In my opinion, live bait will always outshine artificial baits throughout the year when talking bass fishing. In winter, however, live bait may not be the ticket depending on where you live… Nah! Live bait always outshines lures!

This is a simple equation: what would you rather eat — a delicious, hot, grilled steak off the barbecue or the fake rubber steak in the kid's playhouse? You think bass are any different? They want the freshest and best-smelling food option available.

Now don't get me wrong, you don't always have to use live bait, but it will definitely, in my opinion, put more fish on the end of your line than artificial baits… 95 percent of the time.

Let's take a look at some tips and tricks for live baiting bass, plus a few artificial tips that may outfish live bait during that 5-percent window.

What is Live Bait?

This may sound like a silly question, but live bait when bass fishing does not always mean live shiners. There are other live baits that work as well, sometimes even better.

As a youngster growing up on Long Island, I never used live shiners. For one, they were hard to get, and even if I could get them, the cost was too high for my mom. My go-to live bait for bass in the early days was the largest nightcrawler I could scrape up the night before. By "scrape up," I meant hit the old water in the lawn at total darkness with a good flashlight and grab a dozen or so. Sure, you could buy them pretty inexpensively, but they were never as big as those 10- to 12-inch ones in the yard.

The next bait up was grasshoppers and crickets. Tough to catch, but well worth the effort. I have caught countless bass floating a hopper near the edge of lakes or lily pads. Bass simply cannot resist a hopper twitching and buzzing on the surface.

The best live bait to me is a live bluegill or sunfish. These small fish are terrors to bass, and when one is placed anywhere near a bass, the fight is on. Panfish raid bass' nests regularly, so bass will annihilate them at any chance, plus the area provides a hearty meal to fill the gullet.

There are many other "live" baits for bass, and throughout the colder months, they will all shine.

Shiners Shine in Winter

With the various live baits around, the one issue with colder winter-style fishing is availability. As the weather gets colder, unless your favorite bait shop is selling nightcrawlers or crickets, the easiest bait is live shiners. From north to south, east to west, most shops will carry them all year long.

For fishing shiners, there are two very distinct methods I use:

1. Shore fishing: I always use a float. Depending on the water depth, I keep the float as close to, but not on, the bottom. I fan-cast the area, and after the float lands, slowly reel all the way back to shore.

2. Boat fishing: I use a small split shot two feet above the hook. I slowly move the boat with the trolling motor or cast to structure and slowly retrieve the bait.

Artificial Lures in Winter Too

Although I truly believe live bait in any form will outshine artificial lures, there are a handful of times lures will work better. These are select times and places where I feel the "fake" ones outshine live.

• When shad begin to die off, bass will go bonkers chasing, corralling, and eating them. This is the time when topwater poppers will produce best. Find the shad on the surface in the early a.m. and throw a popper. Use cadence and get that steady pop, with the occasional rapid popping across the surface. Trust me, you could throw a live bait to no avail, but that popper will get smashed.

• Another situation is a drop-shot fished deep on ledges, channel breaks, and vertical structure. Bass cling to these areas as the water temperature drops and feed on smaller bait. A drop shot fished vertically with slight twitches has produced better results for me than live baits.

The Gear for Winter Bass Fishing

Fishing live bait or artificial lures in colder months requires quality tackle — otherwise, you risk losing that trophy you carefully located and hooked. Line diameter, leader, and rod/reel choice will make all the difference in landing bass successfully.

Gear for Live Bait Fishing

For live bait, you don't need to invest in high-end gear. The relatively affordable Centron Lite series is perfect for winter bass fishing:

• Rod: 7-foot Centron Lite Spinning Rod

• Reel: Size 2000 Centron Lite Spinning Reel

• Line: 15–20 lb braid

• Leader: 8-foot, 12–15lb fluorocarbon

• Hook: Gamakatsu size 3/0 circle hook
  

Pro tip: Live bait fishing doesn't require long casts. Slightly heavier line helps land trophy fish while providing control near structure.

Gear for Artificial Lure Fishing

For artificial lures, especially when using drop-shot or topwater techniques, I rely on:

• Rod: Assegai 7'4" Power Spin Rod (10–17 lb rating)

• Reel: Size 3000 Skeet Reese Spinning Reel

• Line: 10 lb hi-vis braid

• Leader: 10-foot, 8–10lb fluorocarbon (Kovert Essential)
  

This setup works well for vertical drop-shotting deep structures and casting topwater poppers during winter.

What hook is recommended for live bait in winter bass fishing?

A: Use heavier braided line and strong circle hooks (e.g., Gamakatsu size 3/0). This setup helps land bass effectively, even in cold water, and works well with live bait such as shiners, nightcrawlers, or small panfish.

What line is recommended for artificial lures in winter bass fishing?

A: Use lighter line paired with a long fluorocarbon leader to improve subtle presentations. This is especially effective for techniques like drop-shotting or topwater poppers, allowing more natural lure movement and better strikes from less active bass.

The argument for what works better in the colder months – live bait or artificial could have a book written about it. If you talk to 100 anglers, I'll bet you could get half saying artificial and the other half saying live. For me, and even though I am not a live bait fan, live bait will always outshine artificials… most of the time!
Until next time – tight lines and screaming drags.

Learn More Winter Bass Fishing Tips：

Best 4 Smallmouth Bass Lures for Winter Fishing

Why Bass Move to Deep Water in Winter—and How to Fish Them

How to Fish Bass During the Winter Season?

About the Author: 

Tom Melton is an outdoor writer and lifelong angler with over 40 years of fishing experience. In 1994, he served as Editor of The Fisherman Magazine on Long Island. He has written more than 5,000 fishing articles and columns and is the author of Fishing the Long Island Coast. Now based in Florida, Tom focuses on freshwater bass fishing as well as saltwater species, sharing practical techniques and gear insights for anglers of all levels.