Catching River Smallmouth in the Winter

Winter river smallmouth bass fishing can be a drag. The water temp is cold and the fish become lethargic and specific about what and when they eat. Conversely, the air temp is cold and it becomes harder for us fishermen to get out of bed in the morning and stick out those long cold days on the water. But, with a few modifications to your typical fishing techniques and methods, you can warm up your smallmouth fishing into a year-round focus.

Winter Smallmouth Fishing Lures

Smallmouth in the winter are the same fish you’re fishing for in the other seasons. The main consideration is how much slower they move and how that effects what and where you fish. First off, we’ll consider which lures to fish in the winter for river smallmouth. The ned rig, finesse jig, tube bait, jerkbait and a blade bait are five options I always keep on the menu—see below for why.

Ned Rig for Winter Smallmouth

The ned rig is a year-round go-to for river smallmouth. But what it does in the winter is simply catch fish when they won’t bite anything else. It’s out of the ordinary for me to start off my winter day on the river with anything other than a ned matched with a stick bait, tube or craw. I prefer to use the z-man products and find that both the terminal tackle and the soft baits are a favorite of all types of bass. Quick tip: when you think you’re fishing it slow enough, go slower.

Jigs for Winter Smallmouth

On one of my spinning rods, you can always find a Strike King Bitsy Bug jig tied on. These value packed finesse jigs are nearly half the price of the competitors and flat out catch fish year round. During the winter, I like to fish the 3/16oz jig and trim the skirt for a more sparse look—if you feel like you need to size up, you’re likely in too fast of water. And if the wind is a factor, the 1/4oz jig is also a great option. Again, speed is the name of the game: let the jig slow roll over structure, on sand flats and through the zone with infrequent action.

Tube Baits for Winter Smallmouth

Tubes bait are a great option for river smallmouth year round, but when fished slowly in the winter, it can be a deadly. Like both the ned and jig, the tube can be thrown into slow moving pocket water, rolled over structure and over ledges. But one key to remember: fish it slow! As mentioned in the ned recommendation, I love to throw the smaller TRD TubeZ on a ned head, but I’ve also found success with the Strike King Coffee Tube paired with a rattle tube head. And as with most of my soft baits, I’ve found the highest success rate on the Green Pumpkin variation.

Jerkbaits for Winter Smallmouth

Jerk, jerk, PAUSE! The emphasis being on the pause in the winter. Focusing on self-discipline and breaking the habit of a traditional jerk and retrieve cadence can put some BIG fish in the boat when the bite is on (reference the video above). There’s no rule of thumb on pause timing, but matching water temp to your speed (the lower the temp, the longer the pause) and clueing in on fish reactions are crucial. When fishing your jerkbait in the winter, key in on structure, windblown banks and holes / dropoffs with nearby flats. And if you find the bait, you’ll typically find the fish. My go-tos are the Rapala Shadow Rap for shallow water and Livingston’s Jerkmaster 121D for deeper water.

Spinner Baits for Winter Smallmouth

Last, but certainly not least, the spinner bait can be deadly when slow rolled in the winter months. Throw it at a wind blown bank, run it parallel to or off of structure and target deep bends in the river or holes; the key is to keep it slow. When choosing your spinnerbait, keep it simple: anywhere from 3/8-1/2oz should do the trick if you’re fishing in less than 15ft of water with small gold blades in shallow, stained water and larger silver blades in deeper water. My go-tos are the Picasso Invizwire Super Strong DBL Willow and Booyah Blade Double Willow.

Other Baits for Winter Smallmouth

If you can fish it slow, it’s likely to catch a fish. That said, I don’t look past a dropshot, swimbait or square bill crankbait at the right time and place. Lastly, keep in mind, when the water warms up so can the fish.

Can you catch Smallmouth Bass in the Winter?

The answer is, 1000%. From water temps in the 30’s ranging all the way into the low 50’s after a warming trend one thing stays true: fish still need to eat. The key is to make it easy: target deeper, warmer, slower and structure packed water that fish tend hold in.

Where do river smallmouth go in the winter?

For the most part, river smallmouth stick to deep and slow water in the winter, with a few exceptions. A few of those exceptions below:

A warming trend: fish will move into shallower water after a few days of warmer weather and increased water temps. Look for deep holes with shallow adjacent flats or sun soaked banks.
High water: when the water is up, the fish head to the banks. Look for outcroppings on banks that provide a place to hide, large boulders that create slower water and the juice: back-eddy’s.