Even though it never really gets cold here, I still like dropping a blade bait over the side of the boat in some deeper water. I've done pretty good with that. I don't see anyone else using a blade bait, so it's probably something the fish in my local waters haven't seen a lot of.
A big TRD has been working for me. Rigged a 5/16 ball head with a weed guard. Work slow with a lift and pause. They usually eat it after the pause. Water has been 36 degrees in southern Iowa.
One of my favorites in the winter is still the drop shot! I can use that bait any time of the year. I just need to shorten the distance between the sinker and the hook as it seems they are closer to the bottom in the winter. Thanks for taking the time to share Matt!
All the bass I catch during the Wisconsin ... lakes are shallow less than 15 foot, look for inside corners with cover, use tip ups with large shiners set two feet below ice.
Blade bait is like a video game cheat code in winter. I've caught 40 inch musky, 20 inch walleye, 4lb bass, and even 8 inch perch on it in winter. Don't get as many opportunities in Alabama to use it as I did in WV but I love that bait.
Here in florida we don’t really get cold water in winter - yesterday water temp was 72 degs. Rat-L-traps & swim baits & big jigs. Don’t really ever fish jerkbaits unless I happen to be on the water after a major cold snap & the water temp has dropped drastically over a short period of time …
I lived in FL for a decade. Bass in Florida are just different. They hate the cold! You can use a straight junebug worm 100% of the time and do well. Although, I'd flip a BB Cricket after a cold front and jerk a SuperFluke before it. I miss those Florida fat girls! 👍🏼
Subscribed! Great content bud, keep them coming! I used to keep track of my catches on a calendar and one year December was my best month and an H&H white spinner bait caught the most on my local lake.
Yacuma tail spin. $2 lure on ebay. Great lure. I just upsized the blades though. & If ya take the spinners off it works as a blade bait. Caught over 20 bass on them the past 3 days of fishing this week...
I had luck with the red eye shad late October. Not so much anymore unfortunately. Water was 39 last week when I tired to fish. My home lake is very shallow and stained year round
The blade bait is super underrated. It’s a tighter wiggle than most lipless but can really come in handy. It’s like a finesse lipless. Jigs are also super good in cool water but my bread and butter is a tailspin. You can Yo-Yo it and on the fall it flutters down sort of like a spoon. The blade just slows the descent and the fish hammer it. It’s also a decent alternative to a lipless.
Saw the weather heading your way, I'll be getting it to, 41 deg here also! My experience here if we have open water is to bang them on the nose. And the blade and jig are probably the best at it. Shallow water it's a lipless and jerk bait for me. But we've got cold and snow coming.
I used to fish when it was snowing as long as there was open water, but since my back surgery and health started to decline, I decided it best to sit out. My favorites were red or clown jerk baits, and then just fish it fast and try to make them react to it.
I use Huddleston retrieve very slow ob the bottom and also I use finesse jigs as well, But I had best luck with jerkbait during cold months and catch most of my fish on it.
Thanks Matt. Just got done watching this and your swim jig mods video. Can't get enough on swim jigs, it's my favorite way to fish. I don't even throw pitching jigs anymore I'll just pitch my swim jigs. Winter baits, do you still throw tubes in winter? I have had some good days dragging a tube for large and smallmouth in low 40s water.
Never used the silver buddy. I think I have a Molix model. I have to have a jig for cold water largemouth. Whether small and finesse or big and compact. Paca Craw works great for a trailer. J bug as well.
Matt, I know that you have done videos on Dirty Jigs in the past, but really looking into the comparison between the line ties of Herren’s Jig vs Canterbury/Clausen jigs in terms of what structure to use on, or what cover? Also, wonder about the rate of fall, or fall action on these types of jigs. Looking at trying these types of jigs this spring and want to ensure I have the correct jig for the situation, many thanks
I love the warpig year around, and have been working hard to get better at the jerkbait. From the shore, the blade bait is not really an option for me. Love this style of video. Thanks Matt
I'm fishing the same baits but I do fish a grub, finesse jig, hair jig, ned and a Fritts side. Close to my house is the upper Potomac river and the water temperature is a few degrees above freezing. So my problem is finding the bass. I have found a few walleye and muskie.
Hey Matt, good stuff. I'm a channel junky, living in Chicago and kayak fishing all over the great state of WI! I like the Acmetackle Vrod, similar to your blade bait. Take it for a test drive. Cheers, Jj
Hi Matt With the price of lures. What type of setup do you use in Musky & Pike waters? It gets very expensive to keep replacing lures Thanks for your time.
Great to see you went old school with the Silver Buddy, the original and still the best blade bait. I'd keep it old school; pork is king in winter. Plastic trailers just can't match the fluid, life-like action of a pork frog. Also, never fish in winter without a (old school) crawfish (or Live River Shad) #7 Shad Rap. An old school Colorado blade spinnerbait for slow rolling will produce when the water dips into the 40s.
They will bite big swimbaits in the winter too. Caught a 6lb largemouth in December on a 4.8 keitech and 1/4 oz 5/0 flashy swimmer just barely creeping it on the bottom on a local river here in central NC.
That Berkley jerkbait is absolutely money, I have fished a lot of the “ go to” jerkbaits that cost more than average and none of them have the darting action I’ve seen on the Stunna. I hooked ( and lost) my largest catfish one one and it was completely swallowed, those things just illicit a mad reaction in fish.
Good Bait choices bud 🥶Cold water equals low and slow. Can’t forget the old daredevil spoons or I’ll throw mepps spinners and sometimes hair jig black n orange have worked . WHAT really works if there not biting good old fashion dynamite 💥 seen crocodile Dundee using it in New York he was literally killing them🎣🥴
Another great video Matt. I nominated your video on floating worms in my contest for best tip of the year. The winner gets to fish with me out of their boat using their baits and lures. I’m really pulling for you to win!
I keep a 'Metal Box' just for wintertime. Silver Buddies, Little Georges, Crippled Herrings, and Hopkins Shorties are my go-to lures when big spotted bass are on structure, in current, in winter.
Do you happen to keep a thermometer in your fishing bag? Just To check water temps in lakes or ponds that dont have reports? If not is it something that could take your fishing knowledge of the day to the next level? Your video and many others made me think I should carry a thermometer during a certain time of year. (Transition) especially since I live in south west Florida and can’t tell what the fluctuations typically are
For reals! Our lakes don't freeze in Alabama. I don't know how they handle it. I like our snow; it comes once a year, they shut the whole state down and it's gone within a day!🥶❄️☃️
I see you are using better words. Generate them viewer bites. Always thought you have great thumbnails and terrible titles. 20-40 ft. sounds about right. Lipless for sure. Lipless over the bladebait bc of noise. Bottom lures for sure. I'd go with either creature or lizard or both. I'd go with a swimmybait over a jerkbait for depth control. Maybe add a good crank and dropshot worm to this list.
Even though it never really gets cold here, I still like dropping a blade bait over the side of the boat in some deeper water. I've done pretty good with that. I don't see anyone else using a blade bait, so it's probably something the fish in my local waters haven't seen a lot of.
it really is an underutilized lure. so are spoons.
Hard to beat a Silver Buddy when bass bunch up on deep structure in winter!
works great!
Here in Missouri. I like to use a wighted shad rap and a smaller black and blue jig.
both good options!
Here in Tennessee I am also going two use a flatsided crankbait bait a lot and like you said always got two have a jearkbait and a jig on
good choice!
I live on Table Rock we use Rapala ice jigs for our go to baits in the winter time.
good bait!
Agree with the blade bait. Spoon is another good one. One of my favs that few talk about is a sized down spinner bait fished really really slow.
good pick!
A big TRD has been working for me. Rigged a 5/16 ball head with a weed guard. Work slow with a lift and pause. They usually eat it after the pause. Water has been 36 degrees in southern Iowa.
Nice!
One of my favorites in the winter is still the drop shot! I can use that bait any time of the year. I just need to shorten the distance between the sinker and the hook as it seems they are closer to the bottom in the winter. Thanks for taking the time to share Matt!
always a good choice
All the bass I catch during the Wisconsin ... lakes are shallow less than 15 foot, look for inside corners with cover, use tip ups with large shiners set two feet below ice.
thanks for sharing!
I had my first winter largemouth bass on a square build crank bait on a bandit 200
nice!
Blade bait is like a video game cheat code in winter. I've caught 40 inch musky, 20 inch walleye, 4lb bass, and even 8 inch perch on it in winter. Don't get as many opportunities in Alabama to use it as I did in WV but I love that bait.
its such a good multi species bait
Here in florida we don’t really get cold water in winter - yesterday water temp was 72 degs. Rat-L-traps & swim baits & big jigs. Don’t really ever fish jerkbaits unless I happen to be on the water after a major cold snap & the water temp has dropped drastically over a short period of time …
I lived in FL for a decade. Bass in Florida are just different. They hate the cold! You can use a straight junebug worm 100% of the time and do well. Although, I'd flip a BB Cricket after a cold front and jerk a SuperFluke before it. I miss those Florida fat girls! 👍🏼
thanks for sharing!
@@shadygraves my home waters max depth os about 8’ so there is no deep water fishing …
Subscribed! Great content bud, keep them coming! I used to keep track of my catches on a calendar and one year December was my best month and an H&H white spinner bait caught the most on my local lake.
Awesome! Thank you!
I like an underspin (small) Thanks Matt
thats a good one
A 3/8oz or less finesse football jig is a must for me in the winter.
good choice!
Yacuma tail spin. $2 lure on ebay. Great lure. I just upsized the blades though. & If ya take the spinners off it works as a blade bait. Caught over 20 bass on them the past 3 days of fishing this week...
ill check it out
Just in time going Sat gonna be cold .and we fired up. Appreciate that modification to the swim jig grass pig trl too .Lake Lanier
i love lanier! good luck!
I had luck with the red eye shad late October. Not so much anymore unfortunately. Water was 39 last week when I tired to fish. My home lake is very shallow and stained year round
Try slow rolling a single Colorado blade spinnerbait. That, or a crawfish ShadRap will get you bit in winter.
thats getting cold!
I usually don't throw spinnerbait as much but I usually use a big one during the coldest months, caught some nice ones
Coldest fish I ever caught was on a single Colorado blade Stanley spinnerbait; white skirt, gold blade. 👍🏼
@@shadygraves I go double willow and white or light chartreuse
awesome!
The blade bait is super underrated. It’s a tighter wiggle than most lipless but can really come in handy. It’s like a finesse lipless. Jigs are also super good in cool water but my bread and butter is a tailspin. You can Yo-Yo it and on the fall it flutters down sort of like a spoon. The blade just slows the descent and the fish hammer it. It’s also a decent alternative to a lipless.
Totally agree!
Saw the weather heading your way, I'll be getting it to, 41 deg here also! My experience here if we have open water is to bang them on the nose. And the blade and jig are probably the best at it. Shallow water it's a lipless and jerk bait for me. But we've got cold and snow coming.
bummer!
Blade bait is one of my favorites too. How do you fish it in the cold weather?
Thank You.
John
watch this on the water video i did on blade baits ruclips.net/video/XmP97hTeilg/видео.html
I used to fish when it was snowing as long as there was open water, but since my back surgery and health started to decline, I decided it best to sit out. My favorites were red or clown jerk baits, and then just fish it fast and try to make them react to it.
nothing wrong with that
Clown has been my favorite ever since it's inception back in the early 90s! 👍🏼
Matt thanks for all the info they help very much.
you bet!
The red lip less crankbaits work great for spring coho salmon trolling I've caught a lot of them on those 🐟👍
Nice!
🍺Thanks Matt. Good choices. Hair jigs and the correct sized/color crankbaits get bit as well.
hair jigs are great cold water baits too!
Great stuffs. I love to fish the blade bait on lake michigan. Can throw a long way to hit the deep spots.
You got that right!
I think you pretty much covered it for me. May have left off a couple finesse spinning baits. Ned, micro jig, and drop shot
sounds good!
you are one of the better anglers on RUclips. You, Mikeyballz, and randy are the best. always learning something from you guys. Merry Christmas
Thank you for the support!
I use Huddleston retrieve very slow ob the bottom and also I use finesse jigs as well, But I had best luck with jerkbait during cold months and catch most of my fish on it.
sounds good!
Those are all awesome choices but I really love the Stunna for that colder water!!!
Me too!!
Thanks Matt. Just got done watching this and your swim jig mods video. Can't get enough on swim jigs, it's my favorite way to fish. I don't even throw pitching jigs anymore I'll just pitch my swim jigs. Winter baits, do you still throw tubes in winter? I have had some good days dragging a tube for large and smallmouth in low 40s water.
awesome!
Never used the silver buddy. I think I have a Molix model. I have to have a jig for cold water largemouth. Whether small and finesse or big and compact. Paca Craw works great for a trailer. J bug as well.
Right on
Matt, I know that you have done videos on Dirty Jigs in the past, but really looking into the comparison between the line ties of Herren’s Jig vs Canterbury/Clausen jigs in terms of what structure to use on, or what cover? Also, wonder about the rate of fall, or fall action on these types of jigs. Looking at trying these types of jigs this spring and want to ensure I have the correct jig for the situation, many thanks
here you go ruclips.net/video/Y2m9ZSzxsz4/видео.html
Thanks Matt!
You bet!
Ned rig is killer in winter as well. I agree on the silver buddy they are magical
love both of them!
I love the warpig year around, and have been working hard to get better at the jerkbait. From the shore, the blade bait is not really an option for me. Love this style of video. Thanks Matt
yeah the blade isnt a great shore angler bait
i have had a lot of luck using like a heavy (1/2) ballhead jighead with a 4in senko.. best has been bone white! with slight drags & deadsticking
awesome!
I'm fishing the same baits but I do fish a grub, finesse jig, hair jig, ned and a Fritts side. Close to my house is the upper Potomac river and the water temperature is a few degrees above freezing. So my problem is finding the bass. I have found a few walleye and muskie.
all good picks!
Damiki Blade Baits is what I have success with this time of year.
awesome!
I am a huge fan of the guppy head! It is killer for smallies on Champlain in late fall!
yes it is!
Im from montreal canada , watching your channel ,
awesome!
I got a question, can i use a casting 6.1 ratio for jig , or more a 7.1 ratio
Hey Matt, good stuff. I'm a channel junky, living in Chicago and kayak fishing all over the great state of WI! I like the Acmetackle Vrod, similar to your blade bait. Take it for a test drive. Cheers, Jj
Ill check it out!
Hi Matt
With the price of lures. What type of setup do you use in Musky & Pike waters? It gets very expensive to keep replacing lures
Thanks for your time.
I dont change anything...if i use a leader I feel like i get less bass bites.
I still throw a dropshot with heavy weight with a small swimbait on a 1/0 ewg hook
sounds good!
I like a craw texas style... Something s. A 10"worm
nice!
Have you tried the thunder hawk??
nope ill chek it out
You need to add the Frittside 5 Regular and the Biggun!
great baits!
Great to see you went old school with the Silver Buddy, the original and still the best blade bait. I'd keep it old school; pork is king in winter. Plastic trailers just can't match the fluid, life-like action of a pork frog. Also, never fish in winter without a (old school) crawfish (or Live River Shad) #7 Shad Rap. An old school Colorado blade spinnerbait for slow rolling will produce when the water dips into the 40s.
Right on
They will bite big swimbaits in the winter too. Caught a 6lb largemouth in December on a 4.8 keitech and 1/4 oz 5/0 flashy swimmer just barely creeping it on the bottom on a local river here in central NC.
Awesome!
That Berkley jerkbait is absolutely money, I have fished a lot of the “ go to” jerkbaits that cost more than average and none of them have the darting action I’ve seen on the Stunna. I hooked ( and lost) my largest catfish one one and it was completely swallowed, those things just illicit a mad reaction in fish.
its a good one!
You nailed it. Pretty much what I used..
awesome!
Good Bait choices bud 🥶Cold water equals low and slow. Can’t forget the old daredevil spoons or I’ll throw mepps spinners and sometimes hair jig black n orange have worked . WHAT really works if there not biting good old fashion dynamite 💥 seen crocodile Dundee using it in New York he was literally killing them🎣🥴
nice!
Another great video Matt. I nominated your video on floating worms in my contest for best tip of the year. The winner gets to fish with me out of their boat using their baits and lures. I’m really pulling for you to win!
Haha! Sounds like a winner to me!
It’s about time for the “Bumblebee Jig” isn’t it Matt ?
its a cold water jig!
Fished Saturday, snowed Sunday, froze over Tuesday. Nobody ever talks what I consider the best cold water bait, a hair jig!
its a good one!
Good stuff. 👍
thanks!
I think the A-rig is worth mentioning. Kind of falls into the same category as the finesse swimbait but you get a whole school of them
its a good cold water bait!
I fished through wind-blown rain for over an hour today. That's it, I'm done with fishing for the year 2022, THAT'S A WRAP!!!
we got a pile of ice at my house and supposed to get up to a foot of snow tonight.....
A spoon.. a flutter spoon. The forgotten Lure.
I keep a 'Metal Box' just for wintertime. Silver Buddies, Little Georges, Crippled Herrings, and Hopkins Shorties are my go-to lures when big spotted bass are on structure, in current, in winter.
spoons are great as well!
Mepps spinners and jigs
both good choices
Do you happen to keep a thermometer in your fishing bag?
Just To check water temps in lakes or ponds that dont have reports?
If not is it something that could take your fishing knowledge of the day to the next level?
Your video and many others made me think I should carry a thermometer during a certain time of year. (Transition) especially since I live in south west Florida and can’t tell what the fluctuations typically are
my electronics all have water temp gauges on them
I heard that smaller baits are more effective in the cold months. Is that a fact?
depends on the conditions, but its definitely not an always
I don't want to murder the bass, I just want to show it my nice boat and take a picture.😂
I like giving them free boat rides!
👍👍👍👍👍
thanks for watching!
Cast a spinnerbait deep let it go all the way to the bottom an feather it and slow roll it after it sinks , reel it so slow
good pick!
Shanes Baits a-rig
thats a good one!
Kool
thanks!
How come none of you speak about fishing out west ?
i have talked about western fisheries in the past.
You realize you are doing something good when you have exactly the same baits as suggested by a pro angler 😃😅🙏🏻
But are you catching fish on them?
Nice!
Move
no kidding...
@@MattStefanFishing How about a Winter trip to Arizona, it's beautiful in March.
For reals! Our lakes don't freeze in Alabama. I don't know how they handle it. I like our snow; it comes once a year, they shut the whole state down and it's gone within a day!🥶❄️☃️
I see you are using better words. Generate them viewer bites. Always thought you have great thumbnails and terrible titles.
20-40 ft. sounds about right. Lipless for sure. Lipless over the bladebait bc of noise. Bottom lures for sure. I'd go with either creature or lizard or both. I'd go with a swimmybait over a jerkbait for depth control. Maybe add a good crank and dropshot worm to this list.
thanks for the feedback
Plastic worms
they work year round!