Top 5 Baits for Winter Spots and Smallies

Winter Bass Fishing can be difficult if you're not used to locating deep fish but if you put in your time it is one of the best times of the year to catch big bass! Tim shows the Top 5 Baits that will help you quickly locate and catch cold water bass. 

These baits work extremely well for spotted bass and smallmouth bass but also work well for largemouth. Winter isn't the time to be experimenting with new baits so fish these with confidence and know that you're throwing baits the bass will readily eat, even in the coldest of weather.

The beauty of spotted bass in particular is it doesn't matter if you're trying to catch a bunch of 2 lbers or you're trying to catch the next world record spotted bass, they all eat the same baits. You can catch the biggest spotted bass on earth with a senko, a dropshot, or a keitech without limiting yourself from catching numbers of fish along the way. 

Baits Shown in this video...

-Dirty Jigs Finesse Football
-Yamamoto Double Tail Grub

-Twin Tail 5" Hula Grub
-Yamamoto Football Head

-4.8" Keitech
-Matt Allen Swimbait Head

-2.8 Keitech
-Revenge Darthead

-Blade Runner Spoon (1 3/4 oz)

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-5" Senko
-Size 1 Owner Mosquito Hook
-Nail Weight
-0-Ring + Tool

-Owner Ultra Shaky Head
-Canterbury Shaky Head

-Zoom Baby Brush Hog

-Keitech Easy Shiner
-Owner size 2 Mosquito Hook
-Dropshot Weights

The Video of Cody Meyer's Monster Spotted Bass

Last week the industry was rocked by yet another double-digit spotted bass of World Record Proportions! News of Cody Meyer's bass spread like wildfire. The word is he was out fishing with good friend, JR Wright when a truly massive spotted bass made a mistake and found herself swimming laps in Cody's livewell. 

Based on the feedback we received this past week, anglers seemed to think we would be upset or offended by Cody's awesome catch or that it was somehow an affront to what we're doing at TacticalBassin. The truth is that any monster fish, no matter who catches it, should be celebrated by the entire industry as we learn more about what this incredible species of bass is capable of!

When Tim Little (current IGFA World Record Spotted Bass Holder) got the call from Cody that he'd caught a fish of possible world record proportions and needed help, Tim quickly grabbed his scales and other necessary equipment and hit the road to Bullards Bar. The story is nearly identical to what happened roughly a year earlier when we got the call from Wes Roberson about his 11.00lb Spotted Bass (currently under review as the NEW IGFA All-Tackle World Record Spotted Bass).

When a fish of a lifetime is caught everything else stands still. You do everything in your power to make sure that fish is honored and taken care of. It doesn't matter who made the catch, how far away they caught it, or what the weather might be, you make sure that fish receives the highest treatment and that it gets its best shot at whatever record it may qualify for. That is what trophy bass fishing is truly about. The sport only grows when anglers come together and ensure that these monster fish are honored appropriately. 

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Back to Meyer... he is well known for his history of bass fishing tournament victories on spotted bass fisheries, as well as his exploits into trophy spotted bass fishing. It's no surprise that he would catch a monster Spotted Bass, but on this day he caught not only his personal best but one of the world's largest spotted bass at 10.80 pounds! Whether this bass becomes a world record or not, its truly a fish of a lifetime!

Cody reported catching the trophy bass on...

Strike King Ocho
Seaguar 6 lb Tatsu Fluorocarbon
Daiwa Tatula Spinning Rod
Daiwa Exist Spinning Reel

Scale Used: Salter Brecknell
Camera Used: Go Pro Hero4

More 10+ Lb Largemouth and Spotted Bass than any other video, EVER!

This video makes us proud to be from Northern California! From Clearlake to the Delta, Berryessa to Bullards Bar we are surrounded by world class fisheries and when the fish want to bite there is nowhere else like it on earth!

Merry Christmas to all of you amazing people that have helped make TacticalBassin what it is today! We're forever greatful to each of you and are thrilled for what the future brings! For fun this Holiday Weekend we decided to do this throw back video to one of the most insane bites to ever occur! 

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Here are the baits that were catching these fish...

1)S-Waver 200 Swimbait
2)Spittin Wa 70 Frog
3)3/4 Oz. Pitchin' Jig
4)Huddleston 8" Trout Swimbait
5)Keitech 4.8" Fat Swing Impact Swimbait
6)Matt Allen Swimbait Head

How to Spoon for Bass

Is there a more fun or cost effective way to catch a ton of fish in the Fall or Winter? Probably not! Spooning is often over looked in favor of finesse tactics but don't be fooled, its a technique you need to get comfortable using.

When the bass are schooling on baitfish, even when they're just scattered on deep water points and ledges, a spoon is hard to beat. When the fish are suspended around bait, it can't be beaten. A spoon perfectly imitates a dying or injured baitfish, fluttering toward the bottom. Bass are hardwired to react to this quick fluttering action, often resulting in jarring strikes! So why should you be using a spoon during the colder months?

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First, its cost effective. Unlike soft plastics which tear up easily, spoons hold up over time. Assuming you don't snag and lose them, you can use the same spoon trip after trip. Second, they're deadly. When the fish are lethargic and don't want to feed you can often draw the "reaction" strike with a few quick hops off the bottom.

Over the years I've used a lot of different brands and models of spoons. For deep water vertical jigging the best spoons I've found are Blade Runner Duh Spoons. They're offered in a variety of colors but my personal favorites are Morning Dawn, Black Shad, and Electric Chicken. The most consistent sizes are the 1 1/4 and 1 3/4 ounce but experiment with the fish on your lakes to see what works best for them.

One other point to consider is that spoons can even work around busting fish. The temptation is to pick up a spook or whopper plopper in pursuit of the fish you can see but often times the largest bass in the school will be holding back, below all the others, waiting for the smaller fish to stun the bait and provide them an easy meal. The next time you see active fish on the surface consider dropping the spoon below and you might just be surprised by the biggest bite of the day.