No matter which lure you choose for winter bass fishing, present it to the fish slowly. Bass are cold-blooded, and in cold water they are lethargic. They may need a lot of time to decide whether to strike your lure. Give them that time. You can catch big bass in winter, but only if you present lures at the speed they want them.
Jigs in Winter
Try jigs for bass in winter. Pro fisherman Denny Brauer recommends targeting them at vertical structures such as 45-degree banks, bluffs and creek channel edges. Key on bottom structures. Look for brushpiles, stumps, rocks and other things on the bottom that create an edge bass can relate to. Bounce your jig through the structure. Fish jigs in winter slowly. Brauer calls it a "slow, tedious retrieve with pauses between movements." Pick your jig size and weight according to the depth of the water--the deeper the water, the heavier the jig.
Plastic Grubs
Give plastic grubs a try in winter. Rig the grub on a weighted hook by pushing the point of the hook into the front of the grub's nose. Slide the grub up the hook shank and push the hook tip out so that the grub lies straight along the shank. If the grub was manufactured with a joining line down the middle of the lure, use that line to guide your hook location. Match your hook size to the grub's size--the larger the grub, the larger the hook. Cast the lure, let it sink to the bottom, and then slowly swim it just off the bottom. In winter, the slower the retrieve the better. Grubs work best in clear water conditions. Push a rattle inside the lure if you want a little sound.
Blade Baits
Blade baits, slices of weighted metal, drop quickly into the depths and vibrate when lifted and dropped. They will catch largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, and famed Dale Hollow lake guide Fred McClintock calls them his "bread-and-butter winter bass baits." He suggests a 7-foot, medium-action rod, 10- to 14-lb. test monofilament line, 1/2-oz. baits down to 30 feet and 3/4-oz. baits for deeper winter fishing. On rocky drops, cast the blade bait near the top of the drop and work it down the rocks by raising your rod tip slightly to lift the lure off the bottom, then lower your rod tip as the lure falls to the next ledge down the slope.
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