Lake Champlain's southern end is a flipper's paradise. Wood and rock intermingle with lush beds of aquatic vegetation, including coon tail, milfoil, and invasive water chestnut, whose small leaves cover acres of surface. They create plenty of pockets through which a Texas-rigged soft-plastic lure or jig can be presented to big largemouth waiting below. And that’s why it was weird when my fishing partner started casting a blade bait.
Retrieve a blade bait by steadily turning your reel’s handle, and it’s a reaction bait that covers plenty of water, whether across flats or along edges, including those created by aquatic vegetation. Along the way, its rapid-fire vibrations call in bass and aggravate them into striking. And that's precisely how my fishing buddy put several key bass in the boat that day.
Blades baits aren't a one-trick pony. But they do one trick incredibly well: catching bass numbed by cold conditions that swim in deep-water haunts. They create a consistently productive mix of fast and slow. Fished with a series of short pulls, they cover water quickly without forcing bass to go far to eat. And their sharp vibrations trigger even the least-interested bass. That makes them perfect for January bass fishing.
Meet The Blade Bait
Blade bait construction is straightforward. There are three components — a flat metal body, lead head, and hooks. Together, they create a bass-catching machine with three essential attributes:
- Sink rate: Blade baits quickly sink to the bottom with a streamlined and weight-forward design. That makes it an efficient choice for fishing in deep water. It also cuts through the current, reaching key pieces of structure before being washed away.
- Action: A blade bait’s metal body creates tight wiggles and sharp vibrations, both preferred by bass in cold water when pulled through the water. It comes alive with the slightest movements and becomes louder the faster it’s moved.
- Hooking ability: Strikes are violent and happen quickly, and bass can miss their target. Twin treble hooks ensure that happens less often. They quickly grab onto anything nearby, turning misses into bass being hooked outside their mouths. And six points ensure there's one or more that hold fast.
Opportunities for improving a fresh-from-the-box blade bait are limited. But one to make is with the hooks. If yours isn’t outfitted with them, swap to round bend trebles with a short shank. They have the most distance between each hook point and shank, creating plenty of grab. And their short shanks keep them close to the bait’s body, out of the way of harm, whether that’s snagging bottom or cover.
Attach trebles with a split ring. That allows them to float around potential snags or free of the lure’s weight when a bass jumps or shakes its head. That disconnect removes leverage, ensuring your lure remains hooked.
There's one more improvement, though it's already in place on many blade baits. You need to protect your line where it ties to the bait. Metal edges are sharp, slicing through light lines from bass or bottom at the slightest resistance. So, be sure yours has a snap or split ring. If you're worried about line twist, try a small ball-bearing swivel that sports split rings on both ends.
Color is your choice. Flashy metallic versions, such as silver or chrome on sunny days and gold, white, or copper on overcast ones, always produce. But it never hurts to experiment with other options. Fire tiger is popular in stained or muddy water. And sometimes one with a dark back, such as purple or green, and a chartreuse or orange belly will get bit, too.
Blade baits come in a variety of weights, from ¼ ounce to 1 ounce. Choosing the correct one for where you’re fishing is a balancing act. You want just enough weight to get to the bottom quickly. But you don't want too much, so it stays on the bottom when you move it.
Assemble Your Gear
Blade baits can be fished on spinning or baitcasting combos. Both have their merits. Baitcasting works well when heavier blade baits are used to reach the deepest spots or ones washed in current. But when the weather is at its coldest, spinning reels can be easier to operate with gloved hands, and they keep water spray further away. However, many of the best-suited characteristics are found in both.
- Rod: It does nearly all the work, from pulling baits to battling bass. Choose one that measures about 7 feet long and has a fast action, bending in its top quarter. It will load quickly, ensuring your bait moves as soon as your rod does. And it’ll help its medium or medium-heavy action set hooks solidly.
- Reel: While its only job is holding line, that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t possess a key feature. It should pull in plenty of line with each handle turn, quickly removing slack. That’s usually associated with fast gear ratios, at least 7:1, in baitcasting reels and large-diameter spools in spinning reels, usually 2500 or 3000 size.
- Line: Braid, from 6- to 20-pound test, provides strength and a small diameter. The latter offers little water resistance, making deep-water presentations easy. Its lack of stretch creates precise bait movements and solid hooksets, and its sensitivity gives away the slightest bites. Try a lengthy leader or full spool of fluorocarbon if you feel less visibility is warranted in extremely clear water.
How To Fish Them
Blade baits are baitfish imitators. Their shape, vibrations and movements all match bass' favorite cold-water meal. They're best fished along the bottom, where most bass are found in January. So, once you've made your cast, don't be in a rush. Give it time to sink, and maybe rest for a few moments. Bass are inquisitive; some may have watched your blade bait sink and are swimming over to it.
Blade baits create the most action when moving forward. Their mostly flat shape causes them to wobble as they sink, which attracts bass. So, give them just enough slack to do that while maintaining enough control to feel strikes, which can be subtle.
Once your blade bait reaches the bottom, use rod pulls to move it. Keep them steady and slow, just long enough to feel your blade bait begin to vibrate. After a second or two, pause and allow it to glide back to the bottom on a controlled slack line.
Where To Fish Them
Most bass, except those in the far southern reaches of their range, hunker down during January. Swimming through the coldest water of the year. They have just enough energy to maintain an easy life.
Not every spot offers that easy life. The ones that do share specific characteristics. Those include:
- Hard cover or bottom: Rocks, stumps, and timber are the best options. They harbor plenty of prey, and if the water is clear, they retain solar energy, radiating it as heat into the surrounding water.
- Little to no current: A slow metabolism means bass aren’t interested in fighting the environment any more than needed. They hunker in sheltered water, where they aren't forced to swim constantly.
- Many baitfish: Bass aren’t in the mood to hunt down a meal. So, the best spots are ones that they share with many baitfish.
- Vertical cover or structure: Bass here can change their location vertically — depth — without having to move long distances horizontally, quickly and easily taking advantage of improving conditions or hiding from deteriorating ones.
Spots sporting these four characteristics are almost guaranteed to produce bass. But they can be challenging to find. Those with two or three warrant your fishing time. Here are three examples of prime places to start with a blade bait in January:
- River backwater: These can be creeks or side channels, anywhere the current slows to nearly a standstill. Depth is important. It should be deeper than the surrounding stretches.
- Channel ledge: Key on stretches where a creek channel runs into a river channel or where either makes an abrupt turn. They offer vertical structure and a route to shallow water once spring arrives.
- Sunken island: If your favorite northern natural lake still has open-water access in January, search out sunken islands, especially near large bays. Key on underwater points or the steepest sides.
Most winter spots are big enough to draw schools of bass. Chances are good that you’ll see them on your electronics. Even if you don’t, keep fishing a spot where you caught a bass or got a strike. Eliciting more strikes may require changing your casting angle. Some days, bass want a blade bait moving toward deeper water. Sometimes, they prefer to go in the other direction. Adjustments like these also can reignite a school that has stopped biting.
