Wired2fish joins professional angler Jeremy Lawyer, as he breaks down his techniques for catching deep winter bass using an assortment of baits and gear. With forward-facing sonar, he pinpoints fish around massive bait balls of shad in deeper water and makes adjustments to stay productive as conditions change.
TACKLE USED (retail links)
- SWIMBAIT PLASTIC – Bass Pro Shops XPS Speed Shad (3-inch), color – Tennessee Shad: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- DAMIKI PLASTIC – Zoom Super Fluke Jr.: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- JIG HEAD – Homemade 1/2- and 5/8-ounce round ball jig heads: Buy jig heads at Bass Pro Shops
- JIG HEAD HOOK – Gamakatsu Black Nickel Hook, 3/0: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- JIGGING SPOON – Dixie Jet Slab Spoon, 7/8-ounce: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- STINGER HOOK – Gamakatsu G-Stinger Hook, 1/0: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
FINDING WINTER BASS IN DEEP WATER
Winter bass often school near shad in deeper water. Lawyer demonstrates how to identify these fish using sonar and explains why precise casts are essential. Aiming your bait ahead of moving fish while accounting for depth and distance will help with hooking into more fish. Keeping bait presentation natural, but unique, generates more bites from educated fish.
SPINNING SETUP
- ROD – Denali Lithium Pro Series Spinning Rod, 7’4″: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – Johnny Morris Signature Series Spinning Reel Size 3000: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- LINE (Braid) – Sunline SX1 Braided Line, 16-pound: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- LINE (Fluorocarbon Leader) – Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon Line, 10-pound: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
ADJUSTING TO CONDITIONS
Lawyer emphasizes staying adaptable. The foggy morning called for paddle tail swimbaits, but when the sun burned off, a Damiki rig outperformed. Later, the more skittish bass responded better to spoons, underscoring the importance of having a strategic bait rotation driven by fish behavior and light levels.
CASTING SETUP
- ROD – Denali KOVERT Lite Series Casting Rod, 7’2″: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – Johnny Morris Platinum Signature Baitcast Reel: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- LINE – Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon Line, 12-pound: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
FORWARD-FACING SONAR
Lawyer explains how to read sonar effectively, interpret bait movements, and adjust presentations instantly for better results. Advanced technology ensures efficient fishing and more productive casts, and Lawyer uses this tech to his advantage by observing the behavior and reactions of fish, allowing him to make quick adjustments.
BOAT SETUP
- BOAT – Ranger Z521R Commanche: Check out at Ranger
- OUTBOARD – Mercury Pro XS 250hp: Check out at Mercury
- FISH FINDER – Garmin ECHOMAP Ultra 2 126sv Fish Finder/Chartplotter with Navionics+: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- FORWARD-FACING SONAR (FFS) – Garmin LVS34 LiveScope Plus Live Scanning Sonar Transducer: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- TROLLING MOTOR – Garmin Force Trolling Motor: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- SHALLOW WATER ANCHOR: Power Pole 8 ft. Blades: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
