When the weather turns cold, the leadhead jig becomes one of the most appealing lures to lethargic bass. Here’s a few winter jig fishing tips to make you a MASTER of the jig.

In warm-water situations, anglers usually narrow their jig fishing techniques to pitching, flipping or casting a live rubber jig with a plastic trailer. But in the winter, you can throw a variety of jigs designed to trigger a strike from even the most sluggish bass.

The most common types of leadheads used during the winter include the live rubber jig, the bucktail or hair jig and the horsehead or underspin jighead.

Live Rubber Winter Jig Fishing

Pitching a live rubber jig along ledge banks of creek channels catches winter bass holding at depths of 10 to 15 feet. Match a 1/4-ounce jig with a small pork frog to create a slow-falling lure for finicky bass.

Look for steep ledges with big rocks and position your boat over depths of 20 to 25 feet of water. Pitch the jig near the ledge bank and let it fall as close to the ledge as possible. Slowly raise and lower the jig so it stair-steps down the rock shelves.

Bucktail Winter Jig Fishing

A bucktail jig works best when the water temperature really plummets in the dead of winter. Tie on a 1/4-ounce jig in either black or brown and tip it with a small pork frog for a slow fall to trigger more strikes.

Target 45-degree chunk rock banks on the main lake or in creeks where bass will be suspended 5 to 15 feet deep. You can either slowly hop the jig or swim it steadily depending on the mood of the bass.

The horsehead or underspin jig offers all kinds of features for tricking wintertime bass. You can fish it slow yet the blade will still turn. You get that pulsing action and flashing of the blade plus the action and color of the plastic lure you add to the jighead whether it’s a paddletail swimbait or curl-tail plastic grub.

Underspin Winter Jig Fishing

Downsizing to a 1/8- or 1/16-ounce underspin gives you a slow-falling presentation. Main lake bluffs with rock slides are ideal spots to throw the horsehead jig for wintertime bass.
After determining the depth of bass on your electronics, cast the underspin and let it fall to the desired depth. Then retrieve the lure in a slow, steady fashion.

While other lures might produce better in warmer weather, the leadhead jig offers the best option for dealing with inactive wintertime bass.

 

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