Winter bass and swimbaits are not often talked about in the same conversation. That’s too bad because there’s a lot of unexplored territory out there. There are winter patterns and effective coldwater swimbaits that have yet to be discovered, patterns and swimbaits that just might make big changes in your winter fishing.
It’s important to keep in mind that winter is as much a term of art as it is a season of the year. In Michigan it’s defined by bitter cold and thick ice. In Florida, southern Texas and Southern California it’s defined more like pleasantly cool.
I firmly believe that Florida bass, for instance, can be caught in the winter on swimbaits. They may be holding in deeper pockets, or they may be cruising the shallows getting ready to spawn and feeding on shiners. Regardless, they’re feeding. If you can match the hatch you can catch them.Of course, that scenario isn’t applicable in Michigan. And I’m not saying that jigging a 12-inch hardbait through the ice is the way to go for lunker hard-water bass. Understand this, however: I’m not saying it isn’t, either. I’m saying we don’t know.Swimbaits have opened a new frontier in freshwater fishing that needs more exploration and more refinement. That’s going to take some time, and a lot of guys out there are doing crazy stuff, the kind of stuff you never talk about unless it works. There are no shortcuts. It’s all about trial and error.
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To illustrate my point further let me tell you a story from a recent trip I made to Alaska.
We were filming for Going Coastal. The segment was about trolling for coho salmon with a guide. He had us working traditional coho lures — spoons and other similar baits — in 72 feet of water. The bite was good, but not great. We wanted something better if we could get it.
I decided to try something wacky, something that everyone except me knew wouldn’t work. I rigged a Berkley PowerBait Hollow Belly plastic swimbait and trolled it alongside his spoons and his other “go to” lures.
Within minutes I was out-fishing the other guys in the boat two to one. It was amazing. The cohos were absolutely slamming my Hollow Belly. It didn’t take long before our guide was asking me all about swimbaits — how they worked, how to rig them, what they cost and anything else that seemed remotely relevant.
In fact, when we got ready to leave, he asked if he could have my stash. Now, this man earns his living catching fish. He uses what works, and doesn’t use what doesn’t work. It’s a matter of economic survival for him. He now uses plastic swimbaits as a matter of course in his business.
I know coho salmon aren’t largemouth or smallmouth bass. Nevertheless, the idea is constant. They’ll often catch fish better than anything else you can use. They are versatile. Their application is limited only by our imaginations.
Give them a try this winter; do something with them that seems crazy. Then, e-mail me your results through my Web site (www.byronvelvick.com). Maybe next year when I write the next winter chapter, I’ll be able to repeat some great swimbait lessons that you’ve learned.
