5 Types of Bass Lures (Must-Haves for Every Tackle Box)
There are hundreds of different baits for bass fishing available on the market today. With all sorts of different colors, shapes, and features, it’s not always easy to determine what lure will work best for you.
So, what types of bass lures are there? There are many variations of bass lures. Some of the most popular bass lures include:
- Jig
- Spinnerbait
- Crankbait
- Rubber Worm
- Buzzbait
The various types of bass baits all have upsides and downsides to them, and there are some points you should look out for before you buy one. This article will give you insight into the different bass baits out there, which ones work best based on situations, and give you tips and tricks along the way.
1. Jig
The jig is a very popular lure, one of the most popular ever made. Its design is really simple, consisting of a jighead, a soft body, and a hook. Individual jigs can have varying features. Some come with a weed guard so that they don’t get caught up, and jigs can also have different trailers like ribbon tails, craws, and paddle tails. Jigs typically have a vertical motion but with a paddle tail trailer, the jig will kick from side to side, much like a fish does.
When it comes to bass fishing, there are a few things to consider when selecting a jig. For one, you ought to bear in mind the weight of the jig. It’s always best to keep the weight to a minimum because, this way, the jig feels more natural for the bass. Some days, however, call for heavier jigs. For example, when fishing in deep water, you want the jig to sink to the bottom without taking up a ton of time. Also, if the weather is windy, then a heavier jig might be necessary to sink or maintain in contact with the bottom.
2. Spinnerbait
The spinnerbait is another popular lure. It is made up of a wireframe, on which one end is attached a weighted hook, commonly with a rubber skirt over it. On another end, a spinner bait has one or more spinning blades connected to a swivel. Spinnerbaits also come in various jig-heads and blades. Common to all the types, the blades spin instantly upon any horizontal movement, creating vibrations in the water and mimicking quick flashes of light from small fish.
When selecting a spinnerbait for bass fishing, picking the right one comes down to the desired speed and depth you want. In terms of speed, a spinnerbait with a blade that’s long and skinny, such as the Willow Blade, will be able to cut through the water column quickly and is ideal to use when bass are most active. However, thin blades have a downfall: they emit less powerful vibrations that bass from further away will be unable to detect. On the opposite end, a slow-moving spinner blade like the Colorado Blade displaces a lot of water and is great for creating large vibrations. However, slowing blades tend to come with uplift, so these baits are best used in shallow waters or for surface fishing.
The depth a spinnerbait is suitable for depends on its weight. Most commonly spinnerbaits used are between three-eights and one-half of an ounce. However, if conditions call for it, other weights can be used.
3. Crankbait
A crankbait is one of the more powerful lures. This type of lure has a rounded shape to imitate fish and an attached plastic lip which, depending on its angle, allows the lure to float near the surface or dive straight and deep into the water. The lip also allows the crankbait to wobble from side to side. Mainly, the differences between the varieties of crankbaits out there are related to the size, shape, and angle of the lip.
A shallow diving crankbait has a lip that is really small and does not produce much resistance in the water. These crankbaits are ideal for shallow waters from zero to four feet deep and therefore when bass are really active and near the surface water.
On the other hand, a medium-diving crankbait is able to dive five to nine feet due to a larger lip size as well as a line attachment directly on the lip. This type of bait is especially useful when it is sunny or warm, and bass find shelter in cool, deeper water.
The third category of crankbaits is deep-diving and these can dive down to 35 feet under the surface. When bass head to deep water due to heat this bait is useful, and the crankbait is not the most popular type of bait it can catch bass by surprise.
4. Rubber Worm
Rubber worms are exactly what they sound like, they are soft plastics in the shape of a worm. As this type of bait has a very natural look and feel to the bass, it can be very successful. Bass will bite onto them for longer than different types of lures. Rubber worms are perhaps the most varied type of bait, with thousands of options to choose from. The options differ in size, style, color, and weight, and therefore can be tailored to all your bass fishing needs.
The size of the rubber worm is probably the most crucial aspect to consider for bass fishing. Generally speaking, the smaller the size of the worm, the more bites you are liking to get. However, bigger bites will come from using a larger worm. So, when bass are really active, you can really increase your odds of getting a big catch with a big worm. Visibility and temperature also affect the size of the worm most suitable. A large worm will stick out more in murky or weeded waters, which makes it the best option in this case. Small worms are proven best in cold waters.
When considering the style of the worm, there is a range of shapes that create no-action versus action, but all worms are considered to create more natural movements. In terms of color, in general, you want to use natural colors in clear waters with high visibility because in this case bass are depending on vision when hunting. In darker waters, bright colors or black is typically the way to go. This is because there are low levels of light, so a strong contrast can help bass to see the worm.
5. Buzz Bait
Buzzbaits are topwater lures and are similar to spinnerbaits. The buzz bait has a bent wire frame molded into a jighead and the jighead is covered with a rubber skirt. This type of bait also contains a propeller which helps it stay on the surface of the water. The skirt of a buzzbait remains underwater, while the propeller skips across the surface, making a buzzing sound that entices the bass. Similar to the other baits, buzz baits come in varying sizes, styles, and colors.
The style of a buzz bait can be really important depending on the conditions of the water. For instance, in really calm waters it may be a good idea to use a single-prop non-clacker buzz bait. As the name implies, this bait does not make much noise, which is ideal under conditions when the sound does not travel quickly in water. In contrast, there is the single prop clacker, which is the loudest buzzbait on the market.
This bait is especially useful during rough conditions when the sound does not travel far under the water. Buzzbaits with bigger blades also make more commotion on the surface which would be useful in rougher water conditions.
Considering the size, you should go for a buzzbait that is about half an ounce, although they run at three-eights and one-fourth of an ounce as well. The lighter models are easier to skip off the top of the water, which is a really successful technique when fishing for bass at night.
As a rule of thumb, as far as colors go, you should stick to dark colors at night and in muddy conditions, whites under sunlight, and pumpkins, greens, or other natural tones when there is high visibility in the water.
What is the Best Bass Lure?
The best bass lure really does not exist. The best option could come down to your skill level, the conditions of the water, the weather, and plenty of other factors as well. Most importantly, you should experiment with the lures you are working with.
For example, you can change the color of your lure, and nothing else, and see if you get more or less bites with that. You can even fish with multiple poles with different baits. The fish will tell you what they want.
It’s also a good idea to learn about the local bass habitat and what they prey on. It has been observed that baits that mimic the forage found in the local habitat for the bass get more bites. In addition, you can pick out a lure that closely mimics regular prey, and may get more success doing that.