Best Baits for Winter Bass Fishing

3 must have baits for winter bass fishing

Who doesn't love catching big fish? As anglers that is always our goal. Go out on the water, test our skills, fool and land the biggest fish possible! The one big key that brings all of this together is knowing what baits to throw based on the specific time of year in order to maximize your odds of presenting a bait in front of a big fish. Understanding these specific techniques and proper time periods to utilize them can take years to master but this video can definitely give you a head start on learning the art of winter time fishing.

If I had to take three baits with me that give me the best chance of figuring out cold water bass no matter what the season these would be the three.

First is the Suspending Jerk Bait. A slow twitched suspending jerkbait around shallow flat points and small creek channel drop-offs can be a recipe for a monster bass to come in the boat. I love to throw a Spro McStick, it has a perfect twitching action, and is neutrally buoyant making it suspend and pause right in the strike zone.

Second is the Shad Rap. This balsa wood bait has a very subtle silent action but when crawled over rocks, gravel, and clay, it can be almost impossible for a big bass to pass up. Simply cast the bait to the bank and slowly reel it back with your rod tip down allowing the bait to bump and dig on the bottom.

Third is the Jig and Pig. A 1/2 oz jig with a very low action trailer is a great winter time option. A Jig is my go to bait if the bass just don't seem to be aggressive enough to react to a moving presentation. You can fish the jigs shallow but in most situations the jig is best when the fish are laying dormant on a drop off, steep bank, or deep structure.

Watch the video below to get more detailed instructions on how to fish these baits.

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Master these three baits and you will put a lot of fish, and some big fish in your boat this winter.

I'll see you on the water!

Joey Nania