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Best Bass Lures — Our Top 5 Picks

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Picking the right bass lures for bass fishing can increase the chance of catching your next big fish in just a short matter of time. It isn’t easy to pick the right thing to capture the most bass with such various lures to choose from.

How do we know what to keep in your tackle box that will guarantee you maximum fishing success?

Even professional bass fishers or anglers are thinking of the perfect lures to use. It is enviable whenever you see someone their first large catch. But it would help if you consider the other factors that affect your performance in catching bass.

The other elements in picking the perfect bass fishing lures are the season or the weather pattern, and the type of body water you’re going to fish.

Some effective bass anglers know that there’s no single effective universal lure. You would need a tight but versatile set of baits and lures to get a successful catch for that day.

Whether you are new to bass fishing, seasonal bass anglers, or recently got back on your feet in fishing, shopping for effective bass lures can be pretty overwhelming. But you need to understand and know what to use.

We’re sharing the best bass lures to buy today!

Our Top Picks

best bass lures
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1. Bass Jigs

Jigs are at the top of this list because of their versatility. They are weighted bass lures that often have skirts to attract bass.

There are different jigs that you can choose depending on your technique. One of the most popular types is the arkie jigs.

These versatile lures can cover up most jigging fish techniques. Use them throughout the year at almost any temperature.

Other bass jigs available on the market are chatterbaits, also known as bladed swim jigs. Also, one of the common names of these lures is ‘vibrating jigs.’

The constant and churning of the bladed swim jigs causes more humming vibration in the water. These are most effective when the bass is active and shallow, paired with some soft plastic trailers.

Bass jigs are at the top of this list because of their features. It can get a bigger bass bite than most of the other lures.

Nevertheless, it is challenging to master jigging first and other different methods to fish. But if you are invested in learning the different ways, you can use the bass jigs.

Our Recommendation: BiCO Original Jig Non-Lead Bass Jigs

Best Bass Jig

Key Features:

  • A versatile ⅜ oz. bass fishing jigs
  • Ideal for flipping, skipping, or be fished as a swimbait
  • Has an exceptional weedless lure with durable paint finish
  • Equipped with 5/0 sharp Owner hooks

This ⅜ oz.—bass fishing jigs were made by BiCO Performance Jigs. These versatile lead-free BiCO jigs are made and assembled in the USA. Nothing beats this product when it can guarantee you an exceptional result.


2. Plastic Worms

Plastic worms, also known as rubber finesse worms, are life-like lures. When engulfed by a bass, it’s like eating a natural worm.

This lure made it easier to target bass to bite than any other lure, especially the largemouth bass. You can bury the hook into their body, making it completely snag-proof. It is best to get in very weedy areas.

The Carolina rig, Drop Shot rig, and Ned rig are the most popular worm rigs. Ned rig has soft plastics and a finesse worm.

This rig was most common to use with a freshwater finesse technique in the Midwest. It is mainly used in catching smallmouth bass. But you can catch fish like perch, walleye, and bay bass with bass baits.

But among the said best plastic worm baits, Texas rigs are the most popular to use. It was utterly weedless, an excellent choice for fishing vegetation and other covers without hanging up.

Soft Plastic Stick bait is also a famous straight plastic worm that you can use in bass fishing. These baits have the most versatile and flexible of all soft plastics.

There are three productive colors: Green Pumpkin, Cinnamon, and Chartreuse. The famous method is the Wacky. The technique is that you should cast your bait set-up and let the tail flap its way down the water column.

Our Recommendation: Yamamoto 5-in Senko Lure

Best Plastic Worms

Key Features:

  • A 5-inch Senko worm with a wide range of uses and natural action
  • Made to look like a thick round plastic worm
  • Recommended by many anglers for newbies

Gary Yamamoto made the 5-inch Senko Worm. This 5-in Senko Worm became a favorite with anglers worldwide with a wide range of uses and natural action. Try rigging this bait with the Wacky method or Texas-rigged to discover its versatility.

If you are new to bass fishing, it is recommended to pick this as your lure.


3. Spinnerbaits

Spinnerbaits have a unique ability to attract and catch bass quickly. It is reasonably weedless and easy to fish.

You can do these bass fishing lures by simply reeling the bait in a straight and steady retrieve. Although it has an odd appearance and unnatural-looking action, it still can catch fish.

When a bass sees a spinnerbait in action, they only see the movement of the blade. But the fish only focus on the head and the skirt.

Their ‘odd’ appearance consists of spinning or multiple blades hanging from one end of a bent wire. The purpose of the blade is to get attention by seeing and making a sound. For largemouth bass fishing, you can use this but be careful because it can pick up weeds.

The blades also give resistance when it is out in the water. There are different blades on the market that affect the resistance.

The most common blades are the Willow blades, the Colorado blades, and the Indiana blades. Each gives a slightly different presentation, but it controls the speed of how and which the bait travels.

Spinnerbaits come in different sizes and weights, with its most popular sizes ranging from 1/4 oz. to 3/4 oz.

It is mainly to determine the depth you are fishing, but anglers most commonly use 3/8 oz. Although, you barely see a trailer hook rigged on spinnerbaits to hook on short strikes.

Our Recommendation: Strike King Finesse KVD Spinnerbait

Best Spinnerbaits

Key Features:

  • A ½ oz finesse spinnerbait with a tiny perfect skirt and a realistic look
  • For finesse and deep waters fishing
  • An official KVD (Kevin VanDam) signature

This 1/2 oz. Finesse KVD Spinnerbait was made by Kevin VanDam in collaboration with Strike King.

With its redesigned, tiny perfect skirt and a realistic look, this will surely guarantee you in bass fishing. From finesse to deep waters, it will generate the strike you’re looking for.


4. Crankbaits

It is also the kind of lure that covers a large area. Crankbaits are one of the options for fishing in open water or around deep points.

It also comes in various sizes, shapes, weights, and running depths, just like the other lures in this list. The depth of water you’re going to fish is one of the specifications of picking the right lures.

There are different types of crankbaits that you pick. The most common types are lipless crankbaits and square bill crankbaits.

Lipless crankbait can give you the power to target in any depth, deep or shallow water. Professional anglers preferred red or gold lipless crankbaits. You can also allow lipless crankbaits to sink in a little deeper.

Square bill crankbaits are perfect for fishing largemouth bass in shallow water. Think of your location to have a 4-8 ft., toss it near the shoreline or banks.

The lure drops about 4 feet down, hitting shallow grass, distracting the bass around. It is mainly used because of simply casting and reeling in a straight retrieve. Selecting the correct diving depth and the color triggers the bite.

Giving the rod tip a jerk randomly during a retrieve provides the lure with an erratic action. It can help trigger the bass to bite.

Our Recommendation: Strike King Square Bill Crankbait

Best Crankbaits

Key Features:

  • This 1.5 oz. KVD square bill was made to exact specifications of Kevin VanDam
  • Perfect for lakes, ponds, and power fishing
  • It has a unique “hunting” action with an erratic movement

Strike King made this KVD Square bill, also made famous by Kevin VanDam. This bait covers the most water, especially on the shallow side—a classic mid-to-shallow diving crankbait, designed with no internal rattles for a silent approach.


5. Topwater Lures

A topwater lure is not only practical but also fun to use. It is enjoyable for an angler to pull bass out of the water.

The lure drop is designed to ripple the water’s surface, causing a popping and splashing sound as the lure is retrieved. Its purpose was to create a distraction, a sound for bass that was hard to resist.

Topwater baits are designed for targeting bass. It is best in low-light conditions, and the wind is also an essential factor. Hungry bass will be able to see the lure on a calm day.

Take this into consideration when picking the right size and color for your lure.

Our Recommendation: Rebel Lures Pop-R Topwater Popper Fishing Lure

Best Topwater Lures

Key Features:

  • The best bass-catching color patterns for more topwater excitement and fun
  • With a size of ¼ oz. that can work fast and super slow
  • Can use for long-distance casting

This 1/4 oz.—popping lure is made by Rebel. This popping lure was one of the top models that you can choose.

You can use it for casting in a long distance because of its shape. Work better in late summer afternoons for better topwater action.


Final Thoughts

Picking the right lure can be tricky, especially when fishing in deep water or cold water. But to achieve your goals in getting your following big catch, you need to consider many factors.

Even the best bass baits can get confusing for bass fishermen, so don’t lose hope. You can achieve your goal-slash-dream in the future.

Diana Nadim
Fishing Expert
Diana began fishing at the age of seven, as it has been a long-time family tradition. From catching small bullheads to catching strippers on the backwaters of Bighorn, she loves to get out in the wild and have a marvelous day on the water. Her dad was an expert angler, and he taught her fishing along with her two siblings. They used to go to the Bighorn River in Montana and Henry’s fork, Idaho. As a pragmatic person, she is obsessed with creating well-researched and practical guides and reviews of the best fishing methods and gear.
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