Bass fishing in the wintertime on Cape Cod is only for the most hardy, determined and skillful anglers. To say it's challenging is an understatement. But if you are already getting cabin fever and have to get out, pick the right equipment and go. Fishermen all over the Cape are catching bass right now...if you don't mind the cold, you could join them.
The first step to any successful bass fishing trip, no matter the time of year, is knowing what to use for lures. The guys in the shop do alot of wintertime fishing for bass and have some solid suggestions.
Here is what Goose Pro Staffers think are 10 of the best winter bass lures to use to catch largemouth bass in the winter.
Jerkbaits have long been a favorite for cold water bass fishing in spring, fall and winter. Because it can be fished slowly and will stay suspended where bass hang out in the water column at this time of year, this is probably the best lure to begin a winter fishing trip with.
In the winter, the slower the retrieve, the better when fishing a jerk bait. Even if you think you are fishing slowly, turn it down another notch and fish slower. A long, drawn out, jerk-jerk-pause is the best retrieve, you can let it pause for as long as 30 seconds.
These baits are perfect wounded baitfish imitators, and colors should be matched to the predominant baitfish in your local lake or kettle pond. Jerkbaits are perfect to use on deep drop offs, and the edges of points. They can also be fished over deep water for suspended wintering bass.
Spoons
A favorite winter lure of Cape Cod fishermen, the jigging spoon is a great lure to use for those suspended, deep water largemouth.
This subtle lure with lots of flash is designed to dangle in front of a slow metabolism bass’ s face for extended periods to get instinctual reaction strikes out of them.
These baits are almost exclusively fished vertically below the boat, and use of electronic fish finders to locate suspending schools of bass is suggested to use the full potential of this awesome wintertime lure.
Anglers like to fish these baits on spinning rods over tree tops, on long points, and over deep brush piles to mimic an easy meal for sluggish winter bass.
Jigs are a must in your tackle box any time of the bass fishing season, but they especially become essential gear when the water is frigid, and the fish are moving slowly.
Fished slow and on the bottom, these baits excel when crawled and jigged around and through thick bottom cover. These weedless baits easily come through deep submerged trees and around big rocks that big bass call home.
These baits should always be tipped with a plastic chunk or crawfish to add an even more tantalizing movement to your presentation.
You are definitely going to want a jig or two in your arsenal this year. Top picks in the winter include ball-head type finesse jigs, and bulkier profile baits for those larger southern bass.
Crankbaits made of light plastic or balsa wood -- have long been a secret of Cape Cod fisherman when the fishing is slow.
Often used to mimic a slow-moving shad, these baits are worked along rip rap banks when the water is cold. Most crankbaits are pretty light, so, for ease of casting , tie them on a spinning rod with a light line to cast them the furthest.
While often used as baitfish imitators, do not overlook crawfish-colored baits like red and brown as well. Crawfish are a main forage in the cold-water season and bass look at them as an easy snack to help them bulk up for the spring spawn ahead (much like most of us do during the winter).
Parallel your boat along a long rocky bank and reel this bait right along it on a sunny winter day -- this should put a few bass in the boat before your thermos gets cold.
Lipless Crankbait
Loud and proud, lipless crank baits are one of the best ways to trigger that reaction strike all winter long.
These baits are heavy and can be cast a long way over large weed flats. Filled with metal beads, these baits make a lot of noise and can be detected from a long ways away by a hungry bass.
The key to fishing these baits is adding some rod tip movement to cause the bait to speed up and slow down erratically, which will trigger strikes from following bass. Lipless crankbaits are great lures for stained to even muddy water for their ability to call in fish with their rattles.
A lot of winter bass tournaments have been won on this lure, and it’s many pro’s go-to lure for triggering cold water bites.
Vibrating Jigs
Vibrating jigs came into popularity in the early part of this decade and quickly became one of the most effective lures fishermen could have on in their tackle boxes when the water gets frosty.
Much like the lipless crankbaits mentioned above, these baits are loud and provide a ton of vibration, which triggers reaction strikes. These lures are sometimes dressed with a plastic rubber swimbait or crawfish for a trailer.
The advantage vibrating jigs have over their lipless crankbait counterparts is the ability to be worked slower and through thicker weed cover without becoming fouled. This allows you to pop the bait through emerging grass and trigger the more lethargic fish into biting the bait.
Plus, they are fitted with a large, sharp, wide-gap hook that keeps an acrobatic bass hooked up when they decide to go airborne to throw the lure. There is a reason vibrating jigs are some of our favorite lures to use all year, but they do have a special place in our icy hearts.
Swim baits
Yo-Zuri’s Pins Minnows Series™ has been a top seller worldwide for over 2 decades!! The Pin’s Minnow floating lures series is offered in a variety of natural colors and patterns to tempt game fish in all Cape Cod ponds. They incorporate a durable polycarbonate lip to get down over the structure and in the strike zone. Use this lure when fish are up feeding in the shallows on warmer winter days.
Made with Yo-Zuri’s Weight Transfer System, these extremely versatile baits cast very well for their size. They are perfectly suited for pond and lake fishing. The Pin’s Minnow Series can be cast or trolled producing a tight wiggling action that attracts a wide variety of gamefish to strike.
Hair Jigs
Long a lure only found in walleye fishermen’s tackle boxes up north, hair jigs have now found a home in bass anglers’ boxes everywhere. With the subtle way these furry lures wiggle with the lightest move of the rod tip, they are an excellent bait to mimic the slow and deliberate movements of a cold-water crawfish or baitfish.
This bait is also extremely versatile in the ways that it can be fished. You can hop and drag it along bottom, or slowly swim it around and through hard cover like rock and trees. .
Spinnerbaits
When most people think about bass fishing, a spinnerbait is probably the first lure that comes to mind. It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book, and for good reason -- it’s one of the most versatile lures in an angler’s tackle box.
It can be fished all year, and the winter is no different. One of the best baits for slow rolling is a big Colorado blade spinnerbait. With plenty of flash and vibration, fish can’t resist this big baitfish imitator and they can sense its presence a long way away.
The lure isn't apt to snag fished in almost any type of cover, allowing it to be fished in a wide range of scenarios. From weeds to rocks to submerged timber, this lure will get it done more days than not.
These crawfish shaped rubber lures are among Cape Codders favorite winter bass fishing baits.
Crawfish jigs are super effective lures for both covering alot of water and fishing slowly. Designed to be cast out a long way and dragged slowly along a rock bottom, unsuspecting bass can’t help but take a swipe when these lures crawl slowly past them. The long rubber claws imparts a subtle action as it crawls and bounces off the gravel or even at rest.
These lures can be fished in a skirted version with a chunk, or used as a jig head with your favorite plastic crawfish imitators.
Crawfish jigs thrive around bluff walls and big boulders found in many highland reservoirs, as well as main lake shoals and humps where bass are wintering.
In Summary
These are the 10 best bass lures that the guys at the Goose will be fishing this winter.
All of these baits are relatively easy to learn to fish, and are time tested, proven winners in the winter. Find the bass wintering areas on your pond, often found around the deepest water, large points, and steep drop offs on the main lake, and you will be catching winter bass in no time.
Put on your best winter coat, some waterproof gloves, fill up your tackle box, ready your boat, and get to your favorite Cape pond to give these lures a shot.
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