Once you get into the best fishing hobby it seems like constantly buying more and more lures. It’s almost like a sickness trying out every new bait that hits the market. Most lures only cost a few bucks they always tend to make their way into my shopping cart. If I could get my money back for all the wasted lures I’ve tried I’d be a very rich man. That doesn’t mean that I haven’t found a few things that will work for me all year round. The following list is a few of the best bass lures that money can buy.
There are different tactics that can be carried over from season to season. With slight adjustments you can use each of these bass lures all year long. My favorite year round bass lures are the Jig, Crankbait, Soft Plastic Worm, Crawfish, Jerkbait, Topwater Lure, Swimbait, Lipless Crankbait and Spinnerbait.
What’s The Best Bass Lure
If you’ve ever spent a lot of time out on the water you know that versatility is key. You never know what’s gonna work on any given day with little changes making a big difference. Slight changes in water clarity and the sky will make a huge difference in your lure color selection. Change up your color scheme and presentation to catch more Bass throughout the season. The following lures should set you in the right direction for year round success regardless of the season.
1. Jig
The humble jig has long been the undisputed champion of bass fisherman everywhere. They work all year round from the freezing cold early spring weather too late into the fall. I’ve been working these Booyah Jigs the past couple years with great success. They come in a wide variety of colors and sizes perfect for all year-round. The oversized heavy weed guard guarantees success in heavy cover. You can rip it through thick brush piles and drop it right into grass beds without getting stuck.
You can work a jig in just about any weather conditions from right after the freeze to the late summer heat. Drag them through rocks, grass, timber and even in open water with success. You’ll be able to Fish a jig throughout the entire lake regardless of depth. Try and match your whatever the Bass are eating at any given time. Use bluegill colored jigs during the bluegill spawn, shad colors during the shad spawn and crawfish colors after a full moon. No matter the conditions a good jig will bring you serious strikes all year round.
2. Crankbaits
Seems like everybody loves using crank baits, and that might be because they get a ton of great strikes. There is no one-size-fits-all crank bait solution, you’re going to have to change it with the season. You should be able to come up with a solution that dives to the right depth and works for you. During the warmer months I like to use a crankbait that has a lot of wiggle and makes a little noise. Aggressive retrieves will really keep the fish biting when they want to get lazy in warmer water. During the summer I really like using these Strike King KVD Deep Diver Crankbaits or the Norman Deep Little. When the water is warmer you’re really going to need to dive deep down to get the bigger bass. Strike King’s KVD dives over 10 feet deep and has a great action. Stick to your forage colors that mimic shad, bluegill, bream and crawfish for the most success.
When the water is colder your going to want to go with a shallow crankbait like the Strike King KVD 1.5 Square Bill Crankbait. It works really in the shallow water around wood cover, creek beds and rip rap etc. Square bills work a lot better around heavy cover.
3. Soft Plastic Worms
Plastic worms might not have the same exciting action found in some of the other lures on this list, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less effective. Instead they offer a life like action that bass simply can’t resist. It has a natural action that’s perfect for attracting bass in almost any condition. No matter the time of year soft plastics get bit all year round.
Most of the time I’ll put my Finesse worms on a Carolina Rig, but there are a ton of other options as well. My tackle box is loaded with worms, but I’ve been favoring the Strike King Finesse Worm lately. Strike king makes every length and color combo you can imagine at an affordable price point. During the summer I like to twitch my finesse worm around boat docks, structure and vegetation.
4. Crawfish
Bass feet and a ton of different forage species throughout the year, but they always seem to come back to crawfish. You can use a crawfish lure when the temperatures are freezing cold all the way to the heat of summer. You’re going to want to Fish a crawfish lure through heavy cover where they’d naturally be located. Rig up one of these Zoom Ultravibe Craws on a jig and flip it into cover. Rig it onto a Carolina rig and drag it through heavy cover imitating one of the most important forage species. No matter the season you can easily fish a craw dragging it across the bottom.
5. Jerkbaits
Most people don’t consider jerkbaits a year-round lure, but up here in Ohio we use them all season long. They tend to work better in the colder weather, but that doesn’t mean they’re not effective during the summer. Why wouldn’t bass go after a lure that imitates injured baitfish all season long. With every jerk of your rod you’ll entice that lethargic summer bass into a powerful strike. Bass are always looking for an easy meal and injured shad or bluegill is about as easy as it gets.
When people are switching to jigs and crank baits they should go back to what they know. When you know where to throw jerkbait you can really load up your coolers. Rip one of these Rapala X-Rap Jerkbaits through heavy cover and you’re almost guaranteed a strike. Bass just can’t resist the enticing rhythm of an experienced jerkbait fisherman.
6. Topwater Lures
There are so many different styles of topwater lures on the market that it should be obvious that they can be fished all year round. Most people fish topwaters in the morning and night, but they can be fished all day long. Some of my biggest bass have been fishing a topwater just after dark. You’ve probably been using the Rebel Pop-R and Arbogast jitterbug for years, but you should expand your arsenal. Through a Booyah Pad Crasher frog lure into heavy cover and catch a big bellied mother after the spawn.
Don’t forget the loud and popular prop baits that have hit the market. Very few lures create a bigger surface commotion than a Heddon Baby Torpedo or Smithwick Devil Horse. Making a ton of noise on the water you’re sure to get some serious surface strikes.
7. Swimbaits
Over the past couple years swimbaits have really taken the fishing world by storm. Fishing magazines are loaded with articles claiming that swimbaits are the new big thing. Every company in the fishing industry is coming out with lifelike swimbaits. In a industry with stifled innovation and blatant patent violation this is huge.
The reason for this sudden surge in popularity is that swimbaits really work. As you make the lures movement more lifelike you’ll get more bites. With technology advancing, manufacturers have perfectly replicated the baitfish movement . If you can figure out the current forage species you’ll be sure to get a bite. I have a ton of great swimbaits in my tackle box, but my favorites are the Berkley Gulp Double Tail Minnow, Berkley Havoc Grass Pig, Missile Baits Shockwave and Strike King Shad-A-Licious.
8. Lipless Crankbait
Lipless Crankbaits have been bringing in monster bass for years. They’re the perfect lure when you’re trying to work open water or heavy structure. I love bringing out crankbaits during the shad spawn and fishing them around docks, fallen trees and rocks. Typically I choose a color pattern that closely resembles the current baitfish. My go to colors are any variation of bluegill, shad, bream and crawfish. Crankbaits have been around since the 40’s but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been any innovation. Recently manufacturers have started adding vibrating plugs into crankbaits to increase there intensity. Vibrating lures are absolutely deadly on low pressure lakes.
Just like the jigs listed above you can fish a lipless crankbait in both shallow and deep water. You can adjust the depth by purchasing crankbaits with different weights. Varying depth is what really makes them effective all year round. This year I’ve been fishing Strike King’s Red Eye Shad Bait, Rapala’s Rippin Rap and Berkley’s Warpig all with great success. All three of these lures offer aggressive action that’s sure to draw in strikes.
9. Spinnerbaits
I use spinnerbaits mostly as a fish finder when other lures just aren’t working. You can cover a lot of water really quickly without worrying about snags. The fact that spinnerbaits are fairly weedless makes them perfect for working the edge of cover,riprap and even open water. Extremely versatile, spinnerbaits are also very easy to use. Beginners and pros alike can throw out a spinnerbait and have a lot of success. Just toss your bait out and reel it in with a straight retrieve.
With their odd appearance it’s surprising to most beginners just how effective spinners can be. Normally I choose baits that are going to attract some attention by both sight and sound. With a bright blade and heavy vibration your sure to get some strikes. I have a ton of different spinnerbaits in my tackle box, but I just can’t resist pulling out my BOOYAH Super Shad. With 4 blades and a bright color scheme it really brings in those hawgs.
