Attack-Triggering Bass Lures

So many choices for bass lures... so little time. :) I know all the choices may seem daunting, regardless of if you're an experienced bass fisherman, or a novice.

Just know there is no "best bass lure". The best bass lure is whatever is working at the time, in your fishing spot. Each lure and presentation will bring different results at different times and situations.

First of all, it's important to know that bass lures can be broken into 8 main categories: (1) spoons, (2) jigs, (3) spinner baits, (4) in line (French) spinners, (5) crank baits, (6) jerk baits, (7) soft baits, (8) top water lures.

Spoons

The look very similar to, you guessed it, a spoon. It's a slab of metal shaped like a concave oval. They can be painted, or not... and they always have a hole in them so you can tie them to your line. They also have a hook.

Many of them are also weedless, meaning the hook is "buried", or "hidden" in the lure so it has less chance of getting hung up in weeds and other cover.

You can jig 'em, troll 'em, crank 'em, hop 'em, or tight line with them.

Sppons are best used when structure. Best example is along channels, and other bottom structure, or closer to shore.

Try this: locate suspended bass... then simply jig the spoon right in front of their noses.

Some brands/types of spoons to test: Little Clea, Silver Minnow, Daredevil, Worth, and Johnsons.

Jigs

You can fish almost any style with these. They are simply "heads" molded out of head, and of course they have a hook stuck in them. Many will have feathers/fur/hair on them, and have bodies made out of plastic. You can switch out these bodies without detaching the jig head from your line. This makes it easy to change presentations on the fly.

I highly recommend testing a version of this called the "Jig & Pig". It's basically a jig with a body made out of pork skin. Some of them have spinners.

Any jig can be casted, vertically jigged, trolled, flipped. You can either use a bobber or not.

Spinner Baits

In the end these are really just jigs. It looks like they are on a safety pin which has been bent. Obviously each one has spinner blades on one end of it, and ahook on the other.

Typically these are "dressed" with plastic boddies, bait, or with feather...or a combination.

Fish them shallow or deep...and it's usually a cast/retrieve technique. Just cast out and reel in at different speeds where bass are hiding.

The most productive models are made by Strike King and Heddon. There are always custome made ones out there as well.

In Line Spinners

These are on a wire which has been put through either weighted beads or a lead body. There's always a spinner right in front which spins when you retrieve it.

This sends sound waves through the water that attract bass.

The technique is to cast these out and sink them to the right depth...then retrieve. Mostly used near cover.

Types to test: Panther-Martin, Rooster Tails, Meps, and Blue Fox.

Crank Baits

There are a lot of different designs for crank baits...the most comming being a balso wood body that looks like a perch. (These can also be made out of hard plastic.)

These have coloring that matches various bait fish and other bass prey.

On retrieves, a plastic lip on the front creates a violeng wiggle...which can also cause them to dive down under water - it all depends on the design.

Fish these near structure, but deep. Cast them out, and reel them in.

I recommend using Rapalla's. Other ones to test are: Freds, Heddon, Tom Mann, and others.

Jerk Bait

These consist of a floating body that looks like a minnow...and they have multiple treble-hooks attached.

They don't move on their own (like spinners and cranks...), but you've got to learn to "walk the dog", which basically jerks them side to side on the retrieve.

This really drives the bass wild in some situations because it looks like struggling prey on the surface...perfect for attracting top water strikes.

Soft Baits

These work best for black bass. The most used are plastic worms. These have caught more bass than all other lures/baits in total. Probably because they are fished most... but even that is saying something.

Soft baits are simple. Just molded lures in the shop of warms.

Typically you "Texas Rig" these with a special hook that goes through the head and into the body. (Weedless)

Then a slip sinker right above on the main line.

Fish these through any kind of cover, dont' worry too much about getting hung up.

Popular models are crawfish and worms. Worms work best. Period.

You can fish these year round, anywhere and get results.

Cast out into cover, sink them towards bottom...then real in very very slowly. Once in awhile a light jerk.

Try Zoom Lures for some great designs.

Top Water Lures

These are simply lures made out of plastic that float. You fish these on the top of the water. (as the name implies)

There are either lips, or a cupped head that creates a popping noise when you jerk them...attracting bass from surrounding areas.

Sometimes you'll get airborne attacks with these. Violent attacks where the bass comes out of the water! This is what bass fishing is all about.

Use these in the morning and evenings...in still water.

Most productive styles: Poppers, Jitterbugs, Bill Bass, Crazy Crawler, and the Chugger.

That's it...now get out and experiment...and catch some bass while you're at it! :)