What are the best lures and other baits for bass in cold water.I've only been fishing with a real purpose for a couple of months so I don't really know a whole lot about this stuff. Before this I've just fished when I felt like it which wasn't very often but now my buddy is trying to teach me how to fish so i am getting more interested in it. But he doesn't know everything either.

Welcome aboard!

This might help: http://bassresource.com/beginner/beginner.html

In my opinion your either gonna want to go with a really slow pesentation with a jig or worm. Or you could go for the reaction bite (when you bring a lure by a bass so fast that he hits it out of suprize or a natural reaction to something hauling by it.) Either will work.  Jigging and worming in cold water is a little more boring and you do not cover as much water in the amount of time that you can cover the same amount of water with say a lipless crankbait.  Covering a lot of water is important when the water is cold, because the bass are generally spread out on flats in 5-10 feet of water depending on the water temp.. this senerio is true when the water is in the range of 45-55 degrees.  You have to find them and get your lure/presentation to them.  They will not come to you when the water is soo cold.  They are lathargic (not moving much or eating much.)   Find the fish and give them the right presentation and you will probably catch them.... good luck

Pat

Here's a couple of my favorite cold water baits...

1. 1/2oz western melon Terminator football jig with twintail grub trailer

2. ZOOM trickworm in watermelon/gold glitter, green pumpkin, or watermelon on a 1/4oz Dave's Rockhopper jighead.

3. Lucky Craft Pointer 100 suspending jerkbait in chart. shad, Aurora gold, and Aurora brown  

4. 1/2oz speckled shad spinnerbait with two big willow blades

5. 1/2oz chrome/blue rat-l-trap

I can consistently catch fish in cold water around here with these baits. But remember you should base your lure choices on the type of forage, water clarity, water color, water temperature, and the type of cover/structure you are fishing. For example, if the water is stained, visibility 3 feet, 42 degrees, and the main forage is shad then I am going to throw a chart/white spinnerbait with big willow blades, a white jig, and maybe a chart. shad jerkbait or rat-l-trap. And I will fish all of these baits S-L-O-W, even the rat-l-trap.