If you couldn't use a a-rig what would be your top winter moving bait for the winter months?

Jigs, underspins and Spinnerbaits.

Swim Jig/Lipless Crankbait. I don't really need a 3rd but if you forced me to pick another bait, probably spinnerbait.

 

 

Crankbait and spinnerbait just barely inching along and a jig-n-pig. All three  on sunny, steep, rocky, channel banks. Oh, and suspending jerk-bait.

Moving lures:

Grass: Rat-L-Trap 1/2 oz Toledo Gold

Wood: 6th Sense Movement 80X Shad Drone

 

Bottom contact: Hack Attack Fluorocarbon jig 1/2 oz, Black-n-blue, Rage Craw trailer Sapphire Blue.

 

1 minute ago, Catt said:

Sapphire Blue.

 

Every time I see that color I can hardly believe a bass would want it. Just looks over the top, but clearly it does work.

 

What’s the logic for when to use a color like this? It’s not only “garish,” but also insanely sparkly. Tinfoil is another bait color that comes to mind like this.

14 minutes ago, Drawdown said:

What’s the logic for when to use a color like this?

 

When a black-n-blue shirt has a small-medium amount of blue, I'll add a sapphire blue trailer. If the shirt has a lot of blue or is blue tipped I want a black with blue claws trailer.

 

Logic behind it; a dumb Coonass!

A blade bait .

1 hour ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

If you couldn't use a a-rig what would be your top winter moving bait for the winter months?

 

Lipless, jerkbait, chatterbait.

@Drawdown Do not under any circumstance throw a sapphire blue lizard anywhere around spawning bass!

Depending on conditions a paddle tail swim bait or a spinnerbait.

Blade bait, Underspin

Rage Tail Menace, Structure Bug and Siebert G2 jig/ Rage Craw.

Hmmmm...hair jig w/pork trailer.

Tom

Vision 110

Our cold water/winter seasonal period occurs when the water column turns over and normalizes to 55 degrees or colder.

Bass can be anywhere from near surface to 80’ deep.

Crawdads tend to be up in water less then 25’ but baitfish like Threadfin Shad tend to be where phytoplankton is located it’s their food source. 

Locating shad schools by looking for birds* that feed on them and sonar unit to determine how deep the schools are. 

Effective lures include structure spoons, ice jigs, under and tail spins, drop shot, small swimbaits and jigs. If the Shad are shallow enough a crankbait can work. 

jerk baits don’t work that good for me until early pre spawn as the water column warms up.

Bass feeding on crawdads a jig works best.

Tom

* Grebes

Jigs

Flat Sided Crankbaits

Jerkbaits

Lipless Crankbaits

Spinnerbaits

It's extremely difficult to use any moving bait when fishing through a hole in the ice, but I'd pick a marabou jig.

Lipless crankbait, shallow or mid depth crankbait, spinnerbait, and swim jig.

Okay, so what brand and what is the color called?

Looks like Ima Suspending Vibration Lipless Ghost Ayu

Flutter spoon, jigging spoon, and blade baits for me.  

In the morning when it is calm, I use a buzz bait.  In the afternoon when the wind blows, I use a spinnerbait.  Ice is for a margarita when the day is done.

Jerkbaits, flatsides, spinnerbaits, and lipless. A-rigs were basically not allowed here until this year (only 2 hooks allowed).

 

On 2/17/2023 at 9:23 AM, Drawdown said:

Every time I see that color I can hardly believe a bass would want it. Just looks over the top, but clearly it does work.

 

What’s the logic for when to use a color like this? It’s not only “garish,” but also insanely sparkly. Tinfoil is another bait color that comes to mind like this.

Sapphire blue is one of my favorite colors. It's especially deadly in the summer when the water gets a greenish tint to it. I make a sapphire blue bladed jig that is deadly on our bass.