Winter Jerkbaits

By December on Lake Martin, the lake has completely turned over, and winter drawdown is almost complete. The big fall changes have happened, and the lake is settling into winter mode. Expect lake water temperatures to be in the mid to upper 50s. The fish are finally beginning to settle into their winter locations and are roaming much less compared to early fall. This is a time of year when it can be good to slow down a presentation and be more thorough with the areas we anglers have confidence in.

One of my personal favorite approaches this time of year is a suspending jerkbait. Today’s jerkbaits can dive 4 to 6 feet below the surface. This may not seem very deep, but it gets the bait below that zone at the surface where temperatures change drastically with cold nights. The most important feature is its ability to suspend.