6 Essential Bass Lures

Even the smallest tackle shop in the country is loaded with options.

Bass lures come in thousands of different shapes, sizes, colors, and materials, and selecting a just a few can be a real hassle.

Wondering where to start? Keep these six lures in your tackle box and you’ll be set to fish any lake or river in the country. 

SOFT PLASTICS

From worms to crawfish, you can find a soft plastic that imitates every source of bass food in the water. Soft plastic lures were first introduced in the 1950‘s and originally designed to mimic long worms. Now they come in the form of newts, shrimp, baitfish, grubs, and everything else you can imagine. With a soft plastic, you have as many ways to fish them as you have shapes. Try running them in shallow water or jigging them around deep structure and you’ll be catching fish all over.

CRANKBAITS

Sometimes you have to go deep for bass, and this is where the crankbait comes in handy. These lures are made from hard plastic and have a bill or lip on the front that forces them to dive. The larger the bill, the deeper they will dive, so keep a few of these lures waiting in your tackle box, especially if you fish in deep lakes with steep ledges.

LIPLESS CRANKBAIT

Few lures are as effective at covering shallow water as the lipless crankbait. These lures deliver everything you want to attract big bass, including speed, noise, and vibrations. They can be used to fish shallow areas near shore, especially rocks and underwater structures. You should also try darting these lures over weed beds that may be holding a patient yet hungry bass.

TOPWATER LURES

While the crankbait is used for deep waters, the topwater bait is used for the surface. If you find a shallow area with lots of vegetation, you’ll be glad you have a top water lure. Shallow spots with Lilly pads and weeds are a great place to use your top water lures, but almost any area near shore, where frogs and mice might swim across the water, will deliver strikes on a topwater lure. 

SPINNERBAITS

When you want to seek out bass in just about any location, the spinnerbait is what you need. These highly effective baits have no visual resemblance to real prey, but they are without a doubt one of the most useful lures in your tackle box. With a weight, hook, and flashy skirt on one end and a spinning, vibrating spoon on the other, these lures bring bass out from all over. They are so effective at finding bass that many professional anglers use them for scouting a lake before a tournament.

WEEDLESS JIG

If you fish a lot, you’ll come to appreciate the weedless jig. While crankbaits and spinnerbaits can easily get caught on logs, sunken branches, and weeds, the weedless jig keeps rolling along. Just be ready at all times, because the little extension guarding the hook from snags will also reduce catch rates. Be ready for a strike and set the hook firmly, because you may not get another chance.

Photo courtesy of RodMob