Winter Jerkbait Fishing - Tricks To Get More Bites

Matt finds a group of cold water bass and is catching them on a jerkbait! Between catches he's showing tricks to catch more jerkbait fish in cold water. He also covers which baits work the best, how to change your retrieve for different baits, and which gear will help you put more jerkbait fish in the boat during Winter. If you want to throw a jerkbait this Winter, there is a ton of great information in this video!

The trick to catching jerkbait fish in cold water is retrieve speed. The bass are lethargic but will still react to a suspending jerkbait worked very slowly. Most of the baits on the market simply do not work in cold water because they don't suspend consistently. Today Matt is using the Megabass Vision 110, 110+1, and 110+2 to cover a variety of depth ranges. The key to these baits is their balance and ability to perfectly suspend which allows Matt to leave the baits paused above the fish for long periods. 

The jerkbait is a deadly bait  from Fall all the way through Spring. If your water has at least a foot of visibility and your bass are shallower than 18-20 feet, there is the potential for a jerkbait bite. Below is a breakdown of the baits, colors, and equipment that Matt was using to catch the fish in today's video. 

The Baits... 

-Megabass Vision 110: http://bit.ly/2j31TKb

(Killer Kawaguchi, Ito Clear Laker, GP Pro Blue)

-Megabass Vision 110+1: http://bit.ly/2iGYOCX

(GP Pro Blue 2, Mat Shad)

-Megabass Vision 110+2: http://bit.ly/2BLQIBA

(MB Gizzard, Elegy Bone)

Matt's Favorite Jerkbait Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 6'10" Medium: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Aldebaran 50 MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2uQ4oH8

Line- Sunline Assassin 10 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Other Great Jerkbait Rods... 

-Megabass Destroyer Oneten Special: http://bit.ly/2wVOSbY

-Megabass Orochi XX 6'11" Jerkbait Special: http://bit.ly/2OSVNwH

-G Loomis IMX Pro 812 JBR: http://bit.ly/2QurcHi

-St. Croix Bass X 6'8" medium: http://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

-Shimano SLX 6'10" Medium: http://bit.ly/2L3wppO

Simple Trick To Catch More Bass This Winter!

Still struggling to catch bass this Winter? This trick will change that! If you prefer to fish slowly and methodically during the cold months and are struggling, learning to fish the "extremes" will change your fishing experience. Most anglers that struggle in the cold are fishing the "middle" and don't even realize they're doing something wrong. Don't understand what we mean? Check out the video... 

The key to consistent Winter success with slow moving baits is to fish the extremes. You either need to commit to throwing a BIG bait or commit to throwing a TINY bait. This ins't the time to be throwing shaky heads, big jigs, texas rigs, etc. If you're going to throw the worm, make it a small ned or tiny dropshot. If you're looking for the big bite, go all the way and focus on 8" to 10" swimbaits!

The idea is that bass are struggling for survival during cold water periods. You're fishing for very few bites each day. By embracing the conditions and sticking to the 2 extremes, your odds of getting bit at all, as well as your odds of getting a giant bite, both go up. Below we'll link the baits we recommend at both ends of the spectrum as well as our favorite rod/reel combo for each technique. 

Big Baits... 

-Savage Gear Pulse Tail 8" and 10" Swimbait: http://bit.ly/399bx97

-Trash Fish 8" Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2hmXtg1

-Huddleston 8" ROF 12 Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2azFTon

-Huddleston 10" ROF 12 Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2nztmdj

Ned Worms and Hooks... 

-Roboworm Ned Worm 3": http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

-Z Man Finesse TRD: http://bit.ly/2hs4RtR

-Swagger Tungsten 1/5 oz Ned Head: http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M

Dropshot Worms and hooks... 

-Big Bite Baits Smallie Smasher: http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY

-Roboworm 4.5" Straight Tail: http://bit.ly/2asZyH3

-Owner Mosquito Light Hook Size 2: http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

-Swagger Tungsten 3/16 oz Dropshot Weight: http://bit.ly/2V2B63h

Matt's Favorite Finesse Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis NRX 852S JWR: http://bit.ly/2dX9zjv

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000 Spinning: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Line- 10 lb Power Pro: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- 5 lb Sunline Sniper Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Matt's Favorite Swimbait Combo...

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 956 Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2x9kxuS

Reel- Shimano Tranx 300 HG: http://bit.ly/2kYsvRw

Line- 80 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 35 lb Sunline FC100 System Leader: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Budget Finesse Rod... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7' Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2s7kaQn

Reel- Shimano NASCI 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- 20 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 6 lb Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Fishing Brutal Post Front Winter Conditions For Bass and Catfish

Today we're fishing for a mix of Bass and catfish. We've got brutal post-front conditions that have completely shut down the bite! Instead of giving up we decide to continue the multi-species trend and turn our attention from bass to catfish. This isn't the kind of cat fishing you're used to, we've discovered that in cold water the big catfish school up and devour a spoon! Come along for a few very wet, very windy, very cold hours on Clearlake!

Fishing for big catfish is an awesome alternative to bass in the cold Winter months. Unlike the bass, catfish thrive in cold water and will readily chase baitfish and attack fast moving lures. We choose to target them with one of our favorite Fall bass techniques, the deep jigging spoon. Unfortunately today the "first cast curse" got the best of us and the bite ended just as quickly as it began. We caught a few tiny catfish, blackfish, and hitch off camera but the big channel catfish we were after had stopped biting. 

Instead of simply giving up we continued to endure the cold (with frozen hands and toes) in pursuit of at least one bass to round out the day. When conditions are this tough our confidence lies in the crankbait. It took less than 10 minutes to catch a Clearlake bass on the crank despite the brutal conditions. As soon as we had a fish we headed back to the ramp to get warmed up. 

Today wasn't the great fishing we've grown to love on our home lake, it was downright tough. Tough fishing during brutal weather conditions is the reality of Winter. When you're faced with the same conditions we were, it doesn't have to be a bust. If you bear down and endure, even the toughest conditions will yield a fish or two. 

Below is a breakdown of the baits and equipment we were using to catch these fish. 

Baits…

Spoon- Blade Runner 1 3/4 oz Duh (Morning Dawn, Electric Chicken): http://bit.ly/2aKVLlG

Crankbait- River2Sea Tactical DD 75 (Mirrored Minnow): http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Spoon Combo... 

Rod- Denali Attax 7'2" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2tDsOa0

Reel- Daiwa Tatula SV TWS: http://bit.ly/2xALqpz

Line- Sunline Assassin 20 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Matt's Crankbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Fishing Cold Water Crankbaits For Big Winter Bass

Come along for a fun day chasing Cold Water Bass! The plan is to throw a Ned Rig, Jig, Dark Sleeper, and Crankbait. It doesn't take long before BIG bass start coming in the boat! Winter bass fishing doesn't have to be tough, let us show you the tricks along the way that will make all the difference. If you understand where the fish position in Winter and how to trigger a feed response, Winter bass fishing becomes a lot more fun! 

At the start of the day the plan was to use slow bottom contact baits to catch the majority of fish then try to get a bigger bite on a crankbait. It became apparent very quickly that the "traditional" methods of Winter fishing simply were not working. The bass were completely shut down and uninterested in biting. These are some of the best conditions for the crankbait because it does not rely on the bass' desire to feed, instead triggering a core reaction response. 

While many of the baits Matt threw didn't work well on this day, they are all proven producers in the Winter months so we've linked them all below. Additionally, we've included a detailed list of the potential "cold water crankbaits" that we have confidence in so that you can start cold water cranking right away if that is a technique you'd like to try. The Tactical Crankbait is backordered into March but it would still advisable to get in line if that is a bait you would like to try this coming season. 

Today's Baits... 

-River2Sea Tactical DD 75 Crankbait: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

(Ghost Minnow, Mirrored Minnow, DD Minnow)

-Megabass Dark Sleeper 3" 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2TyR1GT

(Donko, Wakasagi)

-Dirty Jigs Finesse Football 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2d2apsm

(Supermatt Brown)

-Yamamoto 5" Double Tail Grub: http://bit.ly/2db9w1p

(Cinnamon Black and Purple Flake)

-Roboworm Ned Worm 3": http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

(Oxblood Light Red Flake, Peoples Worm)

-Swagger Tungsten 3/16 oz: http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M

Other Cold Water Crankbaits... 

-Megabass Deep Six: http://bit.ly/2A3clKP

-Megabass Deep X 300: http://bit.ly/2sSQHpt

-Spro RK Crawler 55: http://bit.ly/2NFPA5t

-6th Sense Curve 55: http://bit.ly/37hZ1TD

Matt's Crankbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Cranking Combo... 

Rod- Fury 7' Medium Heavy Cranking: http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV

Reel- Shimano SLX HG: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- Sunline Assassin 12 lb: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm