ive read a few things that say these little guys work well in 40-50 degree water. anyone have experience with them?

Mine were good at catching "crap" off the bottom.  I prefer lipless cranks, small framed spinnerbaits or plastics with action tails to a Little George.

 

oe

The Pedigo Spin Rite was the first tail spinner of this type of lure, legendary big smallmouth lure.

Tom Mann's Little George, named after George Wallace, was designed to catch bass feeding on shad and excels at doing that when shad schools are primary bass prey. The newer Little Geoge have holographic paint schemes and work very well. The little George has a few competitors lures like Sworming Hornet and other horse or fish head type under spins that work in a similar situation.

These lures are design to be cast long distance and cover deeper water horizontally. Use a weight size that will stay down at the depth you desire, heavier for deeper water. Vary the retrieve speed until you get strikes, very productive lures.

If you are fishing vertically, up and down, a structure spoon is often more effective then a tail spinner.

Tom

I've done about as well with Little Georges as I have with blade baits, such as the Silver Buddy. About any presentation, under cold water conditions, that employs a snapping on/off bottom retrieve will work. There's a lot of hype going around this year about the Jigging Rap. This is an old ice fishing lure that the Lindner's have resurrected from the '60's and have successfully applied to early season walleye fishing.

 

Again....it's all about depth & speed control. Nothing magical. The older fishermen knew this....I paid attention!

I've been fishin em for years, though mainly for whites and hybrids. Like Crest Liner said, it's all about depth and speed. I remember when they came free with Mann's crankbaits. I've got em stockpiled from that.

The jigging rap is a vertical presentation where the depth is much more easily controlled than the cast and retrieve presentation of the Little George.  The Silver Buddy can be effective in either presentation or a hybrid of both.

 

oe