With winter fishing in full swing, anglers can often be met with difficulties when it comes to landing a largemouth bass. Between the cold temperatures to the change in pattern, fishing in the winter and December in particular can be one of the toughest times of the year. Lucky for you, we’re here to help with our list of the top 5 best bass fishing lures to throw while winter fishing in December!
Best December Bass Fishing Lure #1: The Blade Bait
Due to the colder water temperatures in December, bass in most areas tend to enter a lethargic state where they won’t just eat anything anymore like they would in the summer. Instead, bass become very finicky during this time and will only eat every so often if food is put right in front of their face, which is exactly where the blade bait comes in. The blade bait is a staple lure for winter fishing but shines in the early months of winter when the bass bite is tough. The small compact, yet eye-catching profile of the blade bait mimics exactly what the bass are looking to eat: a small baitfish. With the blade baits fast-sinking action you can fish in a variety of depths easily and work slowly off the bottom, or employ a steady retrieve in the middle water column. We’d recommend slow-rolling the blade bait near any type of cover you can find, or where the water is warmest being that bass like to stack up in these areas during the early winter.
Best December Bass Fishing Lure #2: Umbrella Rig
As mentioned above, oftentimes during the cold winter months, bass only look to snack on small baitfish that are near them. The Umbrella rig is another lure that mimics just that and is great for December bass fishing! Unlike the blade bait, the umbrella rig mimics a school of baitfish, which can be more enticing for bass because they know they have a guaranteed meal when they see the umbrella rig. Although the rig isn’t necessarily designed to be slowly rolled on the bottom of the water column, our team has encountered great success doing so especially if you find the spot where bass are stacked up. When tossing this rig in December, we’d recommend switching out the size of your plastics until you find what the bass are comfortable with eating consistently. Then you can throw individual lures that are a similar size to narrow down what they are eating even more!
Best December Bass Fishing Lure #3: Dark Sleeper
The dark sleeper has quickly become one of the most productive winter bass fishing lures for anglers all around the country, yet there are many others out there that are still sleeping on this killer lure! The dark sleeper aligns with the baitfish imitation trend we have shown you so far with our two previous selections, but this is by far the most versatile lure out of the bunch. If you didn’t know, the Dark Sleeper has a non-visible hook that only shows itself when a fish bites down on it. Because of this, the Dark Sleeper can truly be thrown anywhere, whether it’s thick brush or even fishing rocks for smallmouth bass. To put it simply, the Dark Sleeper is another great way to mimic small profile baitfish in your waters, and its unique action has given anglers great results in December and winter months as a whole! Have you already heard about the Dark Sleeper?
Best December Bass Fishing Lure #4: Jerkbait
If you’ve ever gone winter bass fishing, chances are you know that the jerkbait is by far one of the best lures to toss this time of year. With its unique suspending action the jerkbait can target suspended bass while also being visible to bass in deeper water because of its size. What makes the jerkbait truly lethal is the fact that you can fish it as slow as needed, which is often one of the biggest keys to catching bass in December. 2-3 minute casts occasionally twitching the jerkbait is almost guaranteed to get some bass in the boat if you fish the right areas.
Best December Bass Fishing Lure #5: Lipless Crankbait
Similar to the jerkbait, the lipless crankbait is another larger profile hard bait that works wonders for fishermen in the winter months. Unlike the jerkbait, lipless crankbaits typically sink, which ultimately gives them a similar presentation to the blade bait–except lipless crankbaits are bigger in size. We recommend trying out some lipless crankbaits with a slow, wide wobble. As mentioned, bass are usually a lot more reactive to slower actions in the winter, so getting a lipless crankbait that can be dragged off the bottom is key if you plan to try this lure.
Winter bass fishing can be the toughest time of the year without a doubt, especially in December. If you give the baits that we mentioned a try and consistently hit the water, you’ll be able to find out what pattern the bass are on in no time! We hope these recommendations help and if you need to stock up on some of the best baits we mentioned or get a gift for the angler in your life check out our limited-time deals today!
