How to Fish Blade Baits for Fall and Winter Bass

Blade baits are an excellent presentation option for bass, especially once water temps dip below the 50-degree mark. Wired2Fish’s Ryan DeChaine explains how he fishes them to cover water and trigger bottom-hugging bass during the fall months. The same system applies for winter bass outside the ice belt.

FEATURED PRODUCT (see other related links at bottom):

SteelShad Blade Bait
Daiwa Procyon Spinning Reel, PCNLT3000D-CXH
Daiwa Tatula Elite AGS Spin Rod 7’1″ Med Ehrler
Seaguar Smackdown Braid Flash Green, 15lb
Seaguar Tatsu Fluorocarbon Line, 10lb

Blade baits are productive year-round lures for a mix of gamefish species, but they’re at their peak during the fall months when bass relate closely to deep wintering structure. While effective when fished vertically, blade baits also excel for combing deep-water haunts on a cast. Their thin metal construction allows them to sink like a rock, and similarly, be worked back to the boat quickly without losing critical bottom contact.

Lastly, DeChaine details how to use side imaging to find offshore wintering areas, and how 360 Imaging allows you to make targeted offshore casts to “spots on the spot” like isolated boulders. He also breaks down his preferred rod, reel and line set up for working blade baits with maximum efficiency.