Bass Lures

Bass Fishing Lures By Lure Type.

Choosing the right bass lure can make or break your day. But before you get too caught up in lure choice, it is important to figure out where the bass are hiding. Bass lures are designed to imitate a food source of the bass. They are also designed to be fished in specific conditions. When you find the lure that mimics the food source, that can be productively fished where you located the bass - you have a winning combination.

When bass are holding deep in cover, you need a lure that can get into and back out of the cover without getting hung up. At the same time it must appeal to the appetite of the bass. The following is a list of bass lures by category, when and where to fish them, and tips for making your casts more productive.

Topwater Lures
BUZZBAITS
Effective Depth: Surface	Recommended Line Test: 10# to 17#
Use buzzbaits when fish are feeding shallow in areas with thick cover. Cast and retrieve buzzbait over and around cover. Retrieve on the surface and vary speed with mini-pauses. Sample shown is a Booyah® Pip-Zqueek Buzzbait.

POPPERS
Effective Depth: Surface	Recommended Line Test: 8# to 12#
Use popper, topwater baits to draw fish out of cover. Cast near cover and pause for 10 seconds before moving. Move the popper with a snap of the rod tip, than pause again. The example shown here is a Rebel Pop-R Plus®.

PROPELLER BAITS
Effective Depth: Surface	Recommended Line Test: 10# to 14#
Use noisy propeller baits to attract attention on the surface any time bass are shallow. The noise helps in stained or dirty water and brings out the protective nature in bass. The sample shown is a Smithwick Devil's Horse®.

STICKBAITS
Effective Depth: Surface	Recommended Line Test: 8# to 14#
Use stickbaits on the surface any time bass are shallow. The bait appears to be an easy target, a wounded fish - easy pickins. Work it slow and tease them into taking it, even if they are not really hungry. The sample shown is a Rapala Original Floater®.

Crankbaits
SHALLOW-RUNNING CRANKBAITS
Effective Depth: Surface	Recommended Line Test: 6# to 10#
Use shallow-running crankbaits when fish are feeding shallow in areas with limited cover.

JERKBAITS
Effective Depth: 1' to 3'	Recommended Line Test: 8# to 14#
Use jerkbaits when fish are feeding shallow in areas with thick cover and clear water. Cast immediately outside the cover to draw the fish out. Pause. Crank hard for several turns and let the bait stop. Jerk, reel and pause. Sample shown is a Rapala Husky Jerk®.

SUSPENDING CRANKBAITS
Effective Depth: Various to 12'	Recommended Line Test: 8# to 14#
Suspending crankbaits allow you to dive the lure to a desired depth, and pause to tease big bass into attacking. Once desired depth is achieved they can be cranked slowly and maintain depth. Sample shown is a Bagley Suspending Killer B®.

DEEP-DIVING CRANKBAITS
Effective Depth: Down to 20'	Recommended Line Test: 8# to 14#
Use deep-diving crankbaits when the fish are deeper than 8 to 10 feet and feeding, or otherwise aggressive. Sample shown is a Lucky Craft Flat CB D-20 ®.

Spinnerbaits
SINGLE-ARM SPINNERBAITS
Effective Depth: 1' to 15'	Recommended Line Test: 12# to 17#
Use spinnerbaits when fish are feeding shallow in areas with thick cover. Vary retrieve speed to control depth. Pause to let the lure fall to deeper depths. Watch for hits on the fall. Relatively weedless as long as the bait is moving. Sample shown is a Punisher Lures® Dale Hollow Craw Spinnerbait.

TWIN-ARM SPINNERBAITS
Effective Depth: 1O' to 55'	Recommended Line Test: 12# to 17#
Use TWIN-ARM spinnerbaits when fish are deep, moving slowly or are not active. Fish it on the bottom, moving very slowly. Pause. Wait. Move it again. Try to feel everything the lure touches. Bites are often very soft - watch the line for the slightest 'tick'. Sample shown is a McCoy V-Twin®.

Plastic Worms
TEXAS-STYLE WORMS
Effective Depth: Any Depth	Recommended Line Test: 8# to 17#
The key to the Texas Rig Worm is the hook is buried into the body of the soft plastic worm. It is weedless and can be worked through and over most cover without getting hung up. Twitch it, crawl it, pause it - give it life to tease a bass into biting!

JIG HEAD WORMS
Effective Depth: Any Depth	Recommended Line Test: 10# to 17#
Use a jig head worm in open areas away from brush, trees or other cover that would snag on the open-hook jig head.

DOUBLE-HOOK WORMS
Effective Depth: Any Depth	Recommended Line Test: 8# to 17#
Use a double-hook worm any time the fish are biting short or soft biting. Best in open areas away from brush, trees or other cover that would snag on the open-hooks. Sample shown is a Westy's Worm®.

Jigs
PLASTIC SKIRT & TAIL JIGS
Effective Depth: Any Depth	Recommended Line Test: 8# to 20#
When bass are feeding at intermediate depths, the spider jig, which imitates a crawfish can be the ideal bait. Swim it, crawl it, pause it - make it seem real and the bass can't resist. Sample shown is a Canyon Lures Spider Jig.

JIG-N-PIG JIGS
Effective Depth: Any Depth	Recommended Line Test: 8# to 20#
When bass are sluggish or you just want to go hawg hunting, this a great bait. Looks and feels natural to the bass. Work it slow in cover. Great for flippin!

Spoons
SLAB JIGGING SPOONS
Effective Depth: Any Depth	Recommended Line Test: 8# to 20#
When bass are feeding on schools of shad or other bait fish, use the slab spoon to imitate injured bait fish falling from the school. Excellent for fall fishing as waters turn cold. Sample shown is a Cotton Cordell CC Spoon.