Fishing Brutal Post Front Winter Conditions For Bass and Catfish

Today we're fishing for a mix of Bass and catfish. We've got brutal post-front conditions that have completely shut down the bite! Instead of giving up we decide to continue the multi-species trend and turn our attention from bass to catfish. This isn't the kind of cat fishing you're used to, we've discovered that in cold water the big catfish school up and devour a spoon! Come along for a few very wet, very windy, very cold hours on Clearlake!

Fishing for big catfish is an awesome alternative to bass in the cold Winter months. Unlike the bass, catfish thrive in cold water and will readily chase baitfish and attack fast moving lures. We choose to target them with one of our favorite Fall bass techniques, the deep jigging spoon. Unfortunately today the "first cast curse" got the best of us and the bite ended just as quickly as it began. We caught a few tiny catfish, blackfish, and hitch off camera but the big channel catfish we were after had stopped biting. 

Instead of simply giving up we continued to endure the cold (with frozen hands and toes) in pursuit of at least one bass to round out the day. When conditions are this tough our confidence lies in the crankbait. It took less than 10 minutes to catch a Clearlake bass on the crank despite the brutal conditions. As soon as we had a fish we headed back to the ramp to get warmed up. 

Today wasn't the great fishing we've grown to love on our home lake, it was downright tough. Tough fishing during brutal weather conditions is the reality of Winter. When you're faced with the same conditions we were, it doesn't have to be a bust. If you bear down and endure, even the toughest conditions will yield a fish or two. 

Below is a breakdown of the baits and equipment we were using to catch these fish. 

Baits…

Spoon- Blade Runner 1 3/4 oz Duh (Morning Dawn, Electric Chicken): http://bit.ly/2aKVLlG

Crankbait- River2Sea Tactical DD 75 (Mirrored Minnow): http://bit.ly/37dclbX

Spoon Combo... 

Rod- Denali Attax 7'2" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2tDsOa0

Reel- Daiwa Tatula SV TWS: http://bit.ly/2xALqpz

Line- Sunline Assassin 20 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Matt's Crankbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Fishing Cold Water Crankbaits For Big Winter Bass

Come along for a fun day chasing Cold Water Bass! The plan is to throw a Ned Rig, Jig, Dark Sleeper, and Crankbait. It doesn't take long before BIG bass start coming in the boat! Winter bass fishing doesn't have to be tough, let us show you the tricks along the way that will make all the difference. If you understand where the fish position in Winter and how to trigger a feed response, Winter bass fishing becomes a lot more fun! 

At the start of the day the plan was to use slow bottom contact baits to catch the majority of fish then try to get a bigger bite on a crankbait. It became apparent very quickly that the "traditional" methods of Winter fishing simply were not working. The bass were completely shut down and uninterested in biting. These are some of the best conditions for the crankbait because it does not rely on the bass' desire to feed, instead triggering a core reaction response. 

While many of the baits Matt threw didn't work well on this day, they are all proven producers in the Winter months so we've linked them all below. Additionally, we've included a detailed list of the potential "cold water crankbaits" that we have confidence in so that you can start cold water cranking right away if that is a technique you'd like to try. The Tactical Crankbait is backordered into March but it would still advisable to get in line if that is a bait you would like to try this coming season. 

Today's Baits... 

-River2Sea Tactical DD 75 Crankbait: http://bit.ly/37dclbX

(Ghost Minnow, Mirrored Minnow, DD Minnow)

-Megabass Dark Sleeper 3" 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2TyR1GT

(Donko, Wakasagi)

-Dirty Jigs Finesse Football 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2d2apsm

(Supermatt Brown)

-Yamamoto 5" Double Tail Grub: http://bit.ly/2db9w1p

(Cinnamon Black and Purple Flake)

-Roboworm Ned Worm 3": http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

(Oxblood Light Red Flake, Peoples Worm)

-Swagger Tungsten 3/16 oz: http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M

Other Cold Water Crankbaits... 

-Megabass Deep Six: http://bit.ly/2A3clKP

-Megabass Deep X 300: http://bit.ly/2sSQHpt

-Spro RK Crawler 55: http://bit.ly/2NFPA5t

-6th Sense Curve 55: http://bit.ly/37hZ1TD

Matt's Crankbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 906 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL HG: http://bit.ly/2H44yjG

Line- 12 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Cranking Combo... 

Rod- Fury 7' Medium Heavy Cranking: http://bit.ly/2bGvlVV

Reel- Shimano SLX HG: http://bit.ly/2NfdOnk

Line- Sunline Assassin 12 lb: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Bass Fishing: Top 10 baits of 2019

In 2019 we fished more than 25 states and 3 countries. We had the opportunity to test lures against bass in every situation imaginable! During our travels a handful of baits stood out from the rest. These lures were the true "best of the best". They caught numbers of quality fish everywhere we went but they also caught the BIG bass we all dream of catching. 

When traveling everything familiar fades away. You know longer have "spots" to fish. You rely 100% on clues given by the fish to develop patterns. In addition to developing patterns on the water, patterns in the gear will emerge as well. By the time our 2 month road trip around the country ended, a handful of baits had proven themselves from coast to coast. Add in a few catches North and South of the border this Spring and Fall and its easy to identify this year's Top 10 Baits for consistently catching bass.

Below is a breakdown of the baits (in order of appearance) along with a few color recommendations for each lure. If you're looking for baits that you can trust to consistently get bit regardless of where you fish, look no further than this list. 

The baits... 

-6th Sense Mini Mag Squarebill: http://bit.ly/31KGyeC

(Ghost Threadfin Shad, Ghost Shad Scales)

-Megabass 3" Dark Sleeper: http://bit.ly/2TyR1GT

(Haze, Donko, Wakasagi)

-Blade Runner 1 3/4 oz Duh Spoon: http://bit.ly/2aKVLlG

(Morning Dawn, Electric Chicken)

-River2Sea 1/2 oz Bling Spinnerbait: http://bit.ly/2diSwqq

(Abalone Shad, I Know It, Iced)

-Jackall Kaera Frog: http://bit.ly/2Fz6SA3

(Glitter Bluegill, Glitter Hasu, White)

-Big Bite Baits Smallie smasher: http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY

(Green Pumpkin Org Blk Purp Prl Bl, Smoke Purple Flake)

-Keitech 4.8 Swing Impact Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

(Electric Shad, Pro Blue Red Pearl, Tennessee Shad)

-River2Sea S-Waver 168: http://bit.ly/2aiu8Sh

(Light Trout, Warden Hitch, Bluegill)

-Yamamoto 5” Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

(Green Pumpkin Blk Flk, Watermelon/Green Pumpkin, Natural Shad)

-Dirty Jigs 3/8 oz Finesse Jig: http://bit.ly/2eJinXo

(Supermatt Brown, Go To, Brown Craw)

Winter Fishing for Bull Bluegill

We're chasing giant bluegill today! We usually focus on bass fishing but at the end of the day, we just love catching fish! During the Winter months, giant Bull Bluegill gather with the other predators and gorge on baitfish. These extraordinary fish are often overlooked but are amazing fighters and a worthy adversary on a cold Winter day. If you're tired of struggling this Winter, take a day off and  let us show you how to chase these amazing fish.

Bass fisherman often fall into the trap of only fishing for bass. While we don't recommend fishing for every tiny little fish that swims, branching out a little can be very healthy. These mental breaks help us to refocus before Spring arrives. Bluegill are a perfect candidate because they're plentiful all over the country and with relatively little effort you can learn to find the GIANTS. It doesn't matter what species it is, when you're catching some of the biggest, its going to be a good time. 

Fishing for oversized bluegill requires no specialized equipment. As a bass fisherman, your lightest dropshot or ned rig rods should be just fine. Carry a few downsized baits (we linked our favorites below) and be prepared for a suprisingly powerful fight. As soon as conditions allow, get back to bass fishing but don't hesitate to take a break and enjoy the plentiful fishing that is around you this Winter. 

The baits... 

-Kastmaster 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2PtUwi3

-Damiki Vault 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2rnO7e2

-Spro Phat Fly 1/16 oz: http://bit.ly/2mboisG

-Keitech 2.8" Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

-Dirty Jigs Guppy Head 1/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2nyUJRS

Matt's Combo... 

Rod-  Zodias 6'8" Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2jOUXAO

Reel- Shimano Stradic CI4+ 1000: http://bit.ly/2gu84t7

Line- Sunline Sniper 4 lb: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget Combo... 

Rod- Daiwa Aird-X 7' Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2P7Z3Vu

Reel- Shimano Sedona FI: http://bit.ly/2wgh50Z

Line- Maxima Ultragreen 5 lb: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9