One of the Oldies But Still a Goodie

Among those bass lures you can fish anytime of year with success are spinnerbaits. The main secret is in adjusting the retrieve speed, but there are other recommended tweaks involved, too.

Because these baits traditionally are associated with spring or fall fishing, when the standard is to crank them along a couple or so feet below the surface at a medium speed, anglers sometimes forget they also can be used in all seasons, including winter. Bass notoriously don't want to chase down a lure this time of year, though, so the smart user moves the spinnerbait along slowly, with the blades barely turning...in a "slow rolling" pattern, if you will.

With water temperatures in the 50-degree range, try slow-rolling a 3/8- or 1/2-ounce spinnerbait. Use a slightly larger Colorado or Indiana blade on the front to produce more vibration from the lure. This vibration helps the bass feel the bait and also makes it easier to keep the bait off the bottom but still in the strike zone.

If the water is clear, select a white skirt and white blades, but switch to a white-and-chartreuse model with a gold blade on the front and a small orange or red Colorado kicker blade for dirtier water. Line size for slow-rolling depends on the type of water you're fishing. When working the lure through timber, try 20-pound test. For open, clear-water areas, use 14-pound test, and switch to 17-pound test in muddy water.

And finally, add a small plastic swimbait trailer for a little more bulk and profile, without overpowering the spinnerbait. The preference is a paddletail trailer, which allows the user to slow down his/her retrieve even more, while giving off a little extra thump. The speed of a spinnerbait or any reaction lure, for that matter, is an especially important factor when fishing cold water.

In the words of Chad Warren, an Oklahoma native and 2017 FLW Tour rookie, "Just think of bass like they are people. If  I'm outside freezing and shoveling snow off the driveway and you want me to play catch, there's a zero percent chance of my running a long ways to catch a ball. But if you throw it right to me, I'll grab it. That's how I envision bass in the wintertime."

Slow-rolling a spinnerbait may take a boatload of patience, but the reward is worth the wait.