3 lures you must have
Do you know what are the 3 best lures to catch bass? Although there are no specific statistics, a survey was conducted among professional fishermen and found that plastic worms won by a wide margin. Second and third place were the spinnerbait and then the crank bait.
However, choosing one of these 3 is not enough. You need to consider the lake you are fishing in before selecting your lure. In particular, you should consider whether it is better to thoroughly cover a smaller segment of water or to glide across a larger expanse as quickly as possible to find fish. Using a worm is slower, but extremely effective and very seductive for Bass. They do best when the fish are in schools on a particular structure.
The spinnerbait can be moved more quickly across the surface and can be bounced off the bottom, sent against a tree branch, and moved in many different ways to stimulate strikes. It is a great inshore sounding lure due to its tangle free construction.
Crankbaits cover a lot of water quickly. Using them, you can see a place without wasting too much time. You can use them to locate fish that may be scattered.
The bottom line is that whatever lure you select for the particular lake you’re fishing in, you want to make it as easy as possible for the Bass to reach you. Drop that lure right in front of them. Scientists have shown that Bass calculates the amount of energy it will take them to go after prey vs. the return.
Learn to fish these 3 lures effectively, and you’ll catch more than your share of big game bass!
When to fish for bass
Dawn and dusk are definitely when the biggest bass can be brought on. First of all, remember that bass love ambush spots that offer a lot of protection from baitfish. They like to hide and pounce on their prey.
These bait fish are most active in the early morning or at night. When feeding, bass follow them because baitfish are less aware of threats when feeding. Go fishing during these times for the greatest success; Plus, you’ll have the water to yourself, as most anglers don’t fish during these times.
The first excellent lure to use is a plug that looks like a mouse, very productive. Also use a large worn-wing moth made from deer hair. The body and wings should be the size of your index finger. The idea is to move it like it’s injured and trying to get airborne. Other topwater lures that snort, waddle, or have spinning wheels are often productive, as are buzzing lures that squeak. The most effective is a skinny minnow lure (a type of floating scuba). It resembles an elongated minnow resting on the surface, and the lure quickly submerges when moving, then reappears as if injured.
When retrieving an underwater lure in low light, keep it coming at a steady pace once it gets moving. This will make it easier for the bass to locate and grab it.
Last thing is don’t bother going out at dawn/dusk when the water is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature kills certain aquatic and terrestrial animals, which cancels the feeding of the food chain.
Water Quality Considerations
You need to fish for bass differently in different types of water quality. Follow the general guidelines below for best results.
Muddy Water: In inconspicuous water, a bass finds food using its sonar senses. You must use lures with the best vibration and noise. You can tell if a lure has a high vibration by feeling the jerk of your rod when you bring it in. Use your heaviest vibrators and keep them running at a steady rate so the bass can pick up on you.
Clear Water – Bass are overly cautious in clear water with high visibility. Their survival instincts kick in and they are wary of anything out of the ordinary. Use lighter lines that are less visible. Also, use longer casts and lures that look like bass food in the area. The rotors usually work in clear water, but if they don’t work, try a black spinning blade to reduce glare.
Normal Water: This water has normal algae and plankton that filters sunlight. It is ideal for all types of lures, as bass are not shy. Use the shotgun approach here and set up 3 sets, one with a lure surface, one with a deep diver, and the last with a plastic worm. Do about 10 tosses with each one and then change them up to different variations. This is a great way to find out what is working.
Fishing a plastic worm
Here are some techniques to consider when fishing for plastic worms for bass in different situations:
Cloudy Water – Bass feed on sight and sound, and it is important to add turbulence to the plastic worm. Add a Hildebrandt No. 3 gold spinner just forward of the hook. This sets up an intermittent, hissing, throbbing draw that bass can hear over considerable distances.
Clear Water – Reduce the size of the worm, line and sinker to make it harder for bass to see the lure.
High Vibration Worms: Use a worm with a curly tail design that emits extremely strong vibrations. Try these worms when your straight worms won’t score.
Jumping: This is the only method to get under the overhanging branches. You need a spinning caster or turntable because a level wind reel just doesn’t ski right. Make a flat, hard mold on the surface of the water for a low jump. This will hit bass hangouts impossible to reach otherwise.
Ripping – This will surprise bass that is reluctant to attack a worm. Let the worm settle to the bottom and stay there for about 20 seconds. Unwind the line and reel in the worm with a long sharp upward stroke of the rod tip. Let it settle to the bottom under tension as you slowly lower the rod tip. Repeat for three or four rips. Strikes will come.
Drift Trolling – Move to the entrance of a deep hole and let the wind carry you calmly across the lake while your worm crawls across the lower deck. Raise and lower the auger when it makes contact with the bottom. Collections usually occur when the worm is removed from the cover.
Flyrodding: Fill a backed single action fly reel with about 50 yards of 10lb monofilament. Rig a six-inch weedless worm and add a small split shot in front of the hook for slow sinking. Flip or cast the worm into each pocket you see and feed it the line as it slowly settles to the bottom. Keep the tip of the rod low so you can hit a long, wide stroke when you feel a bass inhale the worm. This is handy in ponds, lakes, or streams.
worm platform
One of the biggest problems with fishing for a worm is the inability to detect hits. Usually, the inability to spot them is due to too heavy a plumb bob and too thick a line.
Use a variable buoyancy worm using lead strip sinkers. Here are some advantages:
No moving lead in the line to dampen the feel of a smooth pickup
You can apply the precise amount of lead to provide the necessary worm action
Makes it easier for a bass to inhale the worm
Help in placing hooks.
It’s easier to get rid of inconvenience
You can make the worm hang practically suspended above the bottom when fishing in shallow water.
To find out how much lead strip is needed, wrap a lead strip around the hook and bury the barb in the worm. Place it in the water and watch it sink, it should just barely settle towards the bottom. If it sinks too fast, it takes off a bit, etc. A slow descent is the ticket here.
Be sure to use a mono line that is no heavier than 8lbs, preferably 6lbs.
weather matters
In the early spring and fall, bass will crush top water lures such as floating prop types and poppers. They are also likely to take topwater lures when in shallow water, such as along shorelines near overhanging trees.
As the temperature rises and the bass finds itself in the coldest, deepest holes, change your technique. You need something to dredge the bottom. The plastic worm is ideal for this, even the slowest bass will respond when you slowly drag it up its nose.
crankbaits
When fishing for bass in a tidal river, cast crank baits near the mouths of small feeding streams at low tide. Bass hang out where the depth of the water drops, waiting for the crayfish, crabs and minnows to disappear.
bait
One of the best baits for smallmouth bass in rivers is the hellgrammite, the larva of the Dobson fly. Gather these from under rocks in shallow rapids with mesh netting or seine netting. Fish them on fine wire No. 4 or 6 hooks, drifting naturally through ponds and streams below rapids.
A Trick Most Bass Anglers Don’t Know About
Throw a worm onto a flexible branch and turn it back so that its tail touches the water. Then shake the tip of the rod, causing the worm to twist and wriggle just above the surface. Bass will often jump right out of the water to snatch it up.
night fishing
Many fishermen have the idea that sea bass do not see well at night and do not attack. Although it is true that bass cannot see well at night, they have an amazing ability to detect disturbances in the water and zero in on unsuspecting baits. Given this, vibrating lures will cause the most disturbance underwater and are the most effective. You can also drill a small hole in raft or plastic lures to place small BBs in them to make some noise.