Gear

Herren’s wintertime tacklebox

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Photography by
Kyle Jessie
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Matt Herren spends much of his time during the winter months fishing in his home state of Alabama, specifically on the Coosa River system.
The Elite Series veteran takes a power-finesse approach during the winter months. Some baits he has tied on are made for big bites while others are simply to get bites when things are tough.
Taddo Designs Handmade Flat-Sided Balsa Crankbait
“For wintertime fishing, a flat-sided crankbait is one of my mainstays,” said Herren. “There’s plenty of plastic crankbaits out there that are good, but there’s nothing that beats balsa when it’s cold. When you get a nice warm day in the wintertime, a lot of bass will move up shallow and the flat-side is deadly in those situations.”
Dirty Jigs Matt Herren Flippin’ Jig
“There’s no doubt I love to jig fish during the wintertime,” he said. “With so many different designs, the jig is probably the most versatile tool in the box. While my jig is considered a flipping jig, I do like to cast it around rock as well as flip it around cover. Typically, I stick with the 3/8- or 1/2-ounce size in cold water.”
Dirty Jigs Finesse Jig
“I really tend to lean on the smaller finesse jig when the bite is tough or when I’m throwing the bait around rockpiles and other places I’m going to drag a jig.” said Herren. “I really like a 5/16-ounce in the wintertime. This jig is really great around spotted bass and smallmouth.”
Taddo Designs EON Glide
“It’s no secret that in the wintertime, those really big bass want a bigger meal,” he said. “Those big ones don’t want to expend a lot of energy. You can fish a glide in all different depths which makes it effective in the wintertime. I’m not going to act like I’m an expert with a glide, but it’s something I’ve definitely incorporated into my arsenal because it will get a big bite.”
Megabass Vision 110 Jerkbait
“Anytime I see water temperatures dip down into the mid to lower 50s, I have a jerkbait on the deck,” he said. “The bass around here really start keying in on suspended baitfish which makes the jerkbait so effective. Also, the jerkbait allows me to cover a lot of water.”
Minnow bait paired with an Owner Range Roller Jighead
“Anytime the bass are keying in on baitfish, a minnow style bait is a super effective tool to use with forward-facing sonar,” Herron said. “The Owner Range Roller head has become my go-to for this application. It really allows the bait to roll back and forth which helps trigger bites.”

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