Best Fishing Lures for Bass: 6 Types and When to Throw Them

The best bass lure changes with the season, water clarity and depth, so the list below says which agency and region each tip comes from. The first four follow Texas Parks and Wildlife’s ShareLunker records, which count the lure behind each bass of 13 lb or more: soft plastics 45%, jigs 23%, spinnerbaits 12%, crankbaits 9% and live bait 9%. That is trophy fish in Texas, not every bass in every lake, so use it as a starting order. If you would rather fish live bait, see best bass bait.

Bass lures, in order

1. Soft plastics. Worms, lizards, tubes, crawfish and stickbaits. Florida FWC calls the plastic worm the most dependable artificial for largemouth bass, rigged weedless Texas- or Carolina-style for heavy plant cover and worked slowly along the bottom or through cover: raise the rod tip a few feet, then let it sink. Texas ShareLunker records show soft plastics catching 37% of big fish in January, 50% in March and 72% in April. Oklahoma pitches lizards, tubes, worms and crawfish at spawning fish on a skirted jig, drop shot, Texas rig or Carolina rig, and Indiana uses plastic worms and stickbaits near beds once water nears 65°F. New York gives sizes: for a Texas rig, a 1/4 to 1/2 oz weight, 2/0 to 4/0 hook and a 6 to 10 in ribbon-tail worm in or around vegetation; for a wacky rig, a 4 in stickworm with an o-ring and 1/0 hook, fished shallow or deep; for a drop shot, a 4 to 6 in straight-tail worm in deep, clear water; and a 3 to 4 in tube on a 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig head around rocks. Iowa adds that soft plastics catch fish that short-strike hard baits.

2. Jigs. Jig-and-pig and skirted jigs. Alabama calls spinnerbaits and the jig-and-pig excellent early in the season, and Virginia fishes a jig and pig on steep shorelines and points in late fall. Oklahoma works jigs, soft plastics and swimbaits in the backs of creek arms, coves and bays that have had the sun longest during a prolonged warm spell. In muddy water, Indiana suggests bladed swim jigs. Iowa recommends braided line for jigs because it does not stretch.

3. Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Florida FWC rates spinnerbaits very good in spring, fished slowly around drop-offs and cover; if a slow retrieve fails, “buzz” the bait by retrieving it fast enough that the blades ripple the surface. New York fishes a 1/4 to 1/2 oz white spinnerbait over or along the edge of vegetation. Alabama also names buzzbaits as effective early in the season. Blade shape follows clarity: Iowa uses smaller, thinner blades in clear water, and Indiana pairs Colorado (round) blades with muddy water and willow (slender) blades with clear water.

4. Crankbaits. Lipped and lipless. Florida FWC says crankbaits typically imitate baitfish or crayfish, a straight retrieve is usually effective, the plastic lip sets how deep the lure dives, and popular colors are white, shad, firetiger and crayfish. New York matches the crankbait’s running depth to the water depth, for example a 10 to 15 ft diver over 12 ft of water. Oklahoma fishes lipped and lipless crankbaits in 6 to 20 ft before the spawn. In turbid water Iowa picks a wider bill for more vibration, and Indiana adds rattling crankbaits in muddy water and lipless crankbaits in clear water. Iowa pairs deep-diving crankbaits with fluorocarbon line.

5. Topwater plugs. Florida FWC describes plugs that imitate a wounded baitfish and are twitched, and noisy plugs worked with a faster, erratic retrieve; topwater is most successful in early morning or late afternoon. Oklahoma fishes topwater in low light in late spring. Virginia counts topwater among the active baits that work above 55°F. Iowa recommends braided line for topwater.

6. Jerkbaits and swimbaits. Oklahoma fishes swimbaits and jerkbaits, along with spinnerbaits and crankbaits, in 6 to 20 ft before the spawn. Its biggest bass become active once water stabilizes at or above 55°F. At thinning lily pads in late fall, Virginia tries a shallow crankbait, a suspending jerkbait or a small swimbait on a light jighead. For clear water Indiana lists jerkbaits along with spoons, spinners, lipless crankbaits, willow-blade spinnerbaits and soft plastics.

Pick a lure by situation

Line and rod

Iowa DNR uses braided line for topwater, spinnerbaits and jigs, and fluorocarbon in clear water and with deep-diving crankbaits, since fluorocarbon sinks while monofilament and braid float. Florida FWC prefers a medium to medium-heavy rod with 14 to 20 lb test line, particularly around thick vegetation or cover. For a general setup New York suggests a 6 1/2 to 7 ft medium action spinning rod with 8 to 10 lb monofilament.

Not sure which bass you’re after? See largemouth vs smallmouth. To rig a soft plastic weedless, follow the Texas rig.