Winter, of course, means cold, cold water that, as fishing personality Mark Zona says, may even have several inches of a “lid” over it. Experienced anglers assemble the best lures for winter fishing based on a different kind of “bite.” In cold water, fish are understandable sluggish and in a foul mood so lures are chosen to get a reaction bite, rather than an “I’m hungry” bite. Here are the best fishing lures for winter.
1. LIPLESS CRANKBAIT
This versatile, hyperactive, wobbling attention-getter, makes any list of best winter bass fishing lures. As the name implies, there is no lip to help it dive so it sinks rather rapidly, fluttering on the way down. Due to the dual treble hooks and my normal weedy haunts, this lure rarely makes my lure rotation until winter, when there is less vegetation to snag. During a Bassmaster Classic on year, I was amazed at how rapidly Kevin Vandam worked a lipless crankbait in a cove that was iced over just a day earlier. Letting it flutter down a few feet to the top of decomposing weeds, then ripping it up and letting it flutter down again, he kept warm landing enough chunky, “sulking” largemouth bass to win the tournament.
2. JERKBAIT
Another best winter bass fishing lures party attendee, this long, narrow lure has is a lipped crankbait. Depending on the model, this lure is may slowly sink, float, or suspend. Although it can act as a standard lipped crankbait and just be reeled in slow and steadily, where it excels is when it stops doing anything. Reel to desired depth, then start trying to figure out a cadence varying the number of jerks between pauses. Also, experiment with the length of each pause, which in cold weather can mean astonishingly long.
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