All About Bass Fishing - Guide To Choosing Lures
By Rick Seaman and Dan Westfall
With well over a million different bass fishing lures to choose from, it is important to understand why to select one type of lure over another for a certain type of fishing. Lures are designed to imitate something the bass eats or to trigger natural impulses. The key is to first find the bass and then select the very most productive lure for fishing the type of cover where the bass are holding.
3 Most Important Factors About Bass Fishing Lures
- Quality is important for proper action and reliability.
- Keep sharp, quality hooks on all lures.
- All lures are designed to either imitate natural food or to trigger a reaction bite.
There is a never-ending list of bass lures available.
This list of lure types covers the vast majority of lure categories. Details of how to fish each lure type is covered in the following chapters, based on shallow, mid-depth or deep fishing situations.
Top Water works best in reasonably clear water and when the fish are shallow. Top water lures include fast moving lures like buzzbaits, stop and go lures like prop baits and poppers, stick baits, and special action lures like Zara Spooks.
Crankbaits are a reaction bait designed to be a moving target that represents a food source like baitfish or crawfish. Crankbaits are designed to run at specific depths - from shallow runners to those designed to run 20 feet deep or deeper.
Spinnerbaits are also a reaction bait designed to pull bass out of cover. They come in a variety of sizes, weights, colors and with an assortment of blade options.
Plastic Worms come in every size and color imaginable and are one of the most versatile lures ever invented. When fished Texas style it is one of the most weedless lures available.
Flukes and similar lures are one of the ultimate imitations of a bass’ food source. They are shaped like a baitfish and appear to be injured which appeals to the predator in bass.
Senkos and similar lures are designed for dead-sticking. They are a lure with little or no action and are designed to remain in a horizontal position as they fall.
Spinners come in a wide variety of sizes colors and types of blades, all designed to look like baitfish and attract attention with the vibration of the blade.
Jigs are a mainstay of the bass anglers arsenal. They are designed to imitate many of the creatures which inhabit the world of the bass. Most are intended to imitate crawfish. They come in every imaginable size, color and weight.
Spoons are made of a variety of metals with the most common being lead. They are slab shaped or cupped metal blanks, and are designed to imitate baitfish which are dying and falling to the bottom of the lake.
Swimbaits are often larger than standard bass lures and are available in soft and hard versions. Each swim bait lure is designed to imitate a specific food source of bass. The larger ones are painted with exceptional detail and move through the water with a life-like, swimming action.
AA Bass Fishing Knowledge Base
- Bass Fishing Overview
- Life Cycle Of Bass
- Seasonal Bass Migration
- Bass Migration - Mid to Late Winter
- Bass Migration - Spring
- Bass Migration - Early Summer
- Bass Migration - Late Summer
- Bass Migration - Fall
- Bass Migration - Early Winter
- Fishing For Bass
- It's Now WHAT You Throw, It's WHERE
- Research The Fishery Before You Go
- Review Contour Maps
- Types Of Cover Used By Bass
- Bass Fishing In Grass Beds
- Bass Fishing In Wood & Timber
- Bass Fishing In Brush & Vegetation
- Establishing Patterns
- Learn To Recognize Bites
- Review Lunar Tables
- Choose The Right Lures
- Find Bass Based On Conditions
- Conditions - Fold Fronts
- Conditions - Wind
- Conditions - Cloudy Days
- Conditions - Fishing In The Rain
- Conditions - Water Clarity
- Conditions - Rising Water
- Conditions - Falling Water
- Conditions - Fishing At Night
- Shallow Water Techniques, 0 -10'
- Shallow Fishing - Spinnerbaits
- Shallow Fishing - Crankbaits
- Shallow Fishing - Top Water
- Shallow Fishing - Pitching & Flipping
- Shallow Fishing - Artificial Worms
- Shallow Fishing - Jigs
- Shallow Fishing - Flukes
- Shallow Fishing - Stick Worms
- Shallow Fishing - Swimbaits
- Fishing Mid Range Depths, 10' - 25'
- Mid Depth - Spinnerbaits
- Mid Depth - Deep Diving Crankbaits
- Mid Depth - Artificial Worms
- Mid Depth - Jigs
- Mid Depth - Swimbaits
- Fishing Deep Water & Structure
- Fishing Deep Water - Jigs
- Fishing Deep Water - Jigging Spoons
- Fishing Deep Water - Artificial Worms
- Planning Your Attack
- Bass Fishing Questions & Answers
- Conservation - Protect The Fishery
Bass information by state.
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