norris has creeks that for someone else from another state, would be bigger than a lot of lakes," Card said. "If you fish the Cedar Creek area on Norris, it's 15 miles long, so yes, I'm either fishing main lake or up a long creek that's basically the same thing as main lake."

It goes without saying that the primary cover in most of these highland lakes will be rock. The quandary merely begins when rock is ubiquitous. Card again refers back to irregularities as the arrow marking the spot.

"Rock transitions, rock outcroppings, and areas with large boulders are all great places to look," he said. "I also like places that have clay and boulders mixed together or where clay meets chunk rock in flatter areas, as well as spots off of the bank that have pea gravel mixed with rock outcroppings."

Proficiency in interpreting sonar images is also a must. Cold weather means lethargic bass, although smallies seem less affected than largemouth. Understanding what is being seen on the screen can save a ton of time and trouble. In ultra-clear fisheries like Norris, toys like underwater cameras can also be an essential tool.

"I remember a time a buddy of mine and I were fishing down a bank and we started seeing a ton of arches on my electronics," Card said. "We started dropping down on them but couldn't get them to bite. After a while, I finally caught a smallmouth and then assumed we had found a large school. After going for a long period without another bite, yet still seeing the fish, I pulled out my FishSens SondeCAM Underwater Camera, which is a camera that allows you to get video feed on your smartphone. We got over the school of fish, which I thought were bass, and I dropped my camera down and instead saw a giant school of big bluegill with a couple of smallmouth mixed in."

Had Card and his partner not had access to the camera, the day might have been spent frustratingly trying to entice bites from smallmouth-impersonating bluegill.

Lure Presentation & Lure Selection:

Card keeps his lineup pretty basic and chooses his club according to the prevailing weather pattern, water clarity, and forage.

"As for weather, I look more at the trends," Card said. "Is the water temperature warming up, cooling down, or stable? If it's a warming trend, the fish tend to gravitate toward shallower water. When a cold front hits they'll slide back out deep."

Wind is another piece of the puzzle.

"Wind will push the fish up shallower," the young pro said. "It tends to push baitfish toward shallow water and the bass will follow."

Card also bases his lure selection on what he believes is on the bass's menu for the day.

"I'm either going to try to imitate crawfish or baitfish," he said. "A lot of the baitfish on Norris and Cherokee are alewives so I'll choose my size and color to mimic the predominant forage."

When crawfish is the special, Card goes to a jig.

"I like something real compact, so I use a 3/8-ounce finesse football head jig with a smaller light-wire hook," he said. "As a trailer, I use a 4-inch twin tail Yamamoto grub."

Card dotes on the versatility of this setup, which enables him to cover water as shallow as 3 to 5 feet or as deep as 30 feet.

"I keep my colors pretty simple," he continued. "I use a green pumpkin, brown and orange jig with a green pumpkin trailer. It's a bait that works on bluff walls or flatter points."

Card fishes the jig on spinning tackle and light line.

"I use a 7-foot medium action Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier spinning rod with a Revo MGXtreme spinning reel, 15-pound Yo-Zuri Superbraid in high visibility yellow and I attach a 10- to 12-pound TopKnot Fluorocarbon leader," he said. "The Yo-Zuri fluorocarbon has a lot smaller diameter than competing brands and 10-pound Yo-Zuri is comparable to 6-pound diameter of other lines."

When the wind picks up and the weather warms, Card goes to a baitfish imitator.

"I like the D3B Crank in a shad color, either the 2-plus or the 3-plus," he said. "I can actually match the hatch for both crawfish and baitfish by just changing colors. This bait has a really tight wobble and its action is very similar to a lot of the balsa baits on the market, but it's plastic so it casts really well."

The young Tennessee prodigy fishes the crankbait on a 7-foot 6-inch Abu Garcia Veritas rod in a medium action with a Revo Winch reel and 10-to 12-pound Yo-Zuri TopKnot fluorocarbon.

Windy days will also compel the young pro to add a jerkbait into his lure rotation.

"I like a 3DB jerkbait when the wind is pushing baitfish toward certain areas like bluff transitions or shallow rock outcroppings," he said. "For the jerkbait, I use a 7-foot medium action Fantasista Premier rod with a Revo MGX high-speed baitcaster and 10-pound Yo-Zuri Topknot fluorocarbon."

Rounding out Card's top four winter bait lineup is a Yamamoto grub.

"I use a 4-inch single tail grub in the natural shad or baby bass color," he said. "I put it on a 1/4-ounce jighead and fish it on a 7-foot 6-inch Abu Garcia Fantasista Premier rod, an MGXtreme spinning reel, 15-pound Yo-Zuri Superbraid with an 8-pound TopKnot leader."

Card classifies the crankbait and jerkbait as conditional lures, but the jig and grub are his staples.

"You can take those two baits out on a highland reservoir in the winter and it doesn't matter if it's rainy, sunny, or snowing," he said. "They'll catch fish under pretty much any kind of conditions."

Bryant, Rob. "On The Hunt For Wintertime Smallies." Bass Angler Magazine, Winter 2019/20, pp. 18-20.

With the water temperatures getting colder and the bass getting lethargic it might seem like going finesse in the winter is obvious. It is to some, not so much to others.

Location:

First off, let's wrap our heads around where the bass are going to be found in the winter. If you're fishing a river with current in it, they'll be in the deepest places where there is no current. If you're fishing a reservoir, they'll be on or close to the main lake or creek channel. In a natural lake, they'll often go to the deepest and steepest banks in the lake.

Lure Selection:

Once you know where to look for the bass it's time to start thinking about how to catch them. I'm going to give you my four choices of lures - two reaction baits and two slower baits. They aren't the only ones that'll work, but they are the ones that have produced consistently for me over the years.

The Silver Buddy comes first in the reaction bait category. It's a simple blade bait that was designed by Buddy Banks and Billy Westmoreland for winter fishing on Dale Hollow Lake.

The most effective way to fish it is to make long casts and snap the bait up a foot or so off the bottom before you let it fall back down on a semi-slack line. Most of your bites will come on the fall. The vibration of the blade bait makes them react, and the falling bait looks like a dying shad.

I fish Silver Buddy's on a Cashion Drop Shot Rod, a Daiwa Ballistic LT 3000 reel, 12-pound-test Sunline X-Plasma Asegai braid, and an 8-pound-test Sunline Super FC Sniper fluorocarbon leader that's between 15 and 20 feet long.

My second offering is usually a 1/2- to 3/4-ounce spoon fished vertically. I fish a spoon like a Silver Buddy. The basic difference is that with a spoon you can get it directly over the fish you believe are down there. I say believe because sometimes they're sitting with their bellies right on the bottom. Sometimes you can't see them even with Lowrance electronics. I fish my spoons on a Cashion 7 foot, medium-heavy casting rod, a Daiwa Tatula 100 reel with a 7.3:1 gear ratio, and 12-pound-test Sunline Super FC Sniper fluorocarbon.

My slower bait selections start with a Missile Jigs Ike's Micro Jig. I let it drop down to the bottom and then drag it along real slow. Think about the fact that nothing in cold water moves very fast. Your jig shouldn't either. This jig is special because the skirt slowly flairs and moves like no other bait when it's worked slowly.

I like to fish my Micro Jig on a Cashion Micro Jig Rod with a Daiwa Ballistic LT 3000 reel spooled with 12-pound-test Sunline Xplasma Asegai braid and a 15 to 20 foot, 8-pound-test Sunline Super FC Sniper fluorocarbon leader.

I also fish a Damiki rig in the winter. It starts with a Damiki 3-inch Armor Shad jerkbait rigged on a 1/4- or 3/8-ounce jig head. It's best fished vertically. All I do is drop it down and hold it real steady a few feet off the bottom. Most winter bass are feeding up. If they're in the area, they'll come to it. It can be a really cool way to catch them because you often see the bass come up to the bait on your electronics before they even bite it.

I fish the Damiki rig on a 7 foot, 6 inch Cashion Spin Bait Rod. My reel is a Daiwa Ballistic LT 3000 reel spooled with 12-pound-test Sunline X-Plasma Asegai braid and a 15 or 20 foot 8-pound-test Sunline Super FC Sniper fluorocarbon leader.

Crews, John. "Go With Finesse This Winter." Bassmaster, https://www.bassmaster.com/john-crews/go-finesse-winter. Accessed 11 December 2019.

Justin Lucas has a stout competitive bass fishing resume, built with years of hard work and time on the water. But he's not just about fishing the Bass Pro Tour: Lucas simply loves to fish, and cold-weather months are some of his favorite times to be on the water slinging baits for bass.

"Living in Alabama, I have plenty of options to catch bass even when the weather is cold outside," Lucas admitted. "There are fewer anglers on the water and the fishing can be really good. There are a lot of ways to catch bass, but for me, I've narrowed it down to a few key areas and lures. I'm generally talking about Tennessee River impoundments and some highland lakes here, but you can apply these ideas to any similar bodies of water."

Get to a Rocky Break First:

Rocky current breaks are one of the first forms of cover Lucas keys in on in late fall and winter.

"On the Tennessee River systems, you can find really good main-river current breaks," Lucas said. "You'll often catch both largemouth and smallmouth bass on these spots, if both species are available where you're fishing. I'm usually fishing in water about 4 to 8 feet deep, but sometimes up to 10. Lots of rock cover is the key for the two lures I like in this situation.

"First is a Berkley Frittside crankbait in size 5 or 7. It's a flat-sided crankbait and I have to tell you, it's tough to beat in this situation. You need to work it slowly, make sure you make lots of bottom contact. The other lure that is a good choice for me here is a 1/2oz Molix Kento Jig. Like the crankbait, work it slowly, maintaining bottom contact.

Work the Grass:

Current breaks are still the prime area for Lucas' next winter location, just add grass.

"If you're finding more grass on the current breaks, you'll need to modify your approach a bit," Lucas said. "The grassy current breaks are primarily largemouth locations. I'm still talking about water from about 4 to 8 feet deep. Fish will often tuck away on the backside of points or things like shell beds and other cover.

"I'll throw a lipless crankbait here. My choice is the Berkley Warpig: Comes through the grass better than most and has a big thump. It's an excellent lipless crankbait."

Cuts & Guts:

It's not all about shallow current breaks for Lucas' cold-water fishing forays.

"Smith Lake in Alabama is one of my favorite lakes to fish in the cold weather," Lucas admitted. "The highland reservoirs, like Smith, that have spotted bass can really produce when it's cold outside. One of the best places to locate bass on these lakes is in the middle of short and steep creek channels, in cuts or guts. You really need to use your electronics and find the right depth because it varies from day-to-day, but the fishing is generally pretty easy once you find them.

"I load my spinning reels with 8-pound Berkley X-5 braid and a 100% fluorocarbon leader. I tie on a new Berkley Shaky Head and fish a 6.25 Bottom Hopper on it. Cast out and let it sink to the bottom. Slowly work it back to the boat. That's it. It's not complicated, but it's effective."

Time of day to chase down bass in the cold months isn't as important as the moon phase, according to Lucas.

"The moon is more relevant than the time of day," he said. "The full moon is the worst time to fish in the winter. A new moon or a quarter moon is a much better phase to fish. Remember, the water is usually under 50 degrees, so fish slowly and always keep in contact with the cover you're fishing."

Landahl, Dave. "Follow Lucas' Lead: Justin Lucas' Four Key Winter Baits and How/Where to Fish Them." Major League Lessons, 27 Nov. 2019, https://majorleaguefishing.com/tips/follow-lucas-lead-justin-lucas-four-key-winter-baits-and-how-where-to-fish-them/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2020

You're not going to catch me around crowded shopping malls much this time of year, but I do like to spend a lot of the offseason fishing. The reason is the opposite of why I avoid malls - the water is much less crowded.

When a lot of folks head to the woods, you'll often have the water mostly to yourself. That's great because this time of year you can catch a lot of fish and big fish. Leading up to the prespawn, the fish are approaching their heaviest weight of the year, so you can find some giants.

In December, I like to fish Lake Pickwick and Lake Okatibbee, which is right next to my hometown in Eastern Mississippi. When these lakes are pulled down to winter pool, the fish can get really stacked together and that can lead to some fun days on the water.

There are probably a lot of ways you can approach late December fishing, but here's how I do it:

Lipless Bait:

I'll always have a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap tied on this time of year - shad colors for early winter and then craw colors as we get into the new year. The key, I've found, is to slow down and yo-yo the Trap in a creek channel. If we get a warming trend, the fish might move out of the channel and onto the flats where you can catch them by reeling the bait, but if it's cold, yo-yoing is most effective.

Jig:

I like a 3/8- to 1/2-ounce Angler Assets flipping jig in black and blue, but if I'm on the Tennessee River, I like a green pumpkin jig with a few strands of orange in the skirt to give it a little flash as it swims down. I'll pair this with a Net Baits Paca Swim trailer that I've trimmed down for a smaller profile.

When the water gets below 50, the fish get lethargic so you have to fish slowly. They might get a little more active during a warmup, but most of the time in December, you have to be patient and give the jig more soak time. That's the key to getting bit.

Spinnerbait:

When I'm targeting shallow flats with laydowns and stumps, or slow-rolling along a creek bed, a 1/2-ounce Angler Assets spinnerbait with double Colorado blades does the trick. Those wide blades slow the bait down and create a lot of vibration to trigger those fish when I pass their ambush spot. I use an orange kicker blade for maximum appeal.

Crankbait:

On the Tennessee River, I'll use a medium diver to target 45-degree banks with chunk rock and laydowns. In the wintertime, 45-degree banks are key because the sun warms the rocks and fish can easily move up and down on those steeper banks to find the temperature they like.

Mosley, Brock. "Late December Fishing." Bassmaster, 23 Dec. 2019, https://www.bassmaster.com/brock-mosley/late-december-fishing. Accessed 8 Oct. 2020.

As the fishing season progresses closer and closer towards winter, different parts of the country will be going through different stages and nothing is on the same page. In the south fishing is still going strong, but the bite at this time of the year may be focused more on deeper water as bass hold on brush piles and other pieces of man-made or natural structure. In the western part of the country, things are pretty much in a holding pattern. Yes, temperatures may be dropping, but there is still a recognizable bite that is happening day in and day out. For all of us in the east and Midwestern part of the country we are all waiting for the end of the open water and the start of the ice season.

Ask any bass fishermen in certain regions of the southern half of the country and even in northern parts of the country that aren't completely iced over yet - what the first lure to turn to this time of year would be, and chances are you'll hear a common answer? Hands down that answer would be a jig. Even when considering the year in its entirety, most bass anglers would name the jig as one of the first—if not the first—choice of lure when targeting bass throughout the changing seasons around the country.

Let's take a closer look at jig patterns and tactics for late-season bass as it will loom large when it comes into play during the coming months.

Do Your Homework:

To be successful you'll have to do your homework - take a closer look at the bodies of water that you're fishing or will be fishing. Take the time to look at a paper map or the lake map on your electronics. Start by locating areas with access to deep water, long tapering points, offshore islands, or steep ledges that are common targets for this time of year.

Once you've pinpointed a few spots it's time to get behind the wheel of your boat to go through these areas to graph with your electronics. This is where the true homework will take place; it is here that you will decide if these areas will get any fishing time or not. When graphing with your electronics look for and target transition areas (hard-to-soft bottom areas, weed/rock edges, rocky areas). These are all key locations. It's now time to give these areas a few passes to mark any bass with your electronics and to note the depth in which they may be located.

Breakdown Areas & Jigs:

Get up on the trolling motor and put to work what you've figured out. I'll generally put a medium-diving crankbait in my hands (either shad or crawfish pattern) and make a pass down the bank. This pattern accomplishes a few things. First, it will let me know if there are fish up shallow and if they're active. I can also cover a good amount of water quickly. Once I have moved through the key areas, I will put down the crankbait and grab my jig rod, working to pick apart areas that either had activity or revealed fish on the graph.

It's worth noting that during the winter months, many times bass will be right on the bottom of the lake and not discernable on your depth finder.

I have multiple jig options in my tackle box. And like nearly all other baits, there are certain jigs that work best for certain cover, areas, and depths, etc.

Football Jig:

This particular jig covers water from shallow to deep, giving me many choices in between. When faced with fishing rocky areas, my first choice is a football jig. Of all the jigs that I will throw, the football jig gives me the best feel of the rocks, but I can also gauge whether or not there's wood or grass mixed in. I usually cast it out and let it sink to the bottom. I'll then drag it along until I feel rock or other cover. Once I feel hard cover, I'll make contact and rock the jig back and forth, trying to trigger a bite.

Nasty Rock Jig:

One of the drawbacks of the football jig is its tendency to hang up when there are gnarly rocks. In this case, I'll use a jig with a shape that allows me to get it through the rocks better, like the Omega Finesse Jig. This jig excels when there are scattered weeds mixed in with the rocks. I feel this jig gets through the rock and vegetation better than a football jig, giving me more successful passes through the area without hanging up.

Ballhead Jig:

You can throw a ballhead jig into the mix as well. This is also a great all-around jig when fish are hesitant to bite the football jig. I throw a Gamakatsu Round Jig without a weed guard, which has its pros and cons. First, it's a finesse jig that works best with a double-tail grub or skirted grub trailer, giving the fish a different look. Secondly, I'll usually throw it in 1/4 ounce, which has a slower fall than a 1/2-ounce football jig and can appeal to those finicky eaters. Without a week guard it will hang up more frequently, but it also has a light-wire hook, so you don't want to pressure fish too much when fighting them. Though big bass will bite the ballhead, it's more of a numbers bait.

Hardhead Jig:

The last jig in my arsenal is the swinghead, also known by its brand name the Tommy Biffle Hard Head Jig by Gene Larew. This jig features a football-style head with an extra wide-gap hook that swings freely from the jig head. A variety of baits can be threaded on to this jig, but most notable is the Biffle Bug. You can fish this a few different ways, including casting it out and dragging it like a traditional jig, or it can be slowly reeled back to the boat over rocks and other cover. Tommy Biffle will make a long cast and reel it back without stopping it-a technique with which he's won a ton of money, so it's difficult to argue with it. I am a firm believer in trying different retrieves to let the bass tell me how they want the jig fished that day. How they want it can vary from day to day and even spot to spot.

Jig Trailers:

It has been contended that the bigger the trailer the slower the fall of the jig, but that is often simply not the case. Should you desire a slower rate of fall, simply use a trailer that has legs or flaps, as the kicking motion on the descent creates drag and thus slows the fall.

In this case, size the appendages on your trailer accordingly. Also, always keep in mind to match the trailer to what you're trying to imitate with your jig. There are about as many trailer options as there are jigs, so finding the perfect match should not be too difficult.

Equipment:

Here is the bread and butter of the mix. Even with a handful of jigs, if you're not matching your equipment and the trailers that you put on your jigs with the current conditions, you're not going to catch many fish. These all run hand in hand and many times are the deciding factors between catching bass or not.

As a general rule of thumb, an all-around jig rod will be a medium-heavy 7-feet to 7-feet, 6-inches baitcasting rod. When it comes to line, I have a few different ideas here and will match my line choice to the conditions that I am faced with that day.

My first choice of line is a 12- to 16-pound Sunline Sniper FC fluorocarbon. This is the line that I use almost exclusively in nearly any condition. If I am faced with fishing in windy conditions and I need a little more feel I will not be afraid to put down the Sniper FC and grab a reel that is spooled with Sunline XPlasma Asegai braided line. In the case of line-wary fish, I will use a Sunline fluorocarbon leader of between 12- to 16-pounds. This way I achieve the added benefit of sensitivity from the braid while maintaining the stealth with the fluoro leader.

If I'm faced with really tough conditions, I have been known to switch to a reel that is spooled with monofilament. For me that with generally be 12- to 16-pound Sunline Super Natural monofilament. Because mono floats, making this switch will slow the fall of the jig, keeping it in the strike zone longer and ultimately getting me more bites. Making these on-the-water adjustments has paid big dividends on days when the bite has been super tough.

Jigs are one of the best baits to turn to when we get later into the season. Make sure you have the right jigs in your assortment to get the job done and to cover all of your options that you will be faced with. Use them as tools to help you pick apart specific areas. You may soon find that jigs will become your go-to bait in all conditions during the colder season.

Petersen, Scott M. "Late-Season Jig Patterns & Tactics Winter." Bass Angler Magazine, Winter 2019/20, pp. 50-52.

Wintertime and late fall fishing can be super fun, especially up north, when smallmouths are often fat and fairly grouped up. However, it's not the time of year when you want a ton of rods on deck, and having a confidence bait or two is a must. For Casey Smith, the go-to winter weapon is super simple: a little bitty swimbait on a jighead.

Lure Selection:

Smith's go-to winter swimbait is the 2.8-inch Keitech Swing Impact FAT. Though the Keitech swimbait is probably the most popular in this size class, it isn't alone anymore in the market. The Jackall Rhythm Wave, Berkley PowerBait Power Swimmer, and a few others also come in a tiny size.

Smith typically mounts his swimbait on a 1/4- to 1/2-ounce tungsten football head from Keitech. His current favorite is an unreleased version of the Keitech Super Tungsten Football Head, usually with the weed guard clipped off. He particularly likes the hook because it's stouter than some other finesse-style swimbait heads.

"I used to use just a ball head and little grubs, but the 2.8 is a much better swimmer and has more of a baitfish profile, and the football head can get in the rock and doesn't hang up," says Smith. "And, if you're in a situation where you're swimming it, that football head doesn't impede it at all."

For swimbait colors, he sticks with baitfish standards such as bluegill flash or alewife most of the time, but on Erie or somewhere with gobies or lots of perch he often turns to green pumpkin or a perch color.

The tackle is pretty straightforward. Smith uses a 7-foot, 2-inch spinning rod in a medium-heavy power, 10- or 15-pound-test braid, and an 8-pound-test fluorocarbon leader.

"I want that backbone," Smith says of his preference for a bit more rod than usual. "When you launch it way out there and it's deep, you want to get a hook in them and make sure you've got 'em."

Location & Lure Presentation:

You can catch plenty of fish on bigger stuff when the water is warm (not that the 2.8 doesn't do work then, too), but come winter, the little 2.8 can shine.

"No. 1 is that they eat it really well," says Smith. "It's just a little snack. Big baits on Ontario are a little bit of an exception. Everywhere else in the fall you want to downsize a little bit as the water gets super cold. For me, it comes out super late, after the umbrella rig bite dies off when they won't come up as high in the water column to bite something. That's when I put that on, and it gets to a point really late, when the water gets to about 42 degrees or under, that you've gotta put something right on the bottom and right in their face. That's where that thing is perfect, too."

One of the keys to the small swimmer is how efficient it is compared to other baits. With the proper size jighead, Smith can keep it right at the desired depth and cover quite a bit of water.

"I use it instead of a Ned or a drop-shot because you can cover more water," says Smith. "The good thing about it is that you can cover the water, and if you see a fish on your graph beneath the boat you can drop it down and they'll bite it just like they bite a drop-shot.

The places he targets are pretty broad - deep flats, points, humps, and really any place in 10 to 35 feet that might have a smallmouth or two.

"There are times when I want it swimming when I don't want it on the bottom," says Smith. "That's usually when I use the 1/4-ounce head, and I'll just adjust my speed. There are a lot of times when I use the 1/4; if you're fishing a deep flat with rock, or on a really steep point, you might throw across the end and really not be fishing the bottom. The heavy ones are more for when I want it closer or on the bottom."

Wherever he's fishing it, Smith says finding the right cadence is important.

"Like any swimbait, the key is the right speed. You can't go too fast," says Smith. "The way I judge it is to watch my line. When I'm going too fast my line is tight. When I'm reeling it just right it's got a little bit of a sag. That's an indicator you've got the right weight. If you're really at the right speed and your line doesn't have the right sag then you've got the wrong weight."

White, Jody. "Make a Tiny Swimbait Your Winter Go-To." FLW, 13 Nov. 2019, https://www.flwfishing.com/tips/2019-11-13-make-a-tiny-swimbait-your-winter-go-to. Accessed 18 Oct. 2020.

It's not often in the South you can have an entire lake basically to yourself and catch tons of fish, but according to FLW Pro Circuit vet David Williams, that's exactly what can happen around the Carolinas this time of year for those willing to put the gun or bow down and pick up a rod instead.

While Williams admits it can be tough for him to stay out of the woods in search of deer, the fact of the matter is that he knows some of the best fishing opportunities he'll have all year happens between November and February, and it's a relatively simple program to run - which is more than enough to lure him out to the lake.

Eliminating Water:

Fishing in the winter can be a little tough, especially if you haven't been on the lake much lately to keep tabs on where the bass set up shop for the winter. Williams, however, has a simple rule of thumb to point you in the right direction.

"Around here on a lot of the lakes, the fish will actually get pretty far back in the creeks, like the last third of creek," says Williams. "If you have a couple of cold days in a row, the fish drop off into the ditch. Then, if we get some of those 65-degree days and it warms up the red clay bank, the fish come out of the ditch and move onto the bank. You get a little bit of heat on that stuff and they'll move to it pretty quick."

Knowing where to look on a map is a good start, but now is when your eyes and electronics really factor into finding fish.

"I like to idle through an area and see who's home," he explains. "If you find the bait, the fish aren't far away. Usually, you'll see clouds of bait sitting up pretty high with some fish around them. Most of the time the stripers and hybrids stay in the bait more, and it seems like the spots and largemouths stay down below them.

"This time of year, the birds will give them away a lot, too. "You can ride around until you see birds. They won't lie to you. The birds usually feed early or late, so if you see them diving, you know they're going to be around the bait."

What makes this program even more appealing, according to Williams, is that once you locate where the fish are holding in a given pocket, you can usually run the pattern across the rest of the lake. So, if the fish are holding on a flat next to a ditch or creek channel, you can look at your map and find similar areas that will likely be productive.

"There can be a lot of unproductive water this time of year, but once you find them, there are a lot of them there."

Lure Selection:

There are a lot of times in bass fishing when overcomplicating a lure choice isn't hard to do. This isn't one of those times.

"Typically, if it's cold, I pretty much stick to an A-rig or a jerkbait," Williams says. "The fish will gang up pretty good in the ditches, and you can sit there and catch them every cast with an A-rig. But, if they're suspended more, that's when I go for a jerkbait."

For his umbrella rig, Williams runs Zoom Z Swim swimbaits (shad colors) on 1/8-ounce heads. He's not fishing terribly deep - generally 20 feet or less - so there isn't a need for super heavy heads. On the jerkbait side, his go-to is the Duo Realis 100SP or 110SP (also shad colors) because they aren't huge jerkbaits, so they match the size of the baitfish pretty well.

For those warmer winter days, Williams knows to reach for a crankbait to cover the bank in the same areas he would fish when it's cold. There are several crankbaits that fit the bill, like a Rapala Shad Rap or Strike King 1.5, but William's favorites are either a Duo Realis M62 5A or M65 8A, depending on the depth. He's a big fan of craw patterns for his winter cranking.

Williams, David. "Running Ditches For Winter Bass." Bassmaster, 23 Dec. 2019, https://www.flwfishing.com/tips/2019-12-23-running-ditches-for-winter-bass. Accessed 10 Oct. 2020

In December, I fish Oklahoma fisheries like McGee Creek, Eufaula, and Texoma. I'm pretty confident with these three baits on the deck of my boat.

Smithwick Suspending Rattlin' Rogue:

The fish will suspend that time of year and are still chasing shad around. A chrome/blue Rogue is something easy for them to get to and you can draw a fish from a long way.

Bandit 200 Series Crankbait:

We have a lot of off-colored water. In off-colored water, the fish will stay a little shallower on the points and channel swings. That's why I like the Bandit in a crawfish pattern like red, chartreuse, or blue. It runs from 3 to 6 feet deep.

1/2oz War Eagle Finesse Jig:

It seems like fish are always going to eat crawfish, and that makes a jig good. Green pumpkin is my die-hard color in Oklahoma. I'm just crawling it across the bottom. I don't want it to hop.

Palmer, Luke. "What's On My Line..." Bass Times, Dec. 2019, pp. 5.

Vacaville, California FLW Tour Pro Billy Hines plans his winter search patterns by dividing winter into three categories: fall transition, dead of winter, and transition to pre-spawn. All three of these distinctions rely on water temperature and weather trends.

"I usually see the bass begin their move toward winter locations when the water temperature gets around 53 to 54 degrees," he said. "And, the same applies in the late winter transition to spring."

Maps & Mapping Chips:

It's common knowledge that fall patterns typically find bass loaded up on flats in the creeks. It's also common knowledge that bass use specified migratory highways to travel to and from wintering locales.

"I get on my Lowrance and start looking for contour lines that are close together, which indicates there is a steep drop," the California pro said. "I look for irregularities like submerged points, and I especially like the ones that have a flatter contour on one side and a steep drop on the other."

Having the option of a feeding flat and a safety zone with deep water close by sets up as a preferred location for cold-natured bass that need to conserve energy as their metabolism slows.

"I usually start my search out in front of the main creek arms and creek channels," Hines said. "In addition to my electronics, I also observe the contours on shore. Out here in California, we have a lot of mountains, and you can see the 'V' in the mountain and how it continues down into the water. This means there is a drain there that creates a ledge."

Hines often notices "old-timers" in small boats that aren't equipped with expensive electronics, fishing near these areas. These anglers learned to locate likely bass-holding areas by understanding how to read the bank. They know that drain doesn't end at the water's edge, but rather continues beneath the water and forms a migration highway for transitioning bass.

Different Kinds of Lakes & Rivers:

Bass on the move from late winter to spring, especially in river systems, begin to search for places to spawn, and for largemouth, that means finding shelter from the current. Hunkering down behind a big rock or other kinds of hard cover keeps reproductive-minded bass in slack water where their beds won't be washed away. In lakes with less current and clear water, depth often serves as a preferred safe zone.

"When it comes to clearer lakes and reservoirs, you can find them on any kind of hump or submerged island as shallow as 6 to 8 feet on top," Hines said. "If you can find a section of the lake that has a lot of cliffs and steep banks with a big flat nearby, then you'll find bass either on the drop, on the flat, or somewhere in between."

As for smallmouth and spotted bass, they tend to spawn earlier and depending on water clarity and current, deeper.

"Smallmouth and spotted bass will hold on the edge of a drop or a small flat close to the river channel," Hines said. "They won't go as far back as the largemouth."

Smallies can also be harder to locate before the transition toward reproductive grounds.

"In the dead of winter, smallmouth tend to suspend more," Hines added. "While largemouth might be found tucked up in the mud or behind a rock, smallmouth may be sitting 20 or 30 feet down out over 300 feet of water."

The California pro distinguishes between the species on his Lowrance unit by noting how they are set up.

"Smallmouth are less cover-oriented, so if I see fish on my graph suspended out over deep water, I know they aren't likely to be largemouth, whereas if they are relating to an object or structure, they are more often largemouth."

Cover:

In the winter, rocks tend to hold more heat from the sunlight, so sunlit banks covered in rocks tend to have warmer water, and warmer water equates to more active bass.

"Smallmouth and spots like to squeeze into little rock crevices and ledges," Hines said. "The largemouth tend to be shallower and oriented to cover like laydowns and riprap. You might find a largemouth sitting at the base of a large boulder, where the smallmouth and spots transition toward gravel and bowling ball-sized rocks."

Hines especially favors riprap as a safe bet when all else fails.

"When you find riprap that also has laydowns, that's really money," he said. "I also love those offshore island tops, mainly because they don't get fished very often. Offshore rock piles are also great because they provide a place for fish to get out of the current."

Presentations:

On many lakes in California, winter weather might find water temperatures only dropping into the 50s whereas in the northeast lakes freeze over with a solid layer of ice. In the southeast and Midwest, the water might get cold, but not cold enough to freeze. What to use depends on a lot of factors, but there are a handful of techniques that can cover most winter scenarios.

"That's what makes this sport so fun," Hines said. "You've got a boat full of baits and figuring out which one to use is always a challenge."

Hines factors in the positioning of the bass he sees on his Lowrance LiveSight and rigs up accordingly. If the bass are hunkered down on the bottom, he goes with a Strike King Football Jig with a Menace or a Rodent as a trailer. If the quarry is mostly smallmouth or spotted bass, then a Frenzy Baits Nail which is a stand-up shaky head, paired with a Strike King Finesse Worm gets the call.

Suspended bass require a change in his game plan.

"If I'm in the east on a clear-water lake, I like to slow roll a Strike King Burner Spinnerbait, or fish a Strike King KVD Jerkbait," Hines said. "The key on the jerkbait is long pauses. I'll give it a jerk and then count to 20 before moving it again."

Hines will also opt for a small swimbait on a ball head jig when faced with ultra-clear water and suspended finicky bass and he'll pitch a Strike King Ocho tight to rock crevices on bluffs allowing it to fall weightless. If his quarry is residing in deeper water or on the bottom, he adds a nail weight.

"With a bigger nail weight, you can pick the Ocho up where it stands upright when you are shaking it," he said. "That heavier weight will keep the nose down and will definitely get more bites than if it's laying horizontally on the bottom."

Hines is also a fan of the Frenzy Wacky Saddle which allows him to rig his stickbait with the hook point either in line parallel to the worm, or perpendicular to it.

When locating fish and covering water is the task at hand, Hines will opt for a heavy drop shot, even going as heavy as 1/2-ounce.

"While fishing a drop shot is a slow presentation, a heavy weight allows me to work it faster," he said. "It gets to the bottom faster and stays on the bottom easier."

Tackle:

When fishing a jerkbait, Hines employs a Lew's 6-foot 9-inch medium-heavy Custom Speed Stick, a Lew's Hypermag Baitcaster with a 7.3:1 gear ratio and 8- to 10-pound Strike King Tour Grade Fluorocarbon Line.

For the Strike King Burner Spinnerbait, Hines uses a Medium action 6-foot 11-inch Lew's Custom Speed Stick, Hypermag Baitcaster, and 12- to 17-pound Strike King Tour Grade Fluorocarbon Line.

When the jig is the call, Hines prefers a Strike King Football Head Jig with a Strike King Rodent or Menace as a trailer. He fishes it on a Lew's 7-foot medium-heavy Pro Ti Rod, Hypermag Baitcaster, and 12- to 15-pound fluorocarbon line.

Hines turns to spinning gear when fishing the Ocho or shaky heads. His rod of choice is a 7-foot 6-inch Lew's Custom Pro Speed Stick Spinning Rod paired with a Lew's Custom Pro Spinning Reel model TLC3000 spooled with 6- to 12-pound Strike King Tour Grade Fluorocarbon. When drop shotting, he scales down to a medium action Speed Stick mainly because he's using an open hook. On his drop shot, he likes a Strike King Finesse Worm in either Morning Dawn or Prism Shad in clear water and green pumpkin/purple in slightly stained water.

Where They Were, Where They Are & Where They're Going - Winter 2019/20 Bass Angler Magazine (Rob Bryant pg. 38 - 40)

There are a lot of good winter lures, from umbrella rigs to swimbaits and blade baits, but one old-school standard is a hair jig. Recently, big bucktail jigs on ledges have gotten a lot of press, as have little marabou jigs for shallow smallmouths. However, FLW pro AJ Slegona keeps another type of hair jig handy. His is a small, bottom-oriented morsel for deep and cold smallmouth.

Lure Presentation:

Though fishing hair jigs for chilly bass isn't specifically a Northeast deal, the technique seems to have taken a bigger foothold there than in some other smallmouth areas. As such, it's no wonder that Slegona, who hails from Pine Bush, N.Y., would be pretty adept at the finesse technique.

"I usually start throwing a hair jig when the water temperature drops below 50 degrees. The fish start congregating out deep offshore on hard structure, and they like that real finesse approach," says Slegona. "Their metabolism slows down in the wintertime, and a hair jig is so subtle and you work it so slowly that it triggers them to bite it. Compared to a crankbait or something like that it's such a subtle approach, and it looks like a baitfish or crawfish or whatever they eat down there."

Slegona typically slings hair on any sort of hard offshore winter spots he finds with his Lowrance StructureScan. Usually scanning from 15 to 35 feet deep, his spots might be a rubble pile, a patch of boulders, or the end of an old stone wall.

"I don't usually see a lot of bass on the actual sonar," says Slegona. "But if you see a lot of baitfish overtop, that's a good indication that there are probably smallmouths there."

A cast-and-drag approach is Slegona's go-to technique, but he emphasizes that it's almost impossible to fish the bait too slow.

"What took time to learn is how finesse you've got to be about it," details Slegona. "You can't have too heavy of a rod or heavy line. It's an ultra-finesse technique. You've got to be super slow and super sensitive because you're fishing real deep water. I almost let the line drag it toward me. You can't ever fish it too slow."

Lure Selection & Tackle:

Slegona uses 6-pound-test Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon and a medium- or medium-light-action spinning rod with a soft tip to present the jig. He likes the fluorocarbon because it sinks, and he feels like the extra stretch compared to a braid-and-leader setup is actually advantageous when playing the fish.

Slegona relies mostly on a 3/16-ounce ball-head jig with synthetic fibers made by Crafty Rabbit Jigs.

"They have all different types of hair, but I go toward the full synthetic," says Slegona. "It has a more natural movement I think, and it is a little more buoyant under the water. I just stick with black. If they don't eat a black one then I won't catch them. And I put just a little piece of worm on the hook to bulk it up and make it cast a little farther."

The Crafty Rabbit jigs he uses have a light-wire sickle hook, and Slegona thinks that is very key.

"The fish almost hook themselves; it's such a laser-sharp hook," says Slegona. "The light wire is important. Their mouths are a lot harder this time of year. Whenever you use 6-pound-test line and a soft rod in 30 feet of water you need that light-wire hook to penetrate their mouths."

Though hair jigs are very available in football-head models, Slegona prefers a ball head because he thinks it casts better. He also almost always sticks with a 3/16-ounce bait, only going to an even more finesse 1/8-ounce model if it's very calm and he's fishing shallower than 20 feet. Finally, Slegona will occasionally mix in a bulkier jig for largemouths that is a combination of rabbit hair and synthetic fibers, but that's only on the rare occasion when he expects green fish.

Slegona pulls out his box of hair jigs in the fall and says they're a key part of his game plan until ice covers the lakes and it's time to roll south.

"It's hard to pass up smallmouths in the winter," he says. "When they get bunched up out there you can have a lights-out day. So, when that water temp drops below 50, I break out the hair jig box, and I put it away again in the spring when the water gets warm."

White, Jody. "How to Catch Winter Bass on Hair Jigs." FLW, 26 Nov. 2019, https://www.flwfishing.com/tips/2019-11-26-how-to-catch-winter-bass-on-hair-jigs. Accessed 4 Oct. 2020.

Yes, we've had a couple of bitter cold fronts, but a relatively mild winter can bolster a seasonal tactic of which Elite Series pro John Crews was already a believer - cranking. Normal winter patterns see occasional warming trends that stimulate the fish, but with the past few winters bringing less of the harsh stuff - at least in the southern U.S. - Crews has enjoyed a pretty stout crankbait bite.

"If the water temperature is right in the wintertime, a crankbait can be golden," the Virginia pro said. "In most parts of the country, fall is the time that fish key in on baitfish. In winter, those baitfish start dying off, so I think the fish start looking for that vibration (common to) a baitfish."

As Crews notes, the dividing line is somewhere in the mid-40s. When water temps drop below that mark, the crankbait bite vanishes. When it's 47, 48, or better, he has winding on his mind.

Sunny days help the overall picture, as bass will rise in the water column or move shallow to warm their backs. Doing so, he said, means a more active and more catchable fish.

Crews also appreciates the masking effect of stained water, but he's always thankful for a little rustle in the trees.

"Wind blowing against any structure can help because it creates turbulence and bass have a harder time seeing what's going by them," he said. "They have a harder time identifying what they're looking at because they don't get a good look at it. The only way for them to try it out is to bite it." Arming himself with a 7-foot medium-heavy Cashion cranking rod and a 6.4:1 reel with 10-pound Sun Line Sniper fluorocarbon, Crews identified a trio of winter targets.

Riprap:

Probably the most consistently availing habitat, those chunky rocks used to fortify bridge causeways, marina break walls and shorelines will hold fish throughout winter and into early spring. Usually, not too far from deep water, riprap serves as a space heater that also offers dandy feeding opportunities. "As the days get sunny, the fish will pull up on those rocks, sun themselves and hang out," he said. "It's a convenient spot for a fish looking for something to eat. Easy to slide off into deep water overnight."

Crews fishes the riprap with a Spro Little John and sticks with the more bland shad colors like Cell Mate.

Focusing on the areas with the greatest sun exposure, he'll parallel the rocks to keep his bait close to the structure.

"I'll reel down to hit the rocks a couple of times and then stop it," he said. "That bait's going to slowly float up. You can hesitate and it will stay in the strike zone, and then you can resume cranking where it will bounce back into the rocks. You can start and stop it very effectively on these spots."

Transitional Banks:

Whether it's boulders to chunk rock, chunk rock to pea gravel, or any other scenario, Crews notes that changes in bank composition appeal to a bass' inherent affinity to variances. Anything different represents potential ambush spots, but there's also a proximity point.

"A lot of times, transitional banks are associated with depth changes; you might go from a flatter bank to a steeper bank," he said. "If the terrain changes, there's usually a reason those types of rock change. It's usually a depth change and that adds to the allure of that area."

Crews sticks with the Spro Little John, but his color choice may vary. The shad colors work for most of the winter, but as we move closer to the prespawn, he'll switch to crawfish patterns like Spring Craw, or in southern lakes, he'll use Western Craw.

"As spring approaches, the fish definitely start to respond better to the reds and oranges," Crews said. "Crawfish hibernate in winter and they come out of hibernation when the water reaches the 50s.

"The bass don't have a temperature gauge, but when the water warms, they know the crawfish will come out of their holes."

Similar to the riprap approach, Crews makes long casts parallel to the bank and uses a start-and-stop cadence to offer fish little windows of opportunity to get the bait on a pause.

Channel Swing Banks:

Calling these the "pathways" for fish moving in and out of creeks, Crews expects to find fish staging on these deeper banks en route to their next move - particularly prespawn transitions. The fish may or may not be feeding, but these rest stops offer the comfort of deeper water and the ability to pin prey against a typically vertical bank.

"Most of the times, those channel swing banks are on the south side, so they're not in the sun," Crews said. "You get a shading factor, but that doesn't matter because, even if a bank is shady all day long, they will still be on it in the prespawn."

As Crews points out, the fish are more concerned about their seasonal movement than sky conditions. On the flipside, he's fine with fishing a channel swing bank with no wind because the dimness of shaded water obscures his bait.

"I'll use a Spro Little John MD on the channel swing banks because it gets down a little deeper," he said. "A lot of times you'll run into submerged laydowns and that bait comes through wood really well. "If I can find a laydown or brush, I'll leave that crankbait sitting there because it slowly floats up. That helps trigger more bites."

Colors mimic those of the transitional banks, as does casting style. The good thing, Crews said, is that once you find fish on channel swing banks, that's a replicable pattern you can run creek-to-creek.

https://www.bassmaster.com/fishing-tips-pros/winning-winter-cranking-targets" target="_blank">Winning Winter Cranking Targets - Bassmaster 11/28/19 (David A. Brown)

Over the last two decades, the concept of trophy bass fishing has expanded to include the smallmouth. It's no surprise, as bronzebacks of heroic sizes continuously pop up across much of the Great Lakes and beyond. In fact, many northern fisheries now give anglers a legitimate shot at a smallmouth bass of more than 7 pounds which was only possible across a small section of the mid-south.

No one is more qualified to tell the story of the evolution of northern smallmouth bass fishing than Steve Clapper. Nearly every smallmouth angler has heard of Clapper. everyone who's ever fished a tournament on Lake Erie has feared him. Reefs are named after him. In a career spanning more than 40 years, Clapper has fished nearly every trophy smallmouth water in existence and helped spur possibly the greatest renaissance in all of bass fishing: offshore structure fishing on big water.

Many northern fisheries now give anglers a legitimate shot at a smallmouth bass of more than 7 pounds, which was once only possible across a small section of the Mid-south. It's likely no other angler has been more influential in the advancement of this style of fishing, over a longer duration, than the original Great lakes guru.

Water Temperature & Location:

According to Clapper, at no other time are the giants of the species more vulnerable than during the most extreme cold-water periods, including early spring and late fall. this is when the fish are heaviest and when they gather in large, dense schools, assuring Clapper he's putting his bait in front of the biggest fish in the lake. in the Great lakes, the magic water temperature range is 38 to 42 degrees.

I've often contended that the principle of bass dormancy during winter, especially for bass in the north, is a myth. Both Clapper and I have witnessed aggressive, feeding smallmouths beneath the ice, and we've found the most robust fish immediately after ice-out.

"They could be feeding throughout the winter, really," says Clapper. "We just can't get to them." Clapper usually concentrates his cold-water search in 22 to 30 feet of water. Smallmouths seem to concentrate in the biggest groups around small, stair-stepping breaks that are usually next to a major deep-water sanctuary. Depth and structural elements may vary from lake to lake, but the key factor remains being in close proximity to the main-lake basin. "You may have to hunt and hunt," Clapper adds, "but when you find them, it's the motherlode."

Baits & Tactics:

Once he locates a school, Clapper cycles through a handful of productive lures. Bare hair jigs are a northern favorite, and Clapper's experience with bucktail dates back at least 30 years. In fact, he was the first to show me the technique, which later resulted in the two of us teaming up on a 30-pound five-fish bag.

Clapper's hair jigs are all hand-tied and feature a moderate amount of grey bucktail surrounding a stout 3/0 hook. Weight selection varies from 1/4 to 3/4 ounce, depending on depth, waves, and wind. Retrieves are simple drags, with the jig lightly hopping over a rocky bottom.

While a heavy hair jig with no trailer sinks like a stone, don't be fooled into thinking it's not a subtle presentation. For years, I've studied hair jigs, trying to solve the riddle behind why they are so effective, despite being so simple. I believe the answer lies in the bucktail itself. Even when the jig lies motionless on the bottom, the hair slightly quivers and shimmies. Cold-water smallmouths - especially those found around the massive waters of the Great lakes - regularly key in on small baitfish such as emerald shiners during this period. perhaps the hair jig mimics the tiny tail kicks of these baitfish species.

Another old-school lure in Clapper's arsenal is the Vib-E blade bait, which is effective for casting and vertical presentations. Color preferences are simple gold or chrome, and Clapper suggests using relatively small hooks to increase the vibration of the lure. He presents them on a casting rod and 15-pound-test fluorocarbon. Blade baits are often misunderstood lures. Anglers often overwork them. Clapper's method utilizes continuous light hops, with the lure momentarily touching bottom in between. Rod lifts jump the bait a foot or two and not more. Still, in terms of cold-water smallmouth fishing, this is heavy-handed tackle that's capable of muscling in big fish much more rapidly than light-line applications, yielding a better chance for landing a monster. If hair jigs and blades aren't producing, Clapper's third choice is one he's refined most recently: the swimbait. He relies on the 2.8 or 3.3 Keitech swing impact Fat paired with a homemade jighead poured with a small, powerful hook. Often, Clapper relies on a football-style head to really "grind the bait into the bottom." He'll use spinning or casting gear with line in the 10-pound-test range. Retrieves are fairly standard, with constant motion and few pauses.

Lure Presentation:

Regardless of his lure choice, the key component to Clapper's system is a precise presentation. Long ago, Clapper revolutionized the deep-structure game by refusing to drift with the wind like most big-water bass anglers. Instead, he invented a system of utilizing a long shaft trolling motor to hold his boat on specific targets. It's a method that other big-water anglers and I have adopted and continuously refine. Clapper starts by making accurate casts to specific deep-water rocks and drops. He keeps his bait in the strike zone the same way an expert flipper does along the shoreline. No time is wasted, and structures are systematically eliminated throughout the day.

"I always like to be pulling my bait with the current," he adds. "[Sometimes] that can be against the wind, and that's a detriment. But if it's a spot I have confidence in, I'm going to mill around until I figure out how to catch them." Clapper confirms - and I can attest - that angle is often everything. Once the proper cast is determined and the first catch lights up the school, successive giant bass can often be the result.
For Clapper, the appeal of giant smallmouths from the biggest waters seems to never wear off. Despite spending an entire lifetime chasing brown bruisers, Clapper continues to discover and refine new techniques on nearly every outing, reinforcing that there are endless possibilities in this final frontier of bass fishing.

Balog, Joe. "Fishing Professional Advice For Becoming A Better Angler." FLW Magazine, Winter 2020, pp. 31-35.

MLF pro Jared Lintner hails from Arroyo Grande, California. With two tour-level wins and 22 top-10 finishes, this western hammer has amassed over $1.2 million dollars of prize money since going pro in 2006. Like his competitors, Lintner's versatility has kept him in the hunt when faced with myriad scenarios and circumstances. Oddly enough, versatility is also the key characteristic that keeps a lipless crankbait rigged and ready on the deck of his boat.

Lure Presentation:

"Everybody thinks a lipless crankbait is a spring deal," Lintner began. "They don't realize it can also be really effective in cold water. I've caught them on a Jackall JTN70 in water temperatures down into the mid-40s."

While warm-water enthusiasts chuck it out and wind it in at a quick pace, Lintner uses a different approach when the water chills.

"In the winter, I fish a Trap like a jig," he revealed. "I cast it out, let it fall to the bottom, and then I'll experiment with different retrieves."

While bass that are tightly schooled will often react to a more aggressive presentation, such as ripping it up off of the bottom and letting it fall, Lintner will sometimes use a slow, steady pull to lift the bait, then let it flutter back down. When the tested pro knows he's on fish, he'll even dead stick the bait, just letting it lay motionless on the lake floor.

"A lot of times, they'll eat it right off the bottom," Lintner said. "I guess they think it's a baitfish that's just died."

When the thermometer dips close to freezing, shad and other baitfish are unable to tolerate the severe cold and simply die. When this happens, the dead-stick approach can be lethal.

"It's a really versatile bait," Lintner said. "That's something a lot of people overlook. Where I live, everyone is throwing a jig, a worm, a drop shot, or a shaky head in the winter. I win a lot of money on a Trap fishing it where other guys are throwing a jig."

Like many classics, the Rat-L-Trap type lures get lost in the crowd of a new generation of baits being heralded from various lure manufactures. Boatloads of money get invested in the technological development of lures that emit sounds and vibrations. These baits are constantly being touted as the next best advancements guaranteed to up our game. While the parade shuffles through, lipless crankbaits like the Rat-L-Trap continue to quietly swing bass over the rail.

Lure Selection:

As further proof of their versatility, numerous lipless models offer choices of color, sound, size, and vibration. Deciding which one to use can be an overwhelming task for many.

"I'm guilty of having 15 to 20 different types of lipless baits, and one of my main considerations is sound," Lintner said. "When the water is cold, I don't want a bait that's loud. I want something a little more subtle."

The west coast pro will even go so far as drilling a hole in the bait and adding water which changes the sound and lessens the volume.

As far as what size to use, Lintner considers two main factors: available forage and depth.

"I try to do my research and learn what kind of bait a lake has to offer," he said. "Does it have gizzard shad, threadfin, or alewives?"

Lintner also considers the average size of the bass present. If the lake traditionally has a population of undersized bass that are smaller than average, he'll opt for a smaller bait, and conversely, if the lake has a quantity of hefty hogs, then he'll supersize his offering.

"Generally speaking, especially in the winter, I'll start with a 5/8-ounce, a 1/2-ounce, or even a 3/4-ounce bait because I'll most likely be fishing deeper than I would in the spring," Lintner said. "I want a bait that I can effectively fish in anywhere from 10 to 40 feet of water."

Lintner's color choices are relatively simple.

"A lot of times when you have a shad die-off, that can really trigger a terrific bite," Lintner said. "I think the ghost minnow color best mimics those dying shad."

Like many, the seasoned pro also favors red in the winter.

"If I'm in a cold-weather tournament, I'll always have a ghost minnow and a red one tied on," he added.

Location:

"If you are on a lake with grass, and you can find a few little springs here and there, that's where I want to start," Lintner said. "I'll also target flats, channel swings, and rocks."

The California pro also likes to use Traps to probe long points.

"There'll be times I'll find them on big, long sand or mud points," he said. "When I graph them there, they'll really smoke a lipless crankbait. Truthfully, there's really no wrong structure to fish them on."

Similar to other crankbaits, Lintner has found colliding them with cover and creating an erratic action will trigger more bites.

"I want that bait to deflect off of whatever cover is there," he said. "Whether it be grass or rocks, I want it to hit bottom, or hit a dock piling or a rock. If I'm fishing docks or trees and that bait ricochets off of the cover, I know to be ready for a bite."

Lintner believes the misdirection created by bumping cover creates a reaction strike out of instinct rather than a feeding cue and since bass feed less in the winter, getting them to react can increase the number of bites from otherwise lethargic fish.

Tackle & Gear:

If there's a drawback to fishing lipless crankbaits, it's that they are easy for a leaping bass to throw. There have been many attempts to improve this problem. One idea was to have the line go through the bait and attach directly to the hook allowing the bait to slide up the line once a hook up occurs. This seemed to help, but many fishermen felt it hampered the action of the bait. As for Lintner, he stresses the importance of having the right rod, reel, and line setup.

"I think the most critical part of landing a fish on a Trap is having the right rod," he said. "In the spring and summer, you can get away with a little heavier action and heavier line, but in the winter, you're going to pull those hooks if you don't have the right action on your rod."

Lintner has designed his own rod series, tailored especially for this technique.

"I use a Ritual Angling Team Lintner Series Glass casting rod," he said. "I like a 7-foot 7-inch rod with a slow to moderate taper. It's a composite so it has a little bit of fiberglass and a little bit of graphite, and it's perfect for the Trap."

Lintner advises anglers to simply let the fish tire itself out and allow the rod to fight the fish. He also uses a slower reel.
"In the winter, I use a 6.2:1 gear ratio instead of the 7.6:1 I use in the spring and summer," he said. "It keeps me from wrenching the fish as hard and it helps me slow down my retrieves."

Lintner's reel of choice is a Shimano Metanium MGL and he spools it with 14-pound Crank FC by Sunline.

The pro's final alteration is changing hooks.

"I always change to Trokar EWG treble hooks," he said. "Most of the baits come with #4 hooks, but I'll go with #2s. In the winter, a lot of fish will short strike the bait and with those oversized hooks, I get better hook ups."

Bryant, Rob. "Winter Trapping With MLF Po Jared Lintner." Bass Angler Magazine, Winter 2019/20, pp. 6-8.