Winter bass fishing is not for everyone. Most anglers pack away their gear long before the cold of January arrives. While choosing to sit winter out until spring may be comfortable, anglers who do, miss some serious opportunities. For those willing to endure the cold and put in the work, the rewards can be substantial, especially once you understand how bass position themselves this time of year.
During winter, bass shift their focus vertically rather than horizontally. They no longer roam long distances along the bottom or chase across flats as they do in warmer seasons. Instead, they move up and down the water column and relate tightly to structure that provides strong vertical breaks.
In the southeastern and southwestern United States, where I have spent much of my time on the water, creek channels are my primary targets. These old riverbeds offer the ideal vertical profile. A channel bank may sit at eight feet, then drop sharply into twenty or thirty feet of water. Bass hold right on that vertical wall or ledge. One day they may suspend near the top, the next they may settle on the bottom, but their lateral movement remains minimal.
Before advanced electronics, this approach relied on educated guesses. Anglers dropped vertical baits like jigging spoons, often favoring heavier lead models that fell straight down with minimal side-to-side movement. Fluttering blades or vibrating jigs could drift off target in wind or current, making it harder to stay aligned with the vertical drop. The goal was simple: keep the bait on the face of the ledge and test depths. Were the bass near the top, midway down, or parked on the channel bottom? During the coldest periods, they were often deepest.
Modern electronics have changed everything. Forward-facing sonar and related tools now show exactly where baitfish hold in the channel, whether at twenty feet, thirty feet, or right on the bottom, and reveal bass positioned with them. The fish still use the same core areas, but you can locate them far more efficiently, often in under an hour. What once felt like brief windows can now turn into productive all-day fishing as you adjust to their vertical movements or subtle shifts along the channel.
Presentation in winter is about control, not speed. Bass rarely chase fast-moving baits in cold water. Focus on defined action followed by extended pauses. Early in winter, jerkbaits work well along shallower ledges, around ten-foot drops before the steeper fall into the channel. Work the bait, then let it suspend. That small dart followed by a long pause often triggers sluggish fish.
In the heart of winter, deep-diving crankbaits and jerkbaits excel. Experiment with pause length and pay attention to how long the bait sits before the next move. In truly cold water, longer pauses almost always outperform. For vertical presentations, the Livingston Lures EBS Jigging Spoon is a strong option. Its Electronic Baitfish Sound technology produces realistic dying shad sounds on the drop and during pauses, drawing strikes even when fish are inactive or holding deep in low light. The balanced design, and it's sharp VMC treble hook make it well suited for precise vertical work along creek channel walls.
As late winter approaches and pre-spawn begins, bass behavior starts to change. On sunny days, fish move higher in the water column to warm their eggs, relying less on bait depth and more on sunlight and temperature. They stage on specific sections of channels near established spawning areas, returning to the same locations year after year. During this period, they are less rigidly tied to a specific depth.
Geography also matters. Southern and eastern fisheries experience milder winters with distinct early and core winter phases and a quicker transition into pre-spawn. Farther north and into the upper Midwest, cold conditions persist longer.
The takeaway is simple. Winter bass fishing rewards anglers who persist and adapt. Target vertical structure like creek channels. Use electronics to eliminate guesswork. Fish with controlled presentations and long pauses, and take advantage of tools like the Livingston Lures EBS Jigging Spoon to maximize attraction on the drop and most importantly the pause. The bass are there, often grouped and catchable, for anyone willing to get on the water.
Tight lines, and bundle up.
Rick Clunn
