Best baits for wintertime bass fishing in Florida
by Major League Fishing 9 Jan 16:12 GMT
Florida winter bass baits © Major League Fishing
Browsing your local shelves or the internet for tackle is always an enjoyable and rewarding task, with no downsides. There's no such thing as wasted money when it comes to fishing - at worst, you're "eliminating water." Still, it's not bad to know what you really need for the given situation, and these days there are lots of good options.
This winter, these are the must-haves for a trip to the Sunshine State.
Worms are key
There's probably not a wormier state than Florida, and when it comes down to it, there are two basic categories you want to have covered when you're there. The first is, of course, a weightless stickworm. Second, and a bit more regionally specific, you want a swimming worm.
For stickworms, black and blue, watermelon and green pumpkin are the colors to stick with. As far as the actual worm goes, you can't beat the Yamamoto Senko - it's stayed on top for a reason. Other good options include the Googan Baits Lunker Log, the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General, and the Gambler Fat Ace, which is a Florida standby.
For a swimming worms, the Zoom Magnum UltraVibe Speed Worm is the gold standard. Other good options include the Gambler Burner Worm, the Reaction Innovations Machete Worm and the Strike King Cut-R-Worm.
Swim jigs are a standby
Built for covering water in and around vegetation, swim jigs are another staple of the Florida tacklebox. They're also great for the shad spawn, which can play in February and March events in the sunny south.
One of the premier jigs for really heavy cover and big Florida bass is the Dirty Jigs No-Jack Swim Jig. Other similarly good jigs include the 6th Sense Divine Braid Swim Jig, the Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig and the well-priced Beast Coast Gorilla Swim Jig.
For trailers, you really can’t go wrong with some sort of swimbait like a Reaction Innovations Little Dipper or Gambler EZ Swimmer. To give the jig more lift, switch to a craw-style plastic such as a Zoom Super Speed Craw or a Strike King Rage Craw.
Get your ChatterBaits ready
Maybe the best bait in Florida, if you could only take one, is a vibrating jig. It's essential for covering grass flats and can also be cast along reed lines, the edges of mats, under docks and most other places a bass could live.
The top of the heap is the Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait JackHammer – its been the best for a while and is really worth the price tag. The other really good option these days is the Z-Man Tungsten ChatterBait Elite EVO – while fairly new, experts are already in love with it. For a little less, you can get the Z-Man ChatterBait Elite EVO in the lead version, which we saw feature in some Top 10 Baits galleries this season.
Outside of Z-Man, you can also go with the Berkley Slobberknocker or the Strike King Thunder Cricket. If you're looking to get squirrelly, the Megabass Robin Blade and the Bass Puzzle Grass Piece are some sneakier options that could show fish something new.
When it comes to colors in Florida, a shad color is key, plus black and blue, green pumpkin and a golden shiner pattern. For trailers, there are lots of minnow-style trailers that do work, like the Yamamoto Zako, the Beast Coast Bladerunner and the Rapala CrushCity Freeloader. Sometimes creature or craw baits work well, like a Zoom Z Craw, and many anglers like swimbaits like a Reaction Innovations Little Dipper, too.
Punch up a giant
Flipping a big weight and some sort of creature bait is a time-honored way to win tournaments in Florida. Even if it might not be as top-of-mind these days, there's something special about hearing braid sing.
The system starts with a big tungsten weight, and these days, there are many good options. For plastics, there are lots of streamlined punching options as well as slightly bulkier choices. The Gambler BB Cricket is the standard small punch bait but just the beginning of the spectrum. The Googan Baits Nuke Punch has won in Florida, and the Strike King Punch Bug is a good one as well. For beaver-style baits, you've got the OG Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver plus others like the Strike King Rodent and, of course, the well-loved Missile Baits D Bomb.
Topwaters can shine in Florida
During the winter months in Florida, the topwater bite is most often centered around the bass spawn and fishing methodically. That narrows the category down a bit, and it forces anglers to have a little more patience than might be the case for someone working a walking bait over a cane pile or smallmouth flat.
The most “Florida” topwater is a prop bait, with the Smithwick Devil’s Horse being the standby. Now, the Berkley Spin Rocket is one of the preferred options, as is the Rapala X-Rap Prop. Another topwater that can reach heavy cover and be fished suitably slowly is a frog, and the SPRO Bronzeye leads the way in this case. Coming stock with the tinseled legs made popular by Jessie Mizell, the Gambler Popping Frog is an attractive new option if you’re looking for additions to the frog box.
There are a few essential hardbaits
While Florida isn't really known as a Mecca for treble hooks, there are a few baits that have stood the test of time. For covering submerged grass or shell beds or targeting schooling fish, jerkbaits and lipless baits get a lot of use, even without forward-facing sonar technology.
For jerkbaits, the Megabass Vision 110 is probably the most popular. The Berkley Stunna 112 is also a solid bait and one that doesn’t dive very deep. The BOOYAH Flash Point is new on the market this year and also looks like a tempting option – plus, a couple of the colorways have gold blades.
When it comes to lipless baits, the SPRO Aruku Shad has made some serious coin in Florida. The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap is, of course, excellent, and the Strike King Red Eye Shad is a dandy. The BOOYAH One Knocker is also really good, and you get bonus points if you can come up with the XCalibur version.