Just wanted to know what most of you do during this time of the month when what water gets pretty cold. I always thought you should downsize your baits because the bass metabolism slows down. But I thought I read in some articles, people talking about using big baits this time of the year. So I just wanted to know what you guys do. Do you Upsize your baits when the water gets cold? Or Downsize? If this helps, I particularly be planning to fish jigs, and hard jerkbaits.

Downsizing works, but if nothing works go with leeches.  

Everything that spawned a hatch last spring their offspring have had nine months to grow. I can't see downsizing when most bait are at their largest size of the year. I won't do it unless my partner is killing me with the small stuff.

I don't change my baits this time of year, I just slow them down a little

I NEVER downsize.  

Go BIG or go home.

8-)

I don't change at all.  I fish slower and use a lot of patience.

Fish don't always read BASSMASTER.......

I was fishing a deep point last Saturday - - crystal clear water (vis 15+), schools of tiny little shad here and there, and temp in the high 40's-low 50's..........tried all the typical finesse stuff you're supposed to use under these conditions, and only caught a few dinks.   So I whip out the biggest, baddest deep crankbait I have (courtesy of BIG M) and proceeded to catch the two biggest fish of the day on consecutive casts.    

Same baits all year just slow down  

Slow metabolism doesn't mean bass eat less; it means it takes a bass longer to digest what it ate.

I think there are days during the winter that calls for a little of both tactics.

I'm not a fan on small stuff and finesse, but if I won't to get a goose egg off the board, its an option that some times improves the Odds.

There are days I love double skirted jigs, slow the fall, and makes the bait more bulky, thus displaces more water on the fall.

And days I love big 3/4- 1oz spinner baits slow rolled in 10-15 ft of water for that big bite.   Early 90's, big spinner baits accounted for some hefty bass on Fork.

   

From experience, you can start throwing a red to orange lipless bait on Fork as of now thru March.     1/4 to 1/2 may produce numbers and some real good chunks, but the big trap 3/4oz will hang a bigger sow.    Same rule applies as does to larger swim baits.    You don't get alot of bites, but the ones you do are normally big girls gone wild.

I go fishing to hopefully catch some fish.     Experiment with baits and eventually, you figure it out.

If you buy a few larger baits and a few smaller baits,...rods to use with each, you'll be ready for anything