Winter is the most challenging season for bass fishing. Anglers say goodbye to topwater lures, shallow water crankbaits, and catching fish in predictable environments. Bass behavior can be difficult to read, but not impossible. In fact, its an opportunity for anglers to catch the biggest fish of their lives. But it requires know-how and patience. As water temperatures drop, bass will begin following migration routes do deeper water where they’ll spend the rest of winter. Theyslow their metabolisms in response to the lowering temperature and feed less. But that doesn’t mean you can’t catch them. There are several bass fishing lures you can use in a rotation that are proven to trigger winter bass.The key is to slow down and be patient, and don’t expect a lot of action. This isn’t the season to scurry a creature bait or burn a buzz bait across the surface. This is the time of year when action is scarce, and fishing can be literally painfull. But when you get that bite, its the bite you want, and youll thank yourself for putting in the time and effort.
Where Do Bass Go In Winter?
Bass will pull away from shore and nestle into rocky bottomed areas like main lake points, ledges, and rock piles. However, this may look different on lakes and rivers across the country. A highland reservoir may present different depths and structure than Lake Okeechobee, for example. Look for areas that have chunk rock, gravel, or concrete, like retaining walls, boat lanches, marinas, areas that have been dredged out and have submerged industrial materials. These areas are perfect for largemouth bass and other fish species like bluegill and crappie to hold onto in winter. if you’re located on a delta system, locate areas protected from current. Bass will occasionally swim up shallow on warm sunny days to get closer to the heat source. During these times anglers can target shallow water cover. But this is rare. Â Winter bass will mostly remain deep and around hard objects, so prepare for deep water fishing, cold days, and a lot of patience! But rest assured, with the right bass fishing lures and presentation, you have a better chance at a quality fish than all year.
1.) The Deep Diving Crankbait
Bass anglers have been using the deep diving crankbait for decades and for good reason; it covers water and triggers large bass to bite. Although for years anglers threw summer lures with the assumption they should be fished slowly with hopes that it would trigger the same predatory instinct it would during summer. However, anglers have perfected the deep diving crank so that it wobbles less and has less sound with muted colors. This technique is called speed cranking due to the insane retrieval speed. It requires a fast gear ratio like an 8:2:1 and small diameter monofilament line ( no larger than 12lb). Anglers will make long casts across their target area and burn the lure back to the boat making periodic pauses in between. This action causes giant bass to chase down prey, even in winter. It’s a core response they can’t stop. This method requires high speed and patience, unlike fishing spring and summer crankbaits.Â
 2.) Big Swim Baits
Big bass like big swimbaits. They can be effective in winter because they present a slow moving food source and they isolate giants. They also present a big meal, making it worth the calories required to swim over to it. Bass behavior like this often suprises new anglers. It’s your best chance at isolating a giant winter bass. Other fishing lures discussed later will certainly trigger large fish, too. But when you tie on an eight inch, soft bodied bass lure and creep it past a twelve pound behemoth, you won’t have a better chance than that. Find out what bait-fish are most common on your lake. Some fisheries plant rainbow trout. Others are more likely to hold shad, blugill, smallmouth bass, or catfish. On a heavy power rod, fish the swim bait along the bottom as slowly as humanly possible. The subtle movement over rocks and gravel will cuase the wedge style tail to thump back and forth. When you feel a small thump in the line, crank it hard. You’ve got a bass on.
Big Swim Baits (retail links)
- Huddleston Deluxe 8″ Trout – Buy from FishUSAÂ
- Savage Gear Pulse Tail Trout Line Thru – Buy From Savage GearÂ
3.) Football Jig
A football jig is a great way to present food to sluggish fish in cold weather. Similar to the big swimbait, you can drag a jig slowly past their snout and encourage a bite. However This isn’t like flipping up shallow in summer when you would shake the lure or hop it around. Drag the jig slowly, even slower than you think, watch and feel for small thumps or a fast jump in the line. Bass tpyically don’t jump hard on a bait and annihilate the way they would in warmer water. Good colors to focus on are dark brown, black, and junebug. These colors stand out more vividly in deeper water, especially when sun light doesn’t reach them as often. When selecting a trailer for a bass jig, go with a chunk style with less action.A trailer that kicks too much like a creature bait can turn a big fish away. Prey items that appear to fast and too healthy don’t match the environment in winter, and isn’t worth losing calories chasing it.
Football Jigs (retail links)
- Dirty Jigs Tour Level Finesse Football Jig – Buy from FishUSA
- Z-Man CrossEyeZ Football Jig – Buy From FishUSAÂ
4.) Â Jerkbaits
Suspending jerkbaits are lethal bass fishing lures in winter. Its a perfect way to target fish that are suspending over rockpiles. On light fishing line and a soft rod, you can cast beyond your target zone, retrieve fast to get the lure to the desired depth, then twitch and pause -with strong emphasis on the pause! Its great to rip a jerkbait fast with little pause in summer, but in winter you need to slow down. Time your cadence with 5 second pauses between one twitch. You can increase to 10 seconds and then 15 if no bites occur. This will allow the fish time to rise to the lure and hit it. Jerkbaits that suspend are great, but chose a bait that slowly falls. These are good in winter because they allow you to stay deeper as they fall toward the fish.
JerkBaits (Retail Links)
- Rapala Shad Rap – Buy From Fish USAÂ
- Megabass Vision 110 – Buy From FishUSAÂ
- Megabass Vision 110 Silent – Buy From FishUSAÂ
5.) Ned Rig
A ned rig can be extremely effective in the right conditions. Both large mouth, spotted, and smallmouth bass can be caught using this method.However, its the last lure ill use when the bite is hard. There are countless soft plastics on the market that call themselves ned baits. But any streamlined soft plastic that can be fished on a jig hook and light tackle, and looks natural to bass, qualifies as a ned rig. Find areas that are hard bottomed and try to match the natural forage. Use darker colors in low light and pumpkin green when the sun is out. The same goes for water clarity – use darker colors in poor water clarity. Drag the lure slowly back to the boat, similar to a jig. As the jig head slides over gravel and small rocks, the soft plastic imparts a subtle action that bass are attracted to. The small profile and slow movement of the ned rig stands out when fish are either pressured or don’t want to eat – both can be present in winter. The slow movement presents an easy meal that can’t be ignored. The downsiside of fishing a ned rig is that it has to be thrown on light fishing line and spinning tackle, which presents challenges in wind.
Ned Rig Baits & Hardware
- VMC Ned Rig Jig Heads – Buy From FishUSA
- Z-Man Finesse TRD – Buy From FishUSA
6.) Lipless Crankbait
The lipless Crankbait is a go to for bass fisherman who want to reach the right depth. As bass descend to lower depths in the water column, anglers will use bottom bouncing baits. But the lipless crank is the best lure  for catching fish while immitating a wounded minnow using the yo yo retrieve. Cast out and let the lure sink to the bottom and begin raising the rod tip fast, brining the lure up a short distance. Then allow the bait to flutter back down, and repeat. Try to maintain close proximity to the bottom if possible. this flutter effect will will put out flash and vibration and can attract big fish to strike. Other notable mentioned are blade baits and big spoons. Both can be fished similar to a lipless crankbait. These methods work when vertically jigging from a boat and when casting from shore.
Lipless Crankbaits (retail links)
- Strike King Red Eyed Shad – Buy From FishUSA
- Lucky Craft LV 500 – Buy From FishUSAÂ
7.) Soft Swim Bait
A soft swim bait is one of the best bass lures. Its a year round fish killer, Â and its effective in winter. You can swim the bait slowly across the bottom, allowing the head of the bait to make contact. The tail wags as you softly fling off obstruction. Its a great method for targeting a wider range of fish and not only big bass. The action is perfect for a wide rage of species as well. Soft baits with small profiles get inhaled quickly so be ready to the hook after feeling a thump. Use natural colors like grey, dark browns, and trout patterns that immitate baitfish on your water. Try to avoid paddle tail swimbaits with too much action, and remember to slow down and if you think you’re fishing slow enough, slow down even more.
Soft Swim Bait (retail links)
- Keitech Easy Shiner  – Buy From FishUSAÂ
- Keitech Shad Impact – Buy From FishUSAÂ
8.) Texas Rig Worm
A texas rig worm has a stream line body and can be fished slow enough to present an easy meal to big bass. You can use a 3/8 to ½ oz tungsten bullet weight and a 3-4/O EWG worm hook with any 6″ straight tail worm and drag it along hard bottom. Locate areas around 15″ deep that have access to even deeper water. Bass will use these locations to feed and slide deeper in the water column if threatened. Use the same methods of winter fishing as other bottom lures and fish it slow. One awesome way to entice a bite is to dead stick the worm for as long as it may take. Did I mention winter fishing is slow? Dead sticking can produce a ton of bites and I gaurntee when the bite comes, it will be during the slowest point of the retrieve. Avoid imparting too much action, especially hopping the bait as you would during the warmer months. Experiement with different colors like dark brown, black and blue, pumpkin green depending on water clarity and sunlight.
Straight Tail Worms (retail links)
- Roboworm Straight Tail Worms – Buy From Fish USA
- Zoom Tick Worm – Buy From Fish USAÂ
9.) SpinnerBaits
As a bass angler, a colorado blade or willow leaf spinner should be part of your arsenal. Retrieve it slow and control the depth by letting the lure fall periodically. Its a bait perfect for fishing near submerged structure like stumps and trees, and immitates a baitfish perfectly. The flash of the blades can be seen and felt through murky water. Try finding the best looking structures on your lake either with a fish finder or live scope (if you have it) or study the bank side. If you come across an area full of chunkrock or stumps on the bank, the same may be present under water. Remember: Not ever structure will have bass, but every big bass will be near structure. And trophy largemouth will take up the best ambush points. This is particularly true in in winter. Use a soft tip rod and fluorocarbon line for softer bites. Flurocarbon line will also help hold the lure in deep water.
Spinner Bait (retail link)
- Accent Jacob Wheeler Triple Shady Spinner Bait – Buy From FishUSAÂ
- War Eagle Double Willow Spinner Bait – Buy From FishUSA
10.) Big Spoon
A big spoon calls giant largemouth to dinner. The flash, vibration, and vertical movement make for and easy meal. Fishing a giant spoon will isolate larger bass in deep water. A heavy power rod with 12-20 lb flurocarbon is good for managing a larger bait. Cast out and let the spoon clutter to the bottom. As the spoon hits bottom, begin pulling your rod tip up, then drop it. The flutter action imitates a distressed baitfish. Additionally, bass can feel the vibration of the spoon along their lateral line. Fishing the spoon slowly will allow the fish time to travel over to it. This technique requires that you watch your line for changes and be aware of small thumps in the rod tip. Thats why heavy power fishing rod with a good parabolic bend can help detect when a bass catches the spoon as it falls. Study the rate of fall for any changes. If the spoon falls at the same pace each time and then suddenly stops short of a complete fall, set the hook. In fact, set the hook if anything feels weird or different. Even though you’re fishing large treble hooks, winter bass will bite soft and potentially spit the lure after detecting that its artificial.
11.) Glide Bait
The glide bait is a big lure for big largemouth bass. However, this is a lure reserved for rare occasions during winter when fish suspend higher in the water column. As stated previously, on sunny days or warming trends, some fish will move closer to the surface. This is a perfect time to throw a slow sinking glide bait and work it slowly. You can fish a glide in deeper water by allowing it to sink and dead stick it if you feel confident it won’t snag. Your retrieve should be dead slow, one twitch per few seconds – same rules as a bass jig or suspending jerkbait. Like in spring and summer, the glide has drawing power and attracts fish of all sizes. However, the behemoths are the ones that crush it. Use a heavy power rod with 14 lb flurocarbon and expect a softer bite. Catching bass in winter using this method can be tough. But it comes in handy on days when bass behavior is unpredictable.
Glide Baits ( retail links)
- River2Sea Glide Bait – Buy from FishUSAÂ
- Storm Arashi Glide Bait – Buy from FishUSAÂ
Final Thoughts
Winter bass fishing is difficult.. Its uncomfortable and cold and impossible to do from a boat in some areas of the country. Many people stick to  ice fishing, while others stow away the fishing rods and tackle boxes and transition to deer hunting. But for those who can manage the cold waters of winter, these lures are staples in the winter fishing game. Practice your techniques and experiment. Bass anglers have a chance at the biggest bass on their lake this time of year. It takes patience and skill, but trust me its worth it!
