Short answer: there is no single best bass lure
Anglers have argued about the “number one” bass lure for decades, and the honest answer is that it depends on the lake, the season and the mood of the fish. A lure that is excellent in warm, weedy water can be a poor choice in cold, clear water. A more useful question is which lure fits the conditions you are fishing today.
This guide gives you a way to narrow the choice, then lists the lure types that cover most situations.
How to choose: season, temperature, clarity and cover
Four things do most of the work.
- Water temperature. Bass are cold-blooded, so they generally feed more aggressively and chase faster baits when the water is warm, and prefer slower, smaller presentations when it is cold.
- Water clarity. In stained or muddy water, baits that add vibration or contrast (such as spinnerbaits and darker colors) are common choices. In clear water, more natural colors and subtle presentations often make sense.
- Cover. Thick weeds, wood and brush call for weedless or semi-weedless baits. Open water suits crankbaits, jerkbaits and swimbaits.
- Light and weather. Bright sun, overcast skies and wind all change how bass position and how aggressive they are. Wind and clouds often make faster, noisier baits more appealing.
Lure types that cover most situations
Soft plastic worms and stickbaits
A soft plastic stickbait or worm is one of the most versatile baits you can own. It can be fished weightless, on a Texas rig, wacky-rigged or on a shaky head. See our guides to the best bass worms and how to fish a wacky worm for sizes, colors and rigging.
Spinnerbaits
Spinnerbaits combine blade flash, vibration and a mostly snag-resistant design, which makes them a good search bait around wood and grass. We cover them in detail in are spinnerbaits good for bass.
Crankbaits
Crankbaits dive to a depth set by their lip and the line you use, so they let you cover water at a consistent depth. Shallow, squarebill-style designs are often used around cover; deeper-diving models target ledges and points.
Jerkbaits
Suspending jerkbaits are widely used when the water is cool and clear, with long pauses between twitches. In the fall they can also imitate fleeing baitfish.
Jigs
A jig with a soft plastic trailer is a classic bait for pitching into cover and dragging along the bottom. It tends to be a slower presentation that suits cooler water and pressured fish.
Swimbaits and shad imitators
When bass are feeding on baitfish, paddle-tail swimbaits and shad-style crankbaits can be very effective. Our article on using shad for bass looks at how to match the forage.
Specialty setups
In cold water, a small hair jig under a float is a specialized option for suspended fish. See float and fly bass fishing.
What to throw in the fall
In October, across much of the northern hemisphere, water is typically cooling and bass are often feeding up before winter. Many anglers find fish following schools of baitfish, which tends to favor:
- Jerkbaits, crankbaits and shad-style swimbaits to imitate baitfish.
- Spinnerbaits, especially along banks and in creek arms where bait is concentrated.
- Jigs and soft plastics pitched to cover when fish hold tight.
Patterns vary by region and by how fast temperatures drop, so start with a couple of these and let the first few bites guide you. Bass in warmer southern lakes may still be acting like summer fish.
A simple starter set
If you are building a tackle box from scratch, a modest selection covers a lot of ground:
- A few soft plastic stickbaits or worms in natural colors (for example green pumpkin) with hooks and weights.
- One or two spinnerbaits, white or chartreuse and white.
- A shallow crankbait and a medium-diving crankbait in a shad or crawfish color.
- A jig with a soft plastic trailer.
- A paddle-tail swimbait with jig heads.
FAQ
What lure attracts bass the most?
No lure attracts bass in every situation. Baits that imitate local forage, such as shad or crawfish, and that suit the season tend to draw the most strikes.
What is the number one bass lure?
Plastic worms and stickbaits are often named because they work in so many conditions, but that is a popular opinion rather than a rule. Choose by conditions first.