At first look blade baits appear flat and unappealing. While most anglers just put it in the same category as boring spoons. Nevertheless, cold weather anglers appreciate its fish catching ability. Two companies who make blade baits are Cotton Cordell and Heddon Lures. Both companies offer different color patterns and sizes for anglers to choose from. The Cotton Cordell Gay Blade is shad shaped and compacted in size with 2 line tie holes. While the Heddon Sonar is fish shaped with a turned up tail. The Sonar has 3 line tie holes and available in a rattling model.  A blade bait presentation creates a tight to wide pulsating action. The unique line tie holes located on the lure creates this action.  For a jigging, retrieve select the line tie hole towards the lure’s middle section. Use a line tie hole towards the front or nose of the lure for a casting retrieve. This allows you to change its action without even changing the lure.  Blade baits can be jigged, casted, and trolled for bass. The location of the bass will dictate which retrieve is most effective. Vertical jigging over bass on deep drop-offs and ledges is effective. Quick snaps of your rod tip will produce short hops. This makes the lure look like a dying or crippled shad fluttering down. If bass are schooling or on the bank try casting to them and retrieving.   Blade baits can also be trolled to cover large areas.

Some modifications I have made to blade baits are, attaching my fishing line to the lure with an XCalibur Hold-tite Snap or XCalibur Tear Drop Split Ring. This allows the bait to using more freely. I have also replaced the original back hook with an XCalibur Feather Dressed Rotation Treble Hook. The high quality feathers and flashaboo dressed hook give the lure an enticing movement. The three-sided cutting point rotating hook makes for sure hook ups on long cast.   What other lure can you catch so many different types of fish on in cold weather using the same bait?  No other lure that I know of.  Even though it does not have the flashy looks of some baits it does what a lure is supposed to do and that is catch fish.