Winter Tips For Dropshot and Ned Rig Fishing

Still struggling to catch Winter Bass? Tim has some advice that will help you catch more fish during the cold water months. When you're finesse fishing with Ned Rigs, Dropshot, or a tube, its critical that you change your cadence in Winter. The same method you were using in Fall will not work anywhere near as well as this slower approach. 

The difference between fishing and catching really can be as simple as going slower. If you're still shaking your baits like you did in Summer and Fall, you're making a mistake. At the very least you need to fish your baits slower and more methodically with longer pauses between movements. At the most, you need to literally drag your bait across the bottom without any movement of the rod tip at all. 

Slowing down sounds easy but if you're not used to it, its much tougher than you might expect. If you struggle with slowing down Tim suggests sticking the tip of your rod underwater. The resistance if the water makes it more difficult to "over work" the bait and also makes you more aware of your movements. Don't let the Winter cold get you down, keep adapting and you will find the fish you're searching for. 

Below is breakdown of some of Tim's favorite baits and equipment for finesse fishing this time of year. 

Favorite Baits... 

Finesse Tube- Dry Creek Tournament Tube: http://bit.ly/2cJwI6r

Fat Tube- Big Bite Baits Tour Tube: http://bit.ly/32e23VR

Straight Tail Worm- Roboworm 4 1/2": http://bit.ly/2asZyH3

Shaped Worm- Big Bite Baits Smallie Smasher: http://bit.ly/2ZpCOCY

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

Favorite Colors: Green Pumpkin, Morning Dawn, Old Ugly, Margarita Mutilator

Best "Bang For The Buck" Spinning Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 6'10" Medium Light: http://bit.ly/2osaj3q

Reel- Shimano Stradic CI4+ 2500: http://bit.ly/2gu84t7

Line- Power Pro 10 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Sunline Sniper 6 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Great Budget-Friendly Spinning Combo... 

Rod- Daiwa AirdX 7' Medium: http://bit.ly/2P7Z3Vu

Reel- Daiwa Revros 2000: http://bit.ly/34nCGCj

Line- Sunline Sniper 8 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

3 Tricks To Catch More Fish With Finesse Swimbaits

Finesse swimbaits are awesome! These little paddle tails get bit every month of the year and they catch way bigger bass than most anglers realize. If you aren't using them, you're missing out on some of the easiest bites you can get. Simple adjustments to cadence and head design will make the baits even more effective. Come along as Tim explains exactly how to maximize your time with small swimbaits. 

Tim has a handful of heads he uses to really dial in his finesse swimbaits. He adjusts head selection with the size of the bait, depth he's fishing, and water clarity. (Underspin for muddy water, Okashira for Ultra finesse tactics, and a mix of Guppy and TacticalBassin Finesse swimbait heads for all the standard clear to murky water fishing.) He combines those heads with 3 different cadences that help him maximize his time on the water. By adjusting cadence he is able to keep catching fish on small swimbaits when most anglers have given up. 

The finesse swimbait is truly deadly in Winter. It will work today and will continue to work all the way through the spawn. Below is a breakdown of the baits, heads, and Gear Tim is using to catch bass on finesse swimbaits. 

The Heads... 

-TacticalBassin Finesse Swimbait Heads (3.8 - 4.8 Keitechs): http://bit.ly/2Pqrq3n

-Dirty Jigs Guppy Head 1/0 Hook (2.8 - 3.3 Keitechs): http://bit.ly/2nyUJRS

-Megabass Okashira Head 1/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2EpluSA

-Cool Baits Down Under 3/16 oz: http://bit.ly/2boS7QA

The Baits... 

-keitech Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

-Megabass Spark Shad 3": http://bit.ly/2XcLZk4

-Keitech Easy Shiner: http://bit.ly/2bxJK6H

Damiki Armor Shad: http://bit.ly/2KtPDAT

Megabass Dark Sleeper: http://bit.ly/2TyR1GT

Finesse Swimbait Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 7' Medium: http://bit.ly/2osaj3q

Reel- Shimano Stradic FL 2500: http://bit.ly/35Bufnb

Line- 15 lb Power Pro Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- 8 lb Sunline Sniper: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget Finesse Swimbait Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7' Medium: http://bit.ly/2s7kaQn

Reel- Shimano Nasci 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- 15 lb Power Pro Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- 8 lb Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Buyer's Guide: Ned Rig Baits and Tricks For All Seasons

The ned rig is one of the most effective lures ever created for bass fishing! Its fish catching power rivals the senko, chatterbait, and whopper plopper. You may not catch the biggest bass of your life with a ned rig but you're sure to catch a few fish when you pick it up. Its so effective in fact that it deserved a dedicated buyer's guide. Today we're simplifying Ned Rig fishing with a look at some of our favorite baits, hooks, and equipment.

The Ned Rig has been around a few years now but it exploded in 2019! Virtually every major brand in bass fishing introduced a "ned" worm or creature of some kind at ICAST. With all of the worms, creatures, craws, and heads on the market its hard to know which ones are worth the time. Today's buyer's guide is geared at simplifying the whole mess so that when you're on the water, you know you're throwing your best option. 

Below is a breakdown of the baits, hooks, and equipment Tim recommends for fishing the Ned Rig. Because this is a buyer's guide every product includes a link to the exact bait on Tackle Warehouse where you can see close up pictures, information, and color samples. In addition to the link we've included Tim's favorite color choices for each worm.  

Tim's Favorite Combo #1... 

Rod- Megabass Destroyer Flyssa: http://bit.ly/2B7NyFj

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Line- Power Pro 10 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Sunline Sniper 5 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Tim's Favorite Combo #2... 

Rod- G Loomis Conquest 902: http://bit.ly/2BiGUNi

Reel- Shimano Stella 2500: http://bit.ly/2U8Pkzg

Line- Power Pro 10 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2aFg46b

Leader- Sunline Sniper 5 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7'6" Light: http://bit.ly/2s7kaQn

Reel- Shimano Nasci 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- Sniper Fluorocarbon 6 lb: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Ned Rig Baits... 

-Z Man Finesse T.R.D: http://bit.ly/2hs4RtR

(Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin Goby, Meat Dog)

-Z Man TRD BugZ: http://bit.ly/2oiavEE

(Canada Craw, Mud Bug, California Craw)

-Z Man TicklerZ: http://bit.ly/2mGyDAC

(Canada Craw, Green Pumpkin, Sprayed Grass)

-Robo Ned Worm: http://bit.ly/2j9F0Xy

(Desert Craw, TW Black Blue Pumpkin)

-Missile Baits Ned Bomb: http://bit.ly/2XCOGwd

(Fishalicious, Super Bug, Green Pumpkin)

-XZone Ned Zone Stick: http://bit.ly/2mRiYhF

(309, Green Pumpkin Purple, Minnow Magic)

Ned Heads... 

-Swagger Tungsten Flanders Head: http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M

-Owner Block Head Jighead: http://bit.ly/2qL0A8n

-Z Man HD Lockz: http://bit.ly/2kIgRYK

7 Finesse Baits To Catch Stubborn Winter Bass

The Fall to Winter transition brings cold water and lethargic fish but savvy bass fishermen have no trouble getting bit under these conditions. Some of the biggest bass of the year can be caught in the Winter months along with surprising numbers of quality fish. During the cold water period Tim often turns to finesse fishing to find the consistent bite. He has a handful of proven techniques and he's sharing them with us today.

Winter fishing doesn't have to mean mundane fishing. There are a ton of techniques from jigs to swimbaits, flies to worms, that will consistently produce in cool to cold water. You're not limited to one or two methods, though light tackle is a common thread amongst most of them. Today Tim gathered the gear for 7 of his favorite Winter techniques and he's explaining them for us.

Below you'll find a breakdown of the baits and equipment Tim trusts to get through the Winter months. From late Fall all the way to the start of Spring, you can rely on each of these finesse techniques to produce. Try a few and find the method that produces best on your home lakes.

Finesse Football Jigs and Trailers...

-Dirty Jigs finesse football 3/8-5/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2d2apsm

(Super Matt Brown, Go To, Brown Craw)

-Keitech tungsten Football 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2FDQ3o1

(Brown Purple, Green Pumpkin Blue)

-Bass Patrol Round Rubber Football 1/2 oz: http://bit.ly/2Hbyf5x

(Brown/Green Pump, Brown/Orange, Brown/Purple)

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

(Green Pumpkin, Cinnamon Purple)

Finesse Tubes and Heads...

-Dry Creek 3.5" Tournament Tube: http://bit.ly/2cJwI6r

(Crazy Eddie, Green Pumpkin, Old Ugly)

-Bite Me Flat Eye Tube Head 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2diyVXK

-Provider Tackle 90 Degree Tube Head 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2LY9eMj

Neko Rigging Components...

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

(956- Watermelon Copper Orange Red, Natural Shad, Electric Shad, Green Pump Purp/Cop)

-Swagger Tungsten Pagoda Nail Weight: http://bit.ly/2iGNSFW

-G7 Worm Protect Tubes: http://bit.ly/2PWEkUs

-G7 Worm Tube Pliers: http://bit.ly/2PRMNrG

-Owner mosquito light 1/0 Hook: http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

-Gamakatsu Stinger G finesse Size 1: http://bit.ly/2otYTPg

Ned Rig...

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

(Desert Craw, TW Black Blue Pumpkin)

-Swagger Tungsten Flanders Head 1/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2KcIB6M

Finesse Swimbaits...

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

-Keitech Easy Shiner 3": http://bit.ly/2bxJK6H

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

-Cool Baits Down Under 3/16 oz Underspin: http://bit.ly/2boS7QA

-Megabass Okashira head 1/16 oz: http://bit.ly/2EpluSA

-Megabass Spark Shad 3": http://bit.ly/2XcLZk4

(Albino, Purple Haze, Baby Bass)

-Megabass Dark Sleeper 2.4": http://bit.ly/2TyR1GT

(Donko, Shirauo, Wakasagi, Haze)

Dropshot Rig...

-Reaction Innovations Flirt Worm 4.95: http://bit.ly/2CMB33J

(Lickity Split, Morning Dawn, Purple Smoke)

-Roboworm Alive Shad: http://bit.ly/2kDNeYw

(Hologram Shad, Morning Dawn, Neon Shad)

-Trokar Dropshot Hook size 1: http://bit.ly/2ahxJOr

-Owner Mosquito Light Size 1: http://bit.ly/2zQVKx3

-Swagger Tungsten Dropshot Weight 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2V2B63h

Flies...

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

-Cumberland Pro Lures Float N Fly: http://bit.ly/2o9PE63

-Punisher Lures Float N Fly: http://bit.ly/2qrH9oA

Tim's All-Around Favorite Finesse Combo...

Rod- G Loomis Conquest 902S SJR: http://bit.ly/2BiGUNi

Reel- Shimano Exsence 3000: http://bit.ly/2iMtscV

Line- Sunline XPlasma Asegai Braid: http://bit.ly/2OR5i2j

Leader- Sunline Sniper 6 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju

Budget-Friendly Finesse Combo...

Rod- Shimano SLX 7' Med Light: http://bit.ly/2AdvIC1

Reel- Shimano Nasci 2500: http://bit.ly/2g278cC

Line- Sunline Sniper 6 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2p7fxju