When the water’s cold and bass get sluggish, blade baits shine. This video breaks down how to fish blade baits for winter bass — from color and weight selection to rigging tricks that prevent snags and boost hookups. Perfect for deep, rocky points or current breaks, blade baits are one of the most effective — and overlooked — lures in your winter arsenal.
 

 

 

Thanks, Glenn.   Good video.  I agree that reel speed doesn't really matter for presentation, hookup, or landing.  But blade baits will foul, and a fast retrieve is nice when you cast 3/4 of a spool out there and zero vibration on first lift.

I like 20# braid to leader for the tightline feedback, but will use flouro at times.  I can't really avoid wood most places I fish.  It has taken years to get comfortable and confident around wood.  I won't throw into the middle of a brush pile, but having wood around will get far more bites.  Blade ticking off a lone tree or bush in 25 FOW is money.  Plug knocker should be mentioned as vital piece of blade bait fishing gear.  Also a brief discussion about freeing snags might be helpful.  I know you've done videos on snags, and mentioned it in your winter baits vid, but blade baits are in a snag class by themselves. 

Great tips and feedback!  Thank you!

Really good information 

A few nuggets:

1) 6th sense blade bait has Texas-weight hooks on it. They work great. We don't get enough really cold weather here for me to be all the way dialed in on whether the other brands I have work better or worse in terms of catching. But you can fish it on a heavier setup for sure. 

 

2) With catt/Tommy in the room with us, sometimes rate of fall matters. Mostly I've seen when a faster ROF forces a decision when they are on the bottom but eating up.

 

3) a follow-on from #2 - if they are eating on the fall vs picking it up, kind of a double pump can get a few extra fish - lift it, let it drop but not all the way, then lift again. Imagine a baitfish trying to get up in the column that can't quite make it. That second drop can be too much for the bass to stand. 

 

4) Bill Lewis/GSM make a 6" blade bait. Ohh it's good if they are on big gizzards. 2oz, so be ready with something like an a-rig rod. And it has a bit of a spoon-like fall too.