Best Bass Lures 2021 – Reviews And Top Picks

Buyer’s Guide – How to Choose a Bass Lures

Silicone and plastic baits for bass firmly entered the set of fisherman. Since the invention of this material, before it came to catching predatory fish, very little time has passed. And now the market of fishing supplies please the eye with an incredible variety of artificial baits of different figurines with hooks. How to choose such lure for fishing this bass, let’s find out.

Materials from which plastic baits are made are various. The main thing to know is that a lot of plastic baits are slowly drowning during wiring, and therefore have poor buoyancy. But such baits have their advantages. They are visible in those cases where the jig-head has a light weight, while the lure does not sink, but then slowly sinks into the pond.

Choosing the lure depends on the season, water temperature and water you are going to fish. In winter when the temperature is 30-40 for fishing in clear water is better to choose jigs or jigging spoons, for muddy water – crabkbaits and jigs. Temperature of 40-50 and clear water requires jerkbaits, finesse jerkbaits; muddy water – spinnerbaits, vibrating jigs. In spring when the temperature ranges 60-70 for clear water choose jerkbaits, craws, jigs, crankbaits; for muddy water – crankbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits. For a hot summer, when temperature is 70-80+ for clear water are better frogs, diving crankbaits, swimbaits, flipping jigs. In fall anglers tend often to use jigs, offshore worms, shallow crankbaits, jigging spoons and jerkbaits.

To choose the right bass lure you should know each type of the lure and its construction. However the choice of it also depends on the color. Imitating natural forage object bait is perceived by the bass naturally and does not cause alertness, and accordingly, the attack will be more confident. The use of baits simulating a natural forage predator gives good results when catching in the upper and middle layers of water with sufficient light and transparency of it. Baits of acid colors are very popular. Most likely, when attacking such baits bass is driven by curiosity, the desire to explore a new object for him. Baits with the contrast colors are those that sharply stand out against the background of the bottom, vegetation, etc. The colors of such baits can be very diverse. Against the background of the bluish sky, dark lures are contrasted, on the background of the dark sky – light lures with orange or red tones are better. On a light sandy bottom bait colored in bluish tones is well distinguished. In muddy water and with low illumination, for example, in twilight hours and at great depths, the role of bait coloring decreases.

Cost vs Confidence

It’s very common that the lures look alike and even have the same features but the price significantly differs. It simply can be explained by marketing of some brands and their popularity, so for example, a crankbait by super famous fishing brand will always be more expensive than a crankbait by some small fishing company, even if it produces really qualitative product. There are days when bass simply doesn’t want to eat any of your bait, so purchasing extremely expensive lure doesn’t give you a guarantee of successful fishing, especially if you are a beginner and don’t know all the secrets & techniques.

Largemouth bass lures

Spinnerbait is considered to be the most versatile lure to catch big largemouth bass. They are quiet and that is why such lure particularly appeal largemouth bass. Spinnerbait helps to catch largemouth bass in shallow water. Plastic soft worm also can enhance to catch a big largemouth bass. However, using it is not great idea when bass becomes active. In this case the best choice will be crankbait, especially in winter time fishing.

Smallmouth bass lures

Jigs are very popular and probably the best lure for smallmouth bass. Jig can be used all year long to catch it, what is definitely a great plus. Jigs are considered as big bass producers, so to land a smallmouth bass is more possible. Crankbait is commonly used smallmouth lure when it is active. It’s a great choice when you fishing in a deeper water. It is also great if you are fishing a grassy bottom. When smallmouth is aggressive towards the food it’s time to use topwater lure. Topwater lures are better to use for smallmouth bass is early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

What Do Bass Eat?

Bass is a predator fish. They are not picky eaters and can catch and digest a wide range of other aquatic species. The exact foods that bass consume depend both on their age and the surrounding circumstances.

A bass that is not yet fully grown prefers to eat insect larvae and zooplankton. When it reaches a size of approximately 8 inches, it becomes a full-scale predator. Mature bass usually hunt on fish of small size, like minnows, perch, or sunfish. However, they still consume insects, as well as crayfish or frogs, and occasionally even birds. If the conditions are harsh, bass can turn to cannibalism as well.

However, it’s important to note that bass do not consume plants. Even though water plants are sometimes found in their stomach, scientists believe that they occasionally swallow them while eating other food.

What’s Bait, and What’s a Lure?

Since both bait and lures in fishing serve as means for attracting the fish to the rod, the distinction and choice may feel confusing for beginning fishers. In a broad sense, bait is anything that attracts fish to the rod, and from this point of view, lures are a subcategory of baits. However, the terms can be used in more narrow meanings, which are easily distinguishable.

In a narrow meaning, bait is something that a fish can really eat. In the case of a predator fish, it would be a real living creature, a piece of meat, or anything that serves as an edible substitute for it. The fish is naturally attracted by the food and gets hooked while eating.

On the other hand, a lure is typically not edible. It only looks like something that fish would like to eat. So, the lure for a predator fish usually looks like an imitation of a small living creature, made of plastic, metal, etc. Moving and shining just like a real prey, it will make a fish try to catch it.

How to Choose Water Conditions

The state of the surrounding water affects the fish behavior significantly, so it’s worth paying attention to. One of the most obvious factors influencing bass and other species is temperature. Low temperatures cause a fish’s metabolism to slow down, thus causing them to show less interest in food. Consequently, the fish would react less to baits and lures, and getting its attention requires more effort. On the other hand, moderately warm water will make fish more active, which is beneficial for the fisher.

The outside conditions and the color of the water matter as well. As for bass, it becomes the most reckless in its hunting activity during cloudy weather or in muddy waters. It seems like in such conditions, bass feel less visible from their surroundings, so they attack the bait more actively. Although you can’t rely much on your vision when fishing in muddy water, if you choose a well-visible lure or live bait that attracts the bass by smell, you will have a good chance of succeeding.

When the water is clear, the bass becomes more cautious. However, it is still suitable for fishing. In such conditions, it would be helpful to use live bait or the lures which resemble the real prey the most.

How to Choose a Fishing Style

Bass are usually caught by angling, using various techniques. The “twitch, twitch, pause, retrieve” is a movement applied widely in bass fishing, so it’s worth practicing. However, the best choice for a fishing style, in general, will depend on a range of factors like outside conditions, including fishing location, weather and season, the gear used, and the fisher’s skills.

Professional fishers say that there are no right and wrong fishing styles. Even the execution of the basic techniques differs from person to person, and there is no guarantee that a particular trick will work effectively for everybody. The best way to choose an effective fishing style is to try out different ones and see what brings you the best results.

Live Bait vs. Artificial Lures

Both live bait and artificial lures have their pros and cons. The table below will help you compare the main features of both to choose which suits your particular situation.

FAQ

What lure catches the biggest bass?

For catching bass of a large size, it’s helpful to use lures that give the impression of a large amount of prey. In other words, use lures that are easy to see or hear. Buzzbaits or jigs will come in handy, but glittering swimbaits are also a good choice.

What bait should you use for bass in the fall?

In the fall, bass try to gain weight to prepare for the upcoming winter, so their appetite will increase. So live bait like minnows, crayfish, or worms would be a great choice, but artificial baits like football jig or spinnerbaits can also attract the bass’s attention.

Conclusion

When choosing a bait, be sure to focus on the type of predator you are going to catch, season and seasonal features, temperature and transparency of the water. For catching a bass it is better to choose lures of small sizes: compact wobblers and twisters. There is great range of hard and soft lures. Nowadays, silicone baits are in a great demand. These are soft and mobile imitations of fish and other underwater inhabitants (worms, crayfish, larvae), which may also include flavors. No matter what type of lure you choose, remember it is not a certain guarantee to catch a fish if you don’t use special techniques and do not consider all the necessary details for catching bass.