I’m sure, you have found, like me, thousands of bass fishing lures to buy. You’ve also probably found that hundreds of them say they are the “best bass fishing lures.” How do you know which ones truly are the best? This is a really big challenge. With so much marketing and advertising, trying to convince you to buy more “secret” bass fishing lures, it’s challenging to find which are the best bass fishing lures for what you will need. Big companies are always wanting you to buy more new products that won’t fill your day with successful bass fishing trips. As a fisherman myself, I want you to catch that big bass you and your kids have dreamed about! Here is what you need to know about bass fishing lures.
I have found there are 7 types of good bass fishing lures. Each of these types of lures has caught fish for me; I know they will catch fish for you. Mastering these fundamental bass fishing lures will make a big difference in you going from catching something every once in a while to catching bass every time. Bass are genetically wired to eat these baits for one reason or another. You see these types of lures constantly featured by pros as one of the reasons they won an event.
Once you have the right baits, there are several other fundamentals that will make a big difference in the fish you catch, such as where bass like to live, what colors trigger them to bite, and how to make your lure appeal to bass. With this knowledge and the best bass fishing lures in your tackle box, there will be no stopping you on a nice morning of fishing. Discover all these extra secrets in my Foundations of Bass Fishing Course. Join the waitlist for the next available session here at the button below
A soft-plastic worm is one of the best bass fishing lures for a variety of reasons. I found that bass will eat these baits almost all year long. A small plastic worm will produce bites when other lures won’t. I’ve seen pros complain about how they have to resort to fishing with worms. They know they are always one of the best bass fishing lures, and get bored with catching fish on this fantastic option. Here are some additional fundamentals to consider about bass fishing soft-plastic worms.
There are a lot of different ways to rig and fish a worm. They are a very versatile bait and can be used effectively in a variety of situations. I catch a lot of bass on worms fishing them weightless Texas style, on a drop shot, and a shaky head rig. Those are my favorites! Each rig style works really well to get finicky bass to bite. Other additional rigging options for fishing these bass fishing lures are on a Neko rig, Carolina rig, or a classic Texas style rig.
One of the toughest parts of fishing worms is trying to decide on the correct color. I have discovered a little secret for finding the best color to get the big ones to bite. The key is knowing what external weather conditions trigger colors to stand out more for bass. You can see my formula in action, and get my free lure color selection chart. It has helped thousands of people know the best colors to use with their best bass fishing lures to get the best bass-catching success. Get this lure color selection chart at the button below.
I love blade baits for a variety of reasons to catch bass. A blade bait has great drawing power to get some of those bigger bass to bite. Blade bait bass fishing lures create vibrations in the water, which bass are wired to sense through their lateral lines. Another one of the great aspects of these bass fishing lures is they are super easy to fish. All you have to do is throw them out and wind them back. Just be sure those blades are spinning through the water and you’re fishing in productive areas.
Here’s a little secret I’ve learned about bass fishing blade baits: these lures often need a quick twitch to make the bait jump. Adding a little spontaneity to your lure retrieve by either popping your rod or quickly speeding up your reel for a turn or two can help you get an extra bite. Also, because their front blades often prevent hang-ups, you can knock this lure against bass hiding spots, getting them angry and ready to eat.
Blade baits have a time and a place; they will work incredibly well when the right conditions are present. You typically need to use these lures with a baitcasting rod and reel gear. Spool it up with some 100% fluorocarbon line, which stays practically invisible, so you get more bites. A blade bait is one of the first lures I learned to catch bass on. It is one of the best bass fishing lures to have in your arsenal. If you want to really dial in the algorithm of when blade baits work best, go join my course designed to transform your bass fishing. It has really been a game-changer for a lot of fishermen already join the next session at the button below.
One of the best bass fishing lures is the soft-plastic craw. Hundreds of tournaments are won pitching and flipping a soft-plastic craw into heavy cover where bass love to hide. As a result of their usefulness, there are thousands of soft-plastic craws to choose from. It makes it nearly impossible to decide on what one is the best bass fishing lure. Bass love to eat crayfish, so this lure naturally produces a lot of bass. The key is to know how to work them effectively, knowing the right ways to rig them and reel them. I have an easy breakdown here on my Bass Fishing Foundations Secrets Course to help fast-track your bass fishing.
I like to fish soft-plastic craws for bass because I can rig them up in so many different ways, allowing me to target bass in all types of cover. Learning which rig is best for the environment you want to catch bass in is vital when deciding the best bass fishing lure you want to use. The most popular way is Texas style. The Texas rigged craw can be thrown into really dense cover without snagging up. Bass are predators and like to hide in thick cover. A craw can easily be thrown into that cover. Another rig you may want to try to fish a craw is on a Carolina rig. This rig enables you to get down really deep, creating a unique, enticing floating action bass love.
The biggest challenge with fishing craws is picking the right color. Bass eat these creatures regularly, and bass fishermen use them as bait regularly. This makes bass really finicky to what they look for in determining whether they will eat the bait or not. The key is to learn to read the water and know what colors the crayfish are in the lake you are fishing. Here’s a sweet chart I created to help you pick those perfect craw pattern colors to catch big bass. Get the chart here for free at the button below.
I always find myself catching bass on swimbaits; they are incredible bass fishing lures. They are one of the best bass fishing lures because they work all year long. It is really hard to get swimbaits dialed in correctly though. I have struggled with it for years. swimbaits come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. All of them swim a little bit differently. Plus, you have to try and find the right jig head to pair them with to get the necessary depths.
Despite some of these challenges with fishing this bass fishing lure, it does catch some awesome bass. A small profile swimbait is a perfect imitation of the little baitfish you find in lakes, rivers, and ponds that bass love to eat. Another good feature about fishing a swimbait is they are easy to use. Simply cast it, let it fall to the bottom, then slowly reel it back. Nothing to it. Swimbaits can be fished both shallow and deep to be able to find the bass wherever they may be sitting.
I have found a lot of people struggle with landing fish on swimbaits because they have poor hook sets. Plus, a swimbait bite can be hard to recognize because the bass will actually come from behind and swim toward you to eat it. This is why you may not even feel them hit. You really need to master swimbaits to be able to catch more bass on this bass fishing lure. Here’s a link to my foundations of bass fishing course. It has helped so many fishermen–amateurs and veterans–with these problems. I know it would really help you dial in your swimbait game to know when to use them to catch more fish.
I love using topwater fishing lures to catch bass. They are definitely in my list of the best bass fishing lures. They are one of the most fun lures to use. Plus, they are extremely effective at tricking bass to bite. Topwater lures come in a variety of different styles and shapes. They are designed to imitate everything a bass sees and eats that moves across the top of the water, from baitfish to frogs, and even rats or spiders! Bass or predators–they love to catch baits flopping, unaware, on the top of the water. The bass see it as an easy meal and you can see it as an easy catch once you learn how to use topwater lures effectively.
There are two mistakes I have seen most people make that prevent them from catching bass on topwater bass fishing lures. The first is working the lure ineffectively across the top of the water. It takes a lot of practice, but with poppers and spook lures, you will get more bass if you can get them to walk side-to-side on top. A twitch, twitch, twitch motion with your rod is what creates the ideal disturbance on the top to get a bass to blow up on your bait.
The other variable most people don’t consider is knowing when to throw topwater lures. Topwater is very conditional based and bass are genetically only wired to feed on the surface at certain times of the year and in certain water and weather conditions. The color of your topwater lure is especially critical. Once you know it, topwater lures can truly be one of the best bass fishing lures in your box. Don’t miss out on my lure color selector to know the right color topwater lure you need to catch big bass. Also, make sure to check out my course which has a whole section on topwater fishing to help you get on your first topwater bass. Join the waitlist for the next available session.
One of the best bass fishing lures is a jig. I have found it works really well when bass are hiding tight near bushes, rocks, or other vegetation in the water. There are a variety of different jigs. They come in a ton of shapes, sizes, and of course, the colors for a jig are all over the map. Even weed guards come in different varying levels of thickness and color. It can be a real jungle trying to navigate the world of jigs when it comes to bass fishing. The bottom line is this: keep it simple! The best all-around jig head is an arkie jig head. Another good option is a swim jig, good for getting bass to swim up off the bottom and go in for the bite.
I have seen the term “jig” becoming a garbage term in bass fishing. When people want to hide what they are using, they often say they caught them on “jigs.” They are most likely referring to the act of jigging your lure. Jigging is where you twitch your rod to create an up and down motion off the bottom action to your lure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they are using a jig. Worms can be jigged, craws can be jigged, lipless crankbaits can be jigged . . . I hope you see what I mean. Learning which jigs to use and how to use them will allow you to become a fisherman who truly is able to catch bass on jigs and not fall prey to the new garbage term.
I see a lot of people fish jigs in bizarre ways. To get more bites on your jig, keep it small. Trim down the skirts and use small trailers on your jig. I have tried fishing jigs without a soft-plastic lure and it just doesn’t work. You always have to have something as a trailer to make it look more natural in the water.
A jig is a great bass fishing lure to imitate a crayfish. The nice thing about a jig is that once it falls to the bottom, the skirts flair and move without you having to impart any action to your rod. You really have to work them properly, or you won’t get many bites. You can learn the secrets to making your bait perfectly imitate what bass eat through my bass fishing foundations secrets course. Join the waitlist here.
A crankbait is one of the best bass fishing lures because it perfectly imitates the forage bass love to eat. I have seen crankbaits catch a lot of bass, both personally and those I am hired to guide. Some of the biggest bass I have caught have been on a crankbait. This lure definitely has some little nuisances to it though. Here’s an article on selecting the right crankbait to help you sort through the thousands on the market, helping you catch more bass called – Crankbait Selection
I like fishing with a crankbait for a lot of reasons. The first is because they are easy to use. You just throw them out and reel them back. The second is because they work! You don’t miss as many bites because of the treble hooks all over the bait help you feel the bass chomping down.
I see a lot of people fish crankbaits wrong and without success. Here are a couple key fundamentals you need to know about a crankbait and how to use them to be one of the best bass fishing lures. When you use a crankbait, pick one that will dive down deep to hit the bottom. Crankbaits usually tell you on the box how deep they will dive. Select one that will go to the bottom and bounce off. The other key to catching bass is the color of your crankbait. Use my free lure color selector to perfectly imitate the forage the bass will see in your lake.
Crankbaits are in a class of their own. Many professional tournaments are won with a crankbait. If you are wanting to get to a level where you can have the confidence to enter tournaments, you need to learn how to fish a crankbait and other hard baits effectively. I have seen many people go through my course and start doing well in tournaments. Go check it out to transform your bass fishing.
You need a system to know where to go, what to use and how to work your lures to catch more bass in every situation.
Use this lure color selection chart and perfectly match the color of your lure to what bass are wired to eat without trial and error so you can catch the monsters!
Discover how to perfectly match the color of your lure to what bass are wired to eat so you can catch the monsters!