Bass Lures
When determining which bass lures are going to work best, it’s important to look at a waterway in three different depths. Whether you’re fishing a lake, pond or river, the lure you use will differ based on how deep you’re fishing.
Surface: When you’re fishing three feet deep or less, use topwater lures or floating divers rated for 3′ to surface. During the warmer months and lower light conditions (early and late in the day or cloudy days), most bass will spend their time near the surface. During these conditions, anglers should select surface baits to attract bass that are actively feeding.
Bottom: When you’re fishing three feet of the bottom or less, use sinking lures or weighted jigs to reach the proper depth. Best used during the colder, winter months, these lures can be very effective for those fish who like to hide among boulders, brush or timber. This is the most common spot to catch bass.
Middle: Middle bass lures are for everything in between the surface and bottom waters. This depth can be fished with a wide range of floating deep divers and suspending swimbaits. It is most productive during the late summer and fall when bass spend most of their time in the middle waters as they travel between feeding and resting.
Based on their versatility and proven ability to catch plenty of fish at any water level, here are the top 10 bass lures you’ll want to add to your tacklebox collection.
Top 10 Bass Lures
Bass Lures for Surface Waters:
1.Popper bait- This cylinder body has a concaved or flat face that allows the bait to splash water and make noise when it’s twitched. Best used when the surface of the water is calm. The Yo-zuri 3DS Popper is an excellent example of these lures available in a wide variety of colors.
2.Propeller bait– Just as it sounds, propeller baits have a propeller on the front or back (or both). This bait churns the surface making a lot of commotion which makes them a good choice to use on a windy day.
3.Pencil- These spook style lures utilize a walk the dog style motion across the water’s surface to entice feeding bass to strike. Along with this, the Yo-zuri Sashimi Pencil draws a fish’s attention through the use of color changing technology.
Bass Lures for Middle Waters:
4.Diving Crankbait- Categorized by depth ratings to help you determine how deep the bait travels, a diving crankbait is a good choice for middle waters.
5.Lipless Crankbait- This sinking lure typically has loud rattles to attract bass that are in aggressive feeding moods. The Yo-zuri Rattl’n Vibe uses a series of small BB’s for weight as well as generating that fish catching rattle! The weight also makes them versatile enough to be effectively fished in middle and deep waters.
6.Spinnerbait- Spinnerbaits are great in waters with grass or timber since the blades are designed to protect the hook point from snags. Standard spinnerbaits such as the Terminator’s are light weight, usually under 1/2oz but if you are looking for something a tad heavier the Sebile Pro-Shad models are available in a heavier 1oz version.
Bass Lures for Bottom Waters
7.Plastic Worms- One of the most versatile and attractive lure for bass is the Gary Yamamoto Swim Senko soft plastic worm. Most bass will grab this lifelike worm as it’s sinking but also when it’s sitting on the bottom in between rod raises.
8.Jig- Most often used with fishing short-range flipping and pitching techniques, it’s all about the weight of the jig. Once you get the jig to the bottom, you need to be able to drag and hop along imitating a crawfish. Though categorized as a bottom water lure, many bass will take the jig while it’s sinking. With the re-release of Sebile’s Vibrato jig series, a wide array of new colors has been introduced in weights from 3/8oz to 1oz.
9.Craw- Capture the hogs while they’re hungry! Crawfish is one thing they never stop eating since they’re active throughout the year and can be found anywhere from the shallow weeds to the deepest rocks. Yo-zuri’s new Crayfish bait replicates the natural movement of this prey with soft plastic claws that move naturally as the lure is retrieved.
10.Swimbait- Generating strikes in deep waters, the swimbait has a natural roll that gets bites even in the toughest conditions. A reliable fish magnet, the Sebile Stick Shad swimbaits were just rereleased in brand new colors and weights ideal for bass fishing!
Top 10 Bass Lakes
Now that you have the bass lures, you need to know where to use them! Bassmaster Magazine recently published their top ten best bass lakes based on information gathered from fisheries departments, B.A.S.S. Nation directors, council and Facebook fans as well as Elite Series pros.
Here are the top 10 best bass fisheries from 2016:
- Toledo Bend Reservoir, Louisiana/Texas (185,000 acres)
- Santee Cooper Lakes, Marion and Moultrie, South Carolina (110,000 acres and 60,000 acres, respectively)
- Clear Lake, California (43,785 acres)
- Lake Erie, New York (30-mile radius from Buffalo)
- Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California (1,100 square miles)
- Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota (132,000 acres)
- Lake Berryessa, California (20,700 acres)
- Rodman Reservoir, Florida (13,000 acres)
- Falcon Lake, Texas (83,654 acres)
- Lake. St. Clair, Michigan (430 square miles)
