Florida is arguably one of the best, if not the best, place for bass fishing in the country. With warm weather year round, and a pond in nearly every street corner, it makes it easy for fisherman to hook-up on some giant bass anytime of the year, but what should you use to catch giants in the winter? Finding the best Florida bass lures for winter takes time and a lot of trial and error for any fisherman.
More often than not, we tend to find the baits we like and stick to them. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? If you’re new to fishing, it can be very difficult to know when and how to use a specific bait. Does bait color really matter? What size bait should I be using? Let’s get into it.
Does location matter?
There are many different ways to fish for bass and in Florida we are lucky enough to be able to fish year round. In the Tampa/St. Petersburg area fishing is a big sport. Personally, I fish from the bank about 95% of the time. If you’re new to fishing, bank fishing is standing on the bank of a pond, lake or creek and casting from there.
Location matters because every body of water is different. Some bodies of water will have a harder, rockier bottom while others are sandier with more weed cover. You’ll want to choose the right baits to minimize hang-ups and spend more time fishing.
What color bait should I be using?
Finding the right color bait might be the most important aspect of fishing. It might seem like a small detail, but the right color can significantly increase your hook-up ratio. If you’re using hard baits and lures, you’ll want to see what kind of fish the bass are feeding on and “match the hatch”. Most often, it is a safe bet to go with something grayish/silver or dark green.
For soft plastics, you’ll really want to look at the water clarity on a sunny vs cloudy day. On sunny days in clear water, pick a translucent, light colored bait like green pumpkin or motor oil colors. For sunny days in dark water, pick out a solid, bright colored bait like pink or chartreuse. On cloudy days in clear water, opt for a translucent bait with a little bit of color: motor oil with a chartreuse tip. Finally, on cloudy days in dark water, find a solid, dark colored bait like solid black or dark blue/purple.
Now, let’s dive into the 5 best Florida bass lures for winter.
