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What lures would you all reccomend for cold water BASS. Our temps have been in the 40's and 50's and were in the 30's not to long ago. So if any of you fish for cold water BASS, which lures do you get good luck with? Thanks

Brett,
The best cold weather lures have one thing in common, they work well when moved slowly. A jig and pig is deadly, slow rolling large spinnerbaits works well and even slowly crankin' crankbaits will catch fish. The key to most cold water fishing is that everything in the water is cold and moving slowly. When crawfish come out of hibernation, they are stiff and cold and move slowly, bait fish likewise are slow moving.
My picks: 1/4 ounce black/blue bass jig with a #1 jumbo black pork frog, either pulled along the bottom, hopped with short hops or swam very slowly.
3/8th ounce spinnerbait/shad pattern, white/chartreuse and blue skirt, number 3 gold or silver blades. Swim the bait slowly near the bottom, no need to impart any action, let the blade and skirt do that, sometimes I add an Uncle Josh pork strip or curly tail grub to add bulk and slow the spinner down.
3" inch crankbait capable of diving to eighjt to ten feet, silver-shad or firetiger color, fish it slowly and steadily. All you'll feel is a mushy feeling, set the hook.
Hope this helps, Johnnie

I agree with Johnnie. Our water is in the forties, with some lakes still iced. Two days ago I went to a small spring fed lake that doesn't ice up. It was sunny, air was in the mid fiftys with a strong south wind, ideal conditions for winter lunkers. (I always catch my biggest fish of the year in these conditions.) I went out 2 days ago and shore fished, casting a blue or grass colored jig with a blue pork trailer. I let the jig drop, and then lift (slowly) and let her drop. Most strikes come within 15' of shore. Over all I got dozen or so "taps" and landed five fish within two hours. Unfortunetly no lunkers, biggest was about 31/5 lb. As the sun got lower the bite just shut off. The number of hits I got was unusual, because normaly I get fewer bites and bigger fish. Good luck Carl

As always, Johnnie and I are about one in the same mind. That is why we make a good team. Did I say good? Johnnie would probably say great.

Anyway, I just had a similar question passed through my email. I would use the lures recommended by Johnnie, plus look for the warmest water, which should be in the north and northwest shore areas.

Another lure, which people often overlook at this time, is the Rat-L-Trap. For some reason, it can trigger fish in this situation if they are about to feed. I'm not sure why, as it has been a surprise. Most of the time it is in the warmest time of the day, and along a point, rip rap, or old weed bed.

Best of fishing,
Dan