So, here in Virginia the water temps have cooled off quite a bit, not exactly sure to what degree since I haven't had my boat in the water in a couple months.  I've been doing a lot of pond fishing and I must say the bite has all but come to a screeching halt...which I know happens this time of year. I land a stray bass every now and then but for the most part I'm getting skunked everytime out.  Just wondering what you guys are throwing this time of year. Oh...fairly clear water by the way.  Thanks.

Our water temps are in the mid to low 50s right now.  The bass on upper Table Rock seem to be scattered though still shallow.  Rarely do we catch more than 1 or 2 in an area.  
 

The baits we have been using are jigs, jerks, shaky and Ned.  The jerks aren’t producing much and Ned (which should be good) is worthless.  Jigs and Elaztech worms rigged shaky are all that have been producing.

Owner Flashy Swimmer (small one) with a small swimbait in a shad color worked very slowly.

 

Finesse jig with a small chunk or no action trailer.  I go as light as I can efficiently fish the bottom with.

 

Texas rigged worm.  Never ever write off a t rigged worm dragged around structure and cover.  It just works.  Smaller and thinner and slower usually work better right now.  I like the Zoom Finesse Worm and the Zoom Mag II right now.  

 

Hard or soft plastic jerkbait.  Just throw it.  I like to work it a little 'gentler' and with slightly bigger pauses on really cold still days and I go nuts with it on sunny or windy days.

 

Lipless crankbait.  This is just another one you just gotta throw it in cold water.  Try a 1/4 oz and get it to where it's steadily ticking whatever is down there and occasionally stop it or speed it up briefly.  Another good retrieve in the winter is letting it fall to the bottom, reeling up the slack and lifting your rod tip to about 11 o clock and holding it there and letting it pendulum back to you.  Deadly.

 

Buzzbait.  I know.  You're thinking 'topwater in the winter!?!?'. Brother, I'm from NC, which ain't far from you and all I can say is if you got a sunny warm afternoon or morning without a lot of wind and you got 1-4 feet of water and some hard cover.  Throw it.  I like big ones worked as slow as they can go without sinking with a skirt and a trailer hook and a trailer this time of year.  

 

Indiana/Colorado spinnerbait.  If you get some stain or fish early or late in the day, work this bad boy real slow near the bottom around main lake structure and cover and hang on tight.  Don't be afraid to do a lift and drop with these as they often get crushed on the 'helicopter' fall.

 

Bladed jig.  This is another bait that is absolutely deadly in colder water but you really have to adjust your presentation.  I like lighter ones and I reel them slooooooooow with occasional pauses or reel twitches.  (This is a theme in terms of retrieve for most horizontal baits this time of year).

 

Times I like to speed up my retrieve: windy days or warm fronts that linger for a few days.

 

The key to catching bass any time of year but ESPECIALLY the winter is location, location, location.

 

You gotta find where the sun hits all day this time of year.  The shady banks are often 3-5 degrees colder than the main lake and ever colder still than the warm sweet spots.  Identifying these sweet spots and where they intersect with ambush points and shallow cover near deeper water seems to be the key but the best place to start looking is the sunny bank.  The shady banks can be productive in the dead of winter on cloudy days and on days where a cold wind is being buffered by that bank and it's creating a break.

 

Most days I avoid strong winds or shade in the winter.  Also super shallow water with no deep water nearby or super muddy water are tough this time of year.

 

Good luck!

Jerkbaits, flat sided crankbaits, A Rigs, and lipless crankbaits. 

Some discussion regarding cold water baits.

 

 

Shad Raps, lipless cranks, tailspinners.

 

One of my absolute favorites when the water gets cold is slinging a wacky Senko around the shallows - always puts a few in the boat.

22 minutes ago, ElGuapo928 said:

Shad Raps, lipless cranks, tailspinners.

 

One of my absolute favorites when the water gets cold is slinging a wacky Senko around the shallows - always puts a few in the boat.

I've got one setup with a wacky rig on a 1/8 oz wacky jig. But I mostly fish it deep. Trying a 4" Senko on it for finicky bass.

23 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

Owner Flashy Swimmer (small one) with a small swimbait in a shad color worked very slowly.

 

Finesse jig with a small chunk or no action trailer.  I go as light as I can efficiently fish the bottom with.

 

Texas rigged worm.  Never ever write off a t rigged worm dragged around structure and cover.  It just works.  Smaller and thinner and slower usually work better right now.  I like the Zoom Finesse Worm and the Zoom Mag II right now.  

 

Hard or soft plastic jerkbait.  Just throw it.  I like to work it a little 'gentler' and with slightly bigger pauses on really cold still days and I go nuts with it on sunny or windy days.

 

Lipless crankbait.  This is just another one you just gotta throw it in cold water.  Try a 1/4 oz and get it to where it's steadily ticking whatever is down there and occasionally stop it or speed it up briefly.  Another good retrieve in the winter is letting it fall to the bottom, reeling up the slack and lifting your rod tip to about 11 o clock and holding it there and letting it pendulum back to you.  Deadly.

 

Buzzbait.  I know.  You're thinking 'topwater in the winter!?!?'. Brother, I'm from NC, which ain't far from you and all I can say is if you got a sunny warm afternoon or morning without a lot of wind and you got 1-4 feet of water and some hard cover.  Throw it.  I like big ones worked as slow as they can go without sinking with a skirt and a trailer hook and a trailer this time of year.  

 

Indiana/Colorado spinnerbait.  If you get some stain or fish early or late in the day, work this bad boy real slow near the bottom around main lake structure and cover and hang on tight.  Don't be afraid to do a lift and drop with these as they often get crushed on the 'helicopter' fall.

 

Bladed jig.  This is another bait that is absolutely deadly in colder water but you really have to adjust your presentation.  I like lighter ones and I reel them slooooooooow with occasional pauses or reel twitches.  (This is a theme in terms of retrieve for most horizontal baits this time of year).

 

Times I like to speed up my retrieve: windy days or warm fronts that linger for a few days.

 

The key to catching bass any time of year but ESPECIALLY the winter is location, location, location.

 

You gotta find where the sun hits all day this time of year.  The shady banks are often 3-5 degrees colder than the main lake and ever colder still than the warm sweet spots.  Identifying these sweet spots and where they intersect with ambush points and shallow cover near deeper water seems to be the key but the best place to start looking is the sunny bank.  The shady banks can be productive in the dead of winter on cloudy days and on days where a cold wind is being buffered by that bank and it's creating a break.

 

Most days I avoid strong winds or shade in the winter.  Also super shallow water with no deep water nearby or super muddy water are tough this time of year.

 

Good luck!

Good selection ! …I would only add a weightless T-Rigged Senko dead sticked on the bottom .

The Ol Ball-n-Chain 

 

Highy overlooked technique that will put bass in the boat when conditions are tough regardless of time of year.

Bandito Bugs

(slowly drag about 1’ off bottom)

Wacky Rig

(slow jumps)

I’ve also found the Berkley Gulp! Artificial Worms (in a little can container) work great in winter or cold water situations. I’m from Fauquier County VA but have fished all over VA.

Blade Baits, underspins, shaky heads fished deep.....  Frittsides and Lipless burned midrange and shallow...   wacky worms up super shallow 

Small tubes or Ned baits until the water gets below 40 degrees then Hair jigs.

 

Allen