Bass fishing has more lure categories than any other freshwater sport, and that variety is what makes the sport accessible and what makes it overwhelming. A walk through a Bass Pro Shops will show 4,000 plus distinct bass lures across a dozen broad categories, each promising to be the one. The reality is that bass behavior is reasonably predictable across water conditions and seasons, and seven core lure types cover almost every situation an angler will face. Learning when to throw which type matters far more than amassing a tackle box of every variation. A focused angler with three or four well-chosen lures will out-fish someone with 200 if the chooser understands water temperature, water clarity, and cover.
Soft plastics: the universal lure
Soft plastics are the most-used and most-versatile bass lure category. They include stickbaits (Senkos), worms, creature baits, swimbaits, lizards, tubes, and craws. They fish at any depth from surface to 50 feet, at any speed, and on any rig (Texas rigged, Carolina rigged, drop shot, Neko, wacky, jighead).
When to throw soft plastics. Almost always. They fill the gaps when reaction baits are not producing, they fish slow when bass are inactive, and they can be presented in cover that no other lure can reach. A 5 inch Senko-style stickbait in green pumpkin is the single most-fished lure in bass fishing for a reason: it catches active and inactive fish, fishes weedless, and requires nothing more than letting it fall.
Starter colors. Green pumpkin, watermelon, junebug for clear water and natural conditions. Black and blue for murky water. White or chartreuse for swimbaits in stained water.
Jigs: the big fish lure
A skirted jig with a soft plastic trailer is the highest big-fish per cast lure in bass fishing. Jigs in the 3/8 to 3/4 ounce range with a brushguard imitate a craw, a bluegill, or other bottom forage and can be flipped into thick cover where larger bass live.
When to throw a jig. When water is over 50 degrees Fahrenheit and bass are relating to cover (stumps, laydowns, dock pilings, weed edges). Spring pre-spawn and fall transition are prime jig seasons. Summer flipping into shade. Jigs are slow lures, so they shine when other lures are too fast for the conditions.
Starter colors. Green pumpkin with a green pumpkin or watermelon trailer for clear water. Black and blue with a matching trailer for murky water. The trailer is half the lure and matters as much as the jig itself.
Spinnerbaits: water clarity workhorses
A spinnerbait is a wire frame with a head, a hook, a skirt, and one or two spinning blades. The flash and vibration trigger reaction strikes in stained or windy water where bass cannot see well but feel and hear the lure approaching.
When to throw a spinnerbait. Stained or muddy water, windy days, pre-spawn through fall, and along shoreline cover or weed edges. A 3/8 ounce double willow or willow-Colorado combo in white or chartreuse is the universal starter. Tandem willow blades flash more for clear water. A single Colorado or Indiana blade vibrates more for muddy water.
Spinnerbaits are weedless to a useful degree, so you can throw them over submerged grass and through laydowns without constant snags.
Crankbaits: covering water
Crankbaits dive to a defined depth based on bill length and design, and they let you cover a lot of water fast searching for active fish. Square-bills (2 to 6 feet deep) handle shallow cover. Lipless cranks (any depth) work for cold water and yo-yo retrieves. Deep divers (8 to 20 plus feet) target offshore structure on lakes and reservoirs.
When to throw crankbaits. When you are searching, when bass are active, when water is in the 55 to 75 degree window, and when you need to find concentrations of fish quickly. A square-bill in chartreuse with black back covers shallow stained water. A shad pattern in clear water covers spotted bass and largemouth on points and ledges.
Topwater: the magic hour
Topwater lures (frogs, poppers, walking baits, buzzbaits) fish on the surface and create the most exciting strikes in bass fishing. They work in specific conditions and fail outside of them.
When to throw topwater. Low light (dawn, dusk, overcast). Water above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Calm to lightly rippled water. Over visible cover or near visible structure. Frogs cover thick vegetation. Walking baits cover open water near visible structure. Poppers work near boat docks and overhangs.
Outside the window, topwater produces few strikes. Inside it, topwater can be the most productive lure of the day. Knowing the window is what separates topwater anglers who catch fish from those who throw them all day and catch nothing.
Jerkbaits: cold water specialists
Jerkbaits are slender minnow-imitating hard baits with a small lip. They suspend at depth between erratic darting movements and trigger strikes from bass watching but not chasing.
When to throw jerkbaits. Cold water (40 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit), pre-spawn staging fish, and clear to lightly stained water where bass can see the lure. A jerk-jerk-pause-pause cadence works in cold water, with pauses up to 15 seconds. As water warms, shorten pauses and increase speed.
The Megabass Vision 110, Rapala Shadow Rap, and Lucky Craft Pointer are the benchmark jerkbaits at the $20 to $25 price point.
Reaction tail: swimbaits
A swimbait is a soft plastic or hard bait that imitates a baitfish swimming. Sizes range from 3 inch finesse swimbaits to 8 inch glide baits targeting trophy bass. Smaller swimbaits on jigheads or weighted hooks are versatile year-round. Larger swimbaits are specialist tools for big-fish hunting on clear lakes.
When to throw swimbaits. When bass are eating baitfish, water clarity is moderate to clear, and you want bigger-than-average fish. A 5 inch paddle tail swimbait on a 1/2 ounce jighead is the universal starter setup that catches schoolers and the occasional giant.
Building a starter box
A productive starter box. Three soft plastic stickbaits in green pumpkin, watermelon, and junebug ($15). A pack of 4 inch craws in green pumpkin and black-blue ($10). Two jigs (3/8 ounce green pumpkin, 3/8 ounce black-blue) with trailers ($15). One spinnerbait in white-chartreuse ($8). One square-bill crankbait in chartreuse black back ($7) and one in shad ($7). One walking topwater bait ($12) and one jerkbait ($20). Total around $95.
That kit covers spring through fall in any largemouth or smallmouth water in the United States. Add one season’s worth of fishing and you will know which categories you reach for most, and where the next investment makes sense.
The angler who understands when to throw what beats the angler who owns everything almost every time.
Frequently asked questions
If I can only buy three bass lures, what should I pick?+
A 3/8 ounce green pumpkin jig with a craw trailer, a 6 inch Senko-style soft plastic in green pumpkin or watermelon, and a square-bill crankbait in chartreuse with black back or shad pattern. Those three cover deep cover, shallow flats, and active fish in any water clarity. A spinnerbait in white or chartreuse is the next addition if you can stretch to four lures. Color selection is less important than presentation.
What is the difference between a square-bill and a deep crankbait?+
Bill shape and length determine running depth. A square-bill has a short, wide square bill and runs 2 to 6 feet deep, deflecting off shallow cover like stumps and rocks without snagging. A medium or deep crankbait has a longer narrow bill and dives 8 to 20 plus feet depending on the bill length. Square-bills are for shallow water bass fishing. Deep cranks are for offshore structure fishing on lakes and reservoirs.
Are expensive lures worth the extra money?+
Sometimes. The difference between a $4 crankbait and a $15 crankbait is usually hook quality, finish durability, and tuning consistency. A $15 Strike King KVD or Rapala will catch more fish per cast because the action is more refined and the hooks are sharper. But a $4 generic crankbait with hook upgrades costs about $7 total and is 90 percent as effective. Higher prices stop paying back above the $20 mark for most lures.
When should I throw topwater lures?+
Topwater works best in low light (dawn, dusk, overcast days) when water temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The window opens in late spring as bass move shallow to spawn and closes in late fall when water cools below 60. Calm or lightly rippled water surfaces draw more strikes than glass-flat or heavily chopped surfaces. Frog patterns work over thick vegetation. Walking baits and poppers work over open water near cover.
Why do bass anglers throw so many soft plastics?+
Soft plastics fish slow, fall naturally, and present at any depth or speed. They cover situations no other lure can, from skipping under docks to deep finesse jigging to weedless flipping in thick cover. They are also cheap (a bag of 8 to 10 baits is $4 to $8) and forgiving for new anglers learning to detect subtle bites. Most professional anglers spend 60 to 80 percent of their time with soft plastics on the line.
Jamie Rodriguez
Jamie Rodriguez writes for The Tested Hub.