The Best Wintertime Baits on Lake Guntersville

The Best of Wintertime Baits on Lake Guntersville

When the wintry weather sets in I have a few favorites; baits that I have been using for many years and God willing for many more to come. The thing they all have in common is they have caught fish for me for a long time; they are all presented slowly and they are confidence baits for me.

I always ask customers what is your confidence bait, most anglers just believe that there is some special bait they always catch fish with and to me the first bait I grab in the cold of the winter has to be confidence bait. There are many reasons I ask people which is their confidence bait but the biggest is when you are positive about what you are doing you accomplish better results so confidence that you can catch a fish on a particular bait is key. These baits for me start with a Tight-Line football jig, jigs are for sure known for their slow presentation and in the cold of winter working a football jig just gets reliable results and solid fish. The key factor is being able to place and keeps a jig in the strike zone an important part of winter fishing. Bass are very location sensitive in the wintry weather and being able to place that jig in the strike zone and keep it there can be the difference maker.

Next is a jerk bait, I know many people believe a jerk bait is a bait that moves quickly like the SPRO McStick is used in active fishing time but to me there is no better winter bait than a jerk bait. You just have to adjust and slow your presentation down to meet the slower bite during wintertime. Pausing is a key ingredient of fishing jerk baits in the winter; letting that bait sit and rock for several seconds at a time can be the difference. Patience is the key for winter fishing!

Lastly, big double willow Duckett spinner baits, heavy in weight are just deadly wintertime baits. Let them drop to the bottom, slowly retrieve them so the slow roll kicks up dirt on the bottom, and those big blades bang each other making noise and attracting fish. They are a killer in the freezing water, and you will reap the benefits this time of year.