This is my first year actively seeking out winter bass when I have the opportunity (when the water isn't frozen)

 

Today I had the opportunity to fish a local pond here in NY I caught a lot bass from this summer and fall. 

 

I got bass-skunked after 3 hours, the water temperature was 46 degrees and the air temperature was 40 with a NW wind factor. 

 

I started by throwing my Berkely cutter 90 around and eventually switched up to a Finesse combo with a Finesse TRD in coppertuse, I hopped it around painfully slow and managed to catch a fat yellow perch but no bass.

 

Any tips or lure recommendations for a beginner fishing for winter bass?  

Jerkbait and Ned rig are both great choices. Just fish slow and then slow it down. Warm clothes are about as important as what you're fishing also. If you're cold, you won't fish well and it takes tons of concentration to fish properly in cold water/weather.

I will add the Shad Rap as it's been my #1 producer since late October but if you are fishing snaggy waters lure retrieval from the bank can be an issue. 

 

The right color can make a difference too, I was out last weekend throwing a Red craw SR, literally went through a ball of shad and snagged 3 shad. I looked at the shad and looked at my lure. Not even close. I then tied on a shad pattern SR and started catching fish. Same lure, SR7, just a color change to match the hatch so to speak and went from zero to hero (well not really, but did start catching some).

 

The kicker is the water was heavily stained but the color did matter that day. A medium bottom bumping retrieve works best for me. When the lure hangs, drop slack and let that SR rise up out of the cover and continue on... that's when you get most of your bites it seems. One of my nicer ones this Fall was after I was hung up for about a minute, the lure freed up and the rod loaded up!

Keep yourself covered from the sun. You can still get a sunburn in winter.