What is your favorite bait in December?
Let us know what you like to catch them on this time of year! Let me know where you're from too.
I live in GA and I love to catch them on a spinnerbait this time of year. One I have really liked lately is the Molix Water Slash with double indiana blades. It's compact and comes through hard cover really well. I can't remember if it was a seminar or on-water video, but one thing I picked up from Ike was when the water cools this time of year keep the bait on the bottom during your retrieve. He suggested going with a heavier size if you want to keep it moving or even letting it fall to the bottom and slowly dragging it like a tx rig or jig. I've experienced a lot of success with that!
Ontario, Canada resident here. Before bass season shut down mid-December, I fished through below freezing temperatures late November to early December. The smallmouth were chewing up a 4.8" swimbait rigged on a 3/4oz unskirted custom football head jig, slowly crept along bottom. Already counting down the days until next season!
East Texas here, I love to catch them on a 6XD in the winter time on my home lake, Lake Naconiche.
Old school Lucky Craft Pointer 100. Now that the 3 hook version is out... I'll put it down even less. I like to throw it on a 7' Cashion P8437 Elite and 12# Seaguar Invizix. The Pointer is 5/8oz bait compared to most jerkbaits that are 1/2. That little bit of weight makes a big difference in casting distance. The Pointer also has a good rolling action to it with also hard cuts when snapped on a slack line. I am 6'3" so I can get away with a 7' rod and keep the bait in a good depth zone for a long period of time. I will add a red treble in the middle at times if the bite slows down. Important to test tank your Pointers prior because they will rise quickly for the most part. Adding a bunch of ice to your tank when testing I think is important because in December, that water is really dense and you want to simulate the real deal as much as possible. Largies, Spots, and Smallies all eat the Pointer. Confidence bait.
I am from upstate New York, but live in Raleigh, North Carolina now.
May not always catch the biggest but that 1/8th jighead on a Keitech or Bass Pro brand fat swimbait and just gently reel across the bottom sure gets me bites. It is a slow technique , but the video of Jeff Kriet doing it on here is outstanding.
I'm in the northeast... The binsky really shines in this cold weather! Find a good blade bait and just Jig it off the bottom!!!
Alabama on Lake Guntersville my go to bait in the winter is a shakey head with a Roboworm. Just flat out catches fish big little and everything in between.
Rattletrap in the grass, ripping it out...or a fluke really slow.
Deep Cranks or Jerk Baits
FOR SPOTTED BASS: 1/8 oz. Berkely Half-Head jig in Green Pumpkin with a Green Pumpkin BPS Split Tail Stik-O. Fish on 8lb. Mono, Spinning Rod. (Flouro..too much line twist in cold weather...braid too hard too see..be a line watcher)
FOR LARGEMOUTHS: 3/8 or 5/16 Black or Black/Blue Stanley Jig (old school) with Netbait Paca Chunk in Black/Blue or Okeechobee Craw. Heavier jigs sink too fast. You want a slow fall, and fish it so slow that it's almost torture. Get it in their face and keep it there.
Power fishing has never worked well for me in water below 50 degrees. Do your map/sonar homework, pick a few spots, and fish them slowly and thoroughly. The above methods take time and patience, so may not be the best strategy for tournament fishing, but sometimes patience wins.
