During the winter fishing season, bass school up in deep waters, but there are certain instances where they are prowling the shallows in search of a meal. Whether due to a hot water discharge, or changing temperatures, it’s not uncommon for bass to be in shallow waters during the winter season. But how do you catch them? To many anglers, this is where things get tricky, which is why we want to equip you with the four best baits for shallow winter fishing.
Shallow Winter Lure #1: The Jerkbait
The jerkbait is one of the best bass fishing lures in every season. However, during the winter months in which bass are prowling shallow waters, it excels even more than usual. Due to the jerkbaits suspending characteristics, anglers can toss this bass fishing lure in any area of the water column, including up shallow during the winter. Despite being in shallow waters, bass can still be finicky. Working the jerkbait slowly with the occasional twitch is usually the key to landing shallow winter bass. Not only that, but the jerkbait is also a great bass fishing lure to mimic bait in your waters. The next time you are struggling to get bites, just give a suspending jerkbait a toss!
Shallow Winter Lure #2: Small Jigs
As mentioned, despite being in shallow waters, bass usually have lethargic tendencies during the cold months, which is why downsizing your lure is one of the best ways to get more bites. With the finesse jig, anglers can work their bait as slowly as needed, and even though it may seem tedious at times, dragging the jig on the bottom of shallow waters is one of the best ways to hook up with a winter bass. We recommend throwing light, natural colors when the water is clear and dark or vibrant colors when fishing in muddy water. To put it simply, similar to the jerkbait, the jig is a staple bass fishing lure that works year-round, including when fishing shallow waters during the winter season.
Shallow Winter Lure #3: Spinnerbait
Even though finesse fishing is the most popular winter bass fishing tactic, many anglers quickly forget that moving baits still work wonders, especially in shallow waters. Throwing the spinnerbait covers a lot of water and allows anglers to find the school of shallow bass much more quickly. Contrary to popular belief, you can fish the spinnerbait slowly with the right gear. For us, this has been one of the most effective ways to catch shallow winter bass over the past few years.
Shallow Winter Lure #4: Crankbait
Crankbaits are a classic lure. Like the spinnerbait, the crankbait is another great moving-lure that can attract shallow winter bass. Whether it’s a lipless or square bill crankbait, the wobble movement and vibration by both of these lures will more often than not cause a reaction bite from nearby bass. In addition, throwing loud baits can often be beneficial during the winter because bass will be able to hear the lure from much further away. The same color recommendations for the jig mentioned above apply for the crankbait, and don’t be afraid to try fishing fast if you think the water is warm enough!
Winter fishing can be very tough, especially when the bass are transitioning from deep to shallow waters. If you give these baits a toss, chances are you’ll cash in on some big bass over the next couple of months! Just remember, when in doubt, experiment! Whether experimenting with lures or retrieval speeds, it’s important to try new things until you find what works. The end goal is the same: rig up a lure that helps you hook into a MONSTERBASS!
