My Winter Top Soft Plastics

My Top Winter Soft Plastics

Soft plastics baits on Guntersville for me is mainly about matching the hatch for the size of the bait the bass are feeding on. A mistake many fishermen make I believe in the winter with soft plastics is size; if you are constantly using big 10 in. to 12 in. plastic worms in the cold water you are probably missing lots of bites. I am a believer that you must match the hatch and be able to present the plastic slowly for it to work in cold water.

Plastics like 3-inch swim baits become ideal in the cold water as you can slow it down and move it through and around grass easily, its design and the fact that small swim baits displace water make it an ideal attractor for bass to easily attack; and in the winter easy is good. I also like tube baits in the cold as a tube is a great look for a crawfish as it moves into the grass and edges of the grass lines. It also allows you to adjust by using different weight sizes; if you are fishing deeper water the weight just enhances the look in the cold and makes it stand out to the fish as the tube especially in a reddish color is the great emulator of bottom food for bass.

Although I personally don’t use soft plastic jerk baits a lot it is a good bait for cold water, plastic jerk baits have a great design and work well in cold water. And there are many different sizes and styles of plastic jerk baits allowing you to match the size and the look of the natural bait they are feeding on. They also have a great look as dropping bait when you let it sit allowing you to drop in in grass holes and along edges of creek channels. The key to soft plastic jerk baits is sharp quick jerks but patience when it sits so it drops on the fish’s head as they are always looking up while feeding. Like any soft bait fluorocarbon line is a must as cold water generally has the fish making non-aggressive moves so feel and line watching is key during the cold winter months.