Great Lures for Late Winter Bass

Many anglers do not fish throughout the winter months, epecially northern anglers where their favorite bass lakes are covered with ice. Once winter’s grip releases and ice out occurs however, it’s time to prep the bassin’ gear and set up a box wit the best baits for catching late winter bass.

When setting up your late winter specialty box, here are some of the best lures for late winter bass you should consider:

1) Jigs and pig or craw trailers: use a slow drag or drag n pause retrieve keeping the jig around the bottom;

2) Single and double blade spinnerbaits to be slow rolled over and around bottom cover;

3) Lipless or flat-sided squarebill crankbaits fished slowly while deflecting off bottom weeds or rocks;

4 ) Ned rigs, with NED worms, swimbaits or craws as trailer worked along bottom and occasionally “dead-sticked”; &

5) Suspending jerkbaits experimenting with the jerk/pause retrieve cadence and let bass ID best cadence for the day.

It is important to note that the best lure will vary depending on the specific body of water and the type of bass you are targeting. It is always a good idea to experiment with different lures and retrieve techniques to find what works best in your local area each time you hit the water.