Our editors at Finn’s Fishing Tips independently research, test, and recommend the best products to help you make purchase decisions. You can learn more about our review process here. We sometimes get a commission through purchases made via our links.
Winter bass fishing can be tough. Bass are known for their aggressiveness, but in the winter all bets are off. Most bass like to hunker down in cold weather and rarely come out to eat at all. But you’re determined to get some bass fishing in no matter the season. So what are the best winter pond bass fishing lures?
The best winter bass fishing lures include jerk baits, crippled herrings, and lighter colored worms. These lures all imitate the type of natural prey a hungry bass is looking for in the winter. Fish them cautiously near underwater cover to coax out a tentative bass.
But you’re probably wondering which jerk bait and crippled herrings are the best right? Have no fear, we have listed our top 7 winter pond bass fishing lures below for you to check out. We also cover our top winter bass fishing tips at the bottom, along with several techniques that have worked well for us.
Let’s get to it!
7 Best Winter Pond Bass Fishing Lures
Here are the best winter pond bass fishing lures that we’ve been using to catch bass since we can remember. If you don’t have these in your tackle box, you know what to do!
1. Yo-Zuri 3DB Jerkbait
The Yo-Zuri 3DB Jerkbait is our number one winter pond bass fishing lure! It works for all types of bass and is especially effective due to its life-like form and attention to detail. Smallmouth bass love it! It also is perfectly weighted so that it suspends in the water like a wounded fish.
Bass find this combination irresistible, especially during the winter when they haven’t eaten well in months. We recommend casting the Yo-Zuri 3DB Jerkbait close to deeper portions of the pond you’re fishing to entice bass that may be resting in the warmer water.
2. Luhr Jensen Crippled Herring Jig
Second out list the Luhr Jensen Crippled Herring Jig. Jigs tend to do really well with bass in the winter, as the jigging motion doesn’t’ scare away tentative bass. At the top of the list of jigs in the Luhr Jensen Crippled Herring Jig.
The Luhr Jensen Crippled Herring Jig comes in various sizes – we recommend using a medium to small versions of the jig in either white or green colorways. These colors will catch a bass’s eye without looking too conspicuous during the winter.
3. Yamamoto Senko Worm Lure
We would be remiss if we didn’t include the Yamamoto Senko Worm Lure on our list! This is a classic bass lure that really works in all seasons, including the winter. The Yamamoto Senko Worm Lure also works great with ponds, as it’s weedless design allows you to fish it as close as you want to grass and other obstructions.
This makes it great for getting the attention of bass that may be hiding close to logs or other items you could snag on with other lure types. We recommend always having a few Yamamoto Senko Worm Lures in your tackle box at all times when fishing for bass in the winter.
4. Zoom Magnum II Worm
Our next favorite winter pond bass fishing lure is the Zoom Magnum II Worm. It’s a close second in utility from the Yamamoto Senko Worm, and also deserves a spot in your tackle box. For this worm, we recommend getting dark brown or green for wintertime use.
The Zoom Magnum II Worm has a flat tail that works wonders in enticing bass out from their hiding spots. Cast it quietly towards where you think the bass are hiding, then cautiously flip it back towards you. Bass on!
5. BOOYAH Bass Fishing Lure
Another bass classic, the BOOYAH Bass Fishing Lure is a time tested standard that works well in all seasons. Similar to the Yamamoto Senko Worm, we never leave the house without one! The difference when fishing the BOOYAH Bass Fishing Lure in the winter, however, is that you need to fish it much more slowly than you would in the summer.
We recommend getting the brown and green colorways and fishing it as close as you can to where the bass are hiding.
6. Strike King Rage Tail Craw
A more unique lure, the Strike King Rage Tail Craw found its way onto our favorite wintertime bass lure only recently. A few weeks ago we weren’t getting any bites at all – then we switched to the Strike King Rage Tail Craw and immediately caught three bass!
Sometimes winter bass are looking for an easy meal. A wounded crawdad is just that! Easy for a big winter pond bass to scoop up. Grab a few of these to bust out next time nothing is working.
7. Berkley PowerBait Fishing Lure
Last on our list of the best winter pond bass fishing lures is the Berkley PowerBait Fishing Lure. It’s one of Berkley’s all-time classic bass lures, and it works great in both the summer and the winter. Similar to the two other worms on this list, get it in natural colors and fish it with a weedless rig or a Texas Rig.
Berkeley has been making killer bass lures for decades, and the Berkley PowerBait Fishing Lure is no exception. Be sure to grab a few to add to your winter bass armada.
Tips for Catching Bass in a Pond During Winter
Fishing for bass in the winter in a pond can be very tricky, especially if you have never done it before! We’re here to help. Here are the top tips we recommend to new and old bass fishermen when fishing in the winter.
- Fish your lures slow and low. What do we mean by this? We mean you should let your lures sink to the bottom and fish them there. Bass tend to hang out in deeper water during the winter because this is actually where the water is mostly warm. The water near the surface can get quite cold since it is exposed to the elements. Oftentimes it will even freeze over in the winter! Bass won’t want to hang anywhere close to the ice.
- Use anise oil or another scent. Anise oil or other scents will help convince a tentative bass to bite your lure. They will also cover up any foreign smells you may have imparted when tying the lure on your line or from anything else. You don’t want to give a lethargic bass any excuse to not bite your lure!
- Choose colors that mimic the bass’s surroundings. In the summer, bass are aggressive and will lash out at brightly colored lures in excitement. In the winter, it’s the opposite. Brightly colored lures will frighten bass and deter them from biting. You want to intrigue them with natural colored bait that looks like an easy snack.
Can You Catch Bass on Topwater in the Winter?
Another really common question we get about bass fishing in the winter is if you can catch bass on topwater lures in the winter. The answer is yes you can, but it’s going to be very hard. Bass are usually in much deeper water during the winter and don’t like swimming up in the higher water columns where the water is cold.
That being said, we’ve definitely heard of bass being caught with topwater lures (like frogs) in the winter. Depending on the climate of where you are fishing, the upper water may not be that cold. Bass might be willing to swim higher up near the surface to strike a topwater lure.
Author Note: For winter pond bass fishing, however, we almost never recommend using a topwater lure. This is because since ponds are small bodies of water, the topwater will be much colder than the deeper parts of the pond. Bass don’t like super cold water!
When is Prespawn Bass Fishing?
A lot of people talk about pre-spawn bass fishing and how it can be really good for some years. Pre-spawn bass fishing occurs in the months leading up to a bass spawning. These are usually March and April, however, depending on the climate February can also be considered prespawn.
As climate change occurs and snow melts sooner and sooner each season, pre-spawn bass fishing will continue to creep into February. For fishing for bass in ponds, however, stick to March and April.
Will Bass Bite When it is Cold?
Bass will definitely bite when it is cold! But you may need to work to get your lure in front of them. As we mentioned earlier when the temperature is cold bass tend to hang out in deeper waters. This means getting your lure to sink down to the bottom.
We recommend using either one of the sinking lures we mentioned earlier in the article or using a weighted rig to get your lure into deeper water. Try and cast your lure towards the deepest spot in the pond, and wait for it to settle on the bottom.
Then, tentatively jig your lure in the deep water to attract and slow-moving bass that are nearby. This technique works wonders when it is especially cold out, or in deep water situations.
Conclusion
Knowing what the best winter pond bass fishing lures are can make or break your winter bass outing. Lucky for you, we just shared our secret list! All seven of these winter pond bass fishing lures will work well in most winter conditions.
We hope you found this article useful and informative. If you’re looking for more info on the best line for bass check out our how-to guide. Do you have your own special winter bass lure you would like to share with the community? Let us know about it in the comments below.
Happy Hunting!
