Old school winter tweaks that outperform high tech gear

Hey, Keith here.

Winter bass fishing has a way of exposing every weakness in your approach.

When the water is cold and bites aren’t coming, the newest lure in the box may not always solve the problem. 

This is the time of year that bass follow longer, inspect baits more closely, and reject anything that feels unnatural.

Over the years, I have learned that winter success often comes down to small, unconventional tweaks.

Sometimes it's sanding a lure. Sometimes it's trimming a skirt. And sometimes it is doing something most anglers would swear makes no sense at all.

One of the biggest lessons I ever learned about that came from an old DOA Shrimp setup that was never supposed to work.

Today I want to share five old-school winter lure modifications anglers still swear by, and why subtle changes often outperform high tech gear when the water is cold.

BEST LINKS

What I watched this week

• Best Ice Fishing Fish Finders on the Market: Updated for 2025 (Anglers)

• Why you should sand your crankbaits (Wired2Fish)

• Easy Jig Tricks and Mods for Cold Water Bass (Tactical Bassin)

• How to Tune a Spinnerbait (MONSTERBASS)

• 2 Simple Ways to Paint a Crankbait (DEBO’S Fishing)

Deals of the week

• FishUSA knocked 50% off a Flagshop Premium Fillet Knife, from $49.99 to $25.00.

• Bass Pro Shops marked down a Abu Garcia Max 4 STX Baitcast Reel from $89.99 to $46.97.

• Walmart took 50% off an Abu Garcia Revo Baitcast combo, regularly $199.95 reduced to $99.97.

DEEP DIVE 

The bank sinker tweak that taught me about winter customizations

One of the biggest lessons I ever learned about lure modification came from an unlikely place. 

About 25 years ago, while bank fishing a crowded pier in eastern New Orleans, I watched anglers catch trout after trout using a setup I had never seen before.

They threw a DOA Shrimp with an extremely long leader and a half-ounce bank sinker sliding freely on the main line.

At first glance, it looked completely wrong. It went against everything I had grown up watching on fishing shows and reading in magazines.

But it worked, and it worked better than anything else on that pier.

I spent months learning that rig, refining it, and trusting it. Over time, it became second nature. 

Eventually, that same unconventional setup helped me catch trophy trout, win a local Knights of Columbus speckled trout tournament, and go from modifying my saltwater baits to also doing the same with my bass lures.

The reason it worked was simple. The heavy weight allowed me to reach deeper water from shore and the bank sinker forced the shrimp to move across the bottom slower than if I were using a sliding sinker. 

That experience reshaped how I look at fishing, especially in winter. It taught me that just because a tweak is uncommon does not mean it is ineffective.

In cold water, when fish are cautious, small adjustments that look different can make a big difference.

Old school winter lure tweaks people still swear by

Winter bass are not harder to catch because they are smarter. They are harder to catch because they are slower.

They do not want to chase far, and they have plenty of time to look at your bait. That is why small lure changes can matter more now than any other season.

Here are five lure modifications that keep showing up in winter conversations and still put fish on the bank.

1. Sanding the shine off hard baits

One of the oldest winter tricks is knocking the shine off a crankbait or jerkbait. Many anglers lightly scuff their baits with fine sandpaper to mute flash and create a worn, natural look. In cold water, too much shine can look unnatural and cause bass to turn away.

You are not trying to strip paint. A few light passes along the sides and back is enough to dull the finish and make the bait look like a real winter baitfish.

2. Making a jerkbait sink nose down

A perfectly balanced suspending jerkbait looks good, but many winter anglers prefer one that slowly sinks nose down on the pause. That slight forward fall mimics a struggling baitfish and gives bass more time to commit.

The easiest way to do this is by upsizing the front treble hook or adding a small suspend strip near the bill. Test it in shallow water and fine-tune until it falls slowly instead of hanging perfectly still.

3. Adding a feathered rear treble

Swapping the back hook on a jerkbait or spoon to a feathered treble adds subtle movement when the bait is sitting still. In winter, pauses get long, and that breathing action can be the difference between a follower and a bite.

It also gives bass something to key in on and can improve hookups when fish swipe short instead of fully committing.

4. Trimming jig skirts down

Winter bass want an easy meal. One of the simplest jig modifications is trimming the skirt shorter so it flares subtly instead of looking bulky.

I like to trim the skirt just past the hook bend, then shorten a few strands more. The goal is a compact profile that still moves but does not look like too much work to eat.

5. Tuning spinnerbait wire

Spinnerbait wire tuning is an overlooked winter trick. Slightly opening or closing the wire arm changes how deep the bait runs at the same retrieve speed.

In winter, bass often hold at a very specific depth. Wire tuning lets you keep the bait in that zone without speeding up your retrieve, which is critical when the water is cold.

One more winter tweak: Why some anglers still use monofilament in winter

This is not a lure modification, but it is worth mentioning. Some anglers switch to monofilament on reaction baits in winter because the stretch helps with soft, loading bites.

Cold water bass often do not slam a lure. They just get heavy. Mono can buy you a split second before the hookset and help keep fish pinned when they barely commit.