In the winter, places that pay the most spotted bass dividends include bridge pilings, and the junctions of creeks channels. Spotted bass always hold around bridge pilings in the colder months. Try these tactics and be sure the following lineup of lures is inside your tacklebox.

A 3/4-ounce jigging spoon, dropped vertically and fished alongside the concrete pilings.

A Carolina-rigged plastic worm, fished on points where a major creek empties into the main lake.

A deep-diving crankbait, fished according to the prevailing current conditions. Depending on the pull of the water and the amount of current in the region, deep-diving crankbaits also can be quite useful for taking bass in a creek.

A jig with a pork trailer, cast at piers located near deep water.

A crankbait capable of working from 8- to-12 feet, where you can feel the structure each time the bait hits a bump. Work a crankbait as slowly as possible in these areas.