Throwing a jig in wicked cold water

[bngolfen]

In water temps under 40*, forget the jig. Your missing out if you don't have a blade bait in your hand....and this is coming from a guy who uses a jig all year long in every single condition out there.

Good advice

[Bassman Ia.]

Jig, I can't seem to fish a jerkbait worth a tinkers dam

[98 Elite203]

I like them both too. When I'm fishing smallies, I'm probably in 20-35 ft of water grinding a plain 3/4 oz fb jig w small craw or a small jigging spoon along the bottom and when I'm fishing largies, I'm chucking a suspending jerkbait over weeds in 10-15 ft of water. I find the largies are pretty much done when the water goes below 40 but the smallies will hit until I can't launch the boat anymore.

Interesting. I have had outings when I have had to break through the ice along the banks (in my aluminum boat) and have absolutely slaughtered the schooling largemouth in 32-33* water. I have come to notice the smallies are like wet rags here under 40*... but the largemouths still hold on.

[Reel Northern Bass]

In water temps under 40*, forget the jig. Your missing out if you don't have a blade bait in your hand....and this is coming from a guy who uses a jig all year long in every single condition out there.

I do fish a blade bait (silver buddy) in those temps, but not in the lakes local to me. Average depth of my local lakes is about 12' with a weedy bottom. I mark fish swimming by under my boat about 5-6' down, but I get the feeling I can't fish for those so close to my boat. I don't know though and I've never needed to really try, and I've never known anyone to fry either. I have tried long casting the silver buddy but again, it's all weeds on the bottom so it just gets clogged and never works for me. Would love tips and feedback on those kind of conditions though as I don't know of anyone to try a blade bait in this situation.

[tjherring]

wickedddd cold kidddd. :p

[BoatBuggy]

Interesting. I have had outings when I have had to break through the ice along the banks (in my aluminum boat) and have absolutely slaughtered the schooling largemouth in 32-33* water. I have come to notice the smallies are like wet rags here under 40*... but the largemouths still hold on.

I'll get a few largies here when the water is in the 30's but I've never really run into a good school of them. I suppose a large part of that is I don't spend a lot of time looking for them and I'll just go after the smallies instead. The smallies here get sluggish in the really cold water as well but most of them are big, fat, still put up a good tussle and there's no really worry about them getting airborne and spitting that big jig.

[98 Elite203]

I do fish a blade bait (silver buddy) in those temps, but not in the lakes local to me. Average depth of my local lakes is about 12' with a weedy bottom. I mark fish swimming by under my boat about 5-6' down, but I get the feeling I can't fish for those so close to my boat. I don't know though and I've never needed to really try, and I've never known anyone to fry either. I have tried long casting the silver buddy but again, it's all weeds on the bottom so it just gets clogged and never works for me. Would love tips and feedback on those kind of conditions though as I don't know of anyone to try a blade bait in this situation.

I actually stumbled on a blade bait pattern this past Sunday in 41* water that was the ticket for the day for the big largemouths. If you could find deeper, green weeds, they were there. I was actually catching them by casting right into the weeds with my blade bait and ripping the blade up and out of the milfoil hard and letting it flutter back down. They were crushing it on the fall, or were on it before I could rip it up again. This was my first time ever fishing the blade bait like this, and it was a whole new pattern I never thought of that was key for the day.... but I fish my blade baits with 50lb power pro on a 7'6" heavy casting rod.

[Yakalong]

Great vid I'm still playing with both

[Reel Northern Bass]

good video Sean.

Thanks Gregg!

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HINT....can't fish one slow enough!

I try my best but I notice I tend to still fish it a little too fast in these bear 40 degree conditions. Also need to work on size selection and go smaller at that point.

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I like both. By the way is that a private lake? Any body of water around here, there would be at least three other boats in each camera shot.

Nope, public lake. Rarely find anyone else out on these lakes around me after November 1st, seems most guys local to me either 1) can't tolerate the colder water or 2) go farther north to fish the lakes region, where the MUCH bigger lakes cool off slower and stay open longer.

[Reel Northern Bass]

Great vid I'm still playing with both

Thanks!

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I actually stumbled on a blade bait pattern this past Sunday in 41* water that was the ticket for the day for the big largemouths. If you could find deeper, green weeds, they were there. I was actually catching them by casting right into the weeds with my blade bait and ripping the blade up and out of the milfoil hard and letting it flutter back down. They were crushing it on the fall, or were on it before I could rip it up again. This was my first time ever fishing the blade bait like this, and it was a whole new pattern I never thought of that was key for the day.... but I fish my blade baits with 50lb power pro on a 7'6" heavy casting rod.

Hmm, interesting. I'll have to give that a shot next fall then, as unfortunately I've already have to pack up the boat for the winter this past weekend. Thanks for the tip!

[Reel Northern Bass]

I like em both! Just keep plugging with em and you'll get figured out. Good video

Thanks!

[red tzx 190]

Jerk bait all day !!! good video

[bumbleebee200]

jig all day long

[Cape Fear]

Not wanting to hijack the thread but what blade bait weight/size do you find works best this time of year?

[98 Elite203]

Not wanting to hijack the thread but what blade bait weight/size do you find works best this time of year?

There is a guy on the forum that makes/sells a custom blade bait that is called the "krazy blade". I buy them from him on 1/2oz and they are killer.

[Matt E.]

I catch my best fish on a jig until the water temp bottoms out in early January. I've caught bass throwing to the edge of a ice sheet in December. Then it is like someone flips a switch and the jig bite is done, at least here in MO. Time to throw a jerkbait and A-rig until mid-February or the first warmish rain. Then the shallow crank comes out as well as a jig or jika rig plastic.

[jigman51]

My two favorite bates.

[bassnpro1]

I catch my best fish on a jig until the water temp bottoms out in early January. I've caught bass throwing to the edge of a ice sheet in December. Then it is like someone flips a switch and the jig bite is done, at least here in MO. Time to throw a jerkbait and A-rig until mid-February or the first warmish rain. Then the shallow crank comes out as well as a jig or jika rig plastic.

This is my experience as well. Once the water gets below 43 it seems I can only get bit on hard baits or the rig. Jig bite then doesn't return to decent until 46-47 or so

[kingbee]

Not wanting to hijack the thread but what blade bait weight/size do you find works best this time of year?

when i use one i use a cabelas mean eye blade bait in 1/4 ounce its a little smaller than some of the others ive had and i like that.

[bkeenom]

Jig until snow, then jerkbait. 15 seconds between twitches