Some people like collecting stamps. Others spend a lifetime collecting wine. Others are obsessed with their coin collection. Seasoned anglers like to collect bass lures.

Seriously, we know people with hundreds upon hundreds of every kind of bass fishing lure you can think of, and understandably so. One afternoon on the water with those babies, and you’ll go home with a cooler full of largemouth bass. The secret lies in the bait you use.

Finding the best bass lures can be a daunting task for novice anglers, especially if you have no clue which one to get for the specific fishing technique you intend to use. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide on the top five bass lures that you should always have in your tackle bag.

Bass Jigs

Top on our list of the best bass lures is jigs. These are by far some of the most versatile baits you’ll come across. A single jig will allow you to traverse an entire body of water regardless of the season. You can use them in areas where other lures would not be able to get to and in a variety of many different ways.

If you asked a seasoned angler to pick only one lure if they had to choose, chances are, they would go with a jig. Different types of jigs exist for specific fishing techniques.

The most popular of these has to be the Arkie jig. You can use them with any kind of fishing style you can think of. You can swim them, skip them, flip and pitch them, or even use them to work deep-structure. It doesn’t get any more versatile than that.

When using a bass jig, you’ll typically need to pair them with some kind of a trailer. Pro anglers usually rig them with an imitation craw trailer. Those who prefer to swim them will usually use a paddle tail swimbait trailer. It is ultimately a matter of preference.

The other great thing about fishing with jigs is how effective they are in getting big bass to bite. Their success rate is a lot higher than any other type of lure you use. However, mastering the art of using these baits takes a lot of time and a lot more practice. It’s all worth it in the end.

The great thing about them is – you can also use them for fishing in areas with thick weed cover without worrying about your bait getting snagged on brush or vegetation. This is thanks, in large part, to the weed guard and strong wire hooks that come with it, which also perform well in rocky areas. As far as high-performance bass jigs go, the Thkfish lures are one of the best fishing baits on the market right now. Bass find their bright colors and their realistic swimming action hard to resist. Even their rattle gives off a nice sound.

All in all, if you’re looking for a high-quality bass jig, the Thkfish is hard to beat.

Crankbaits

This is yet another highly effective bass lure if you need to cover a large area in a short time. These are a great option for anglers targeting fish in or around deep cover and open water. Nonetheless, that is not to say you can’t use them in various other fishing settings. They perform quite well in any condition you can think of.

Crankbaits come in a wide variety of different weights, shapes, sizes, and running depths. The specific one you pick will depend on the depth of the water you’re fishing in.

When it comes to catching bass, the crankbait you chose is proportional to how successful you’ll be once you hit the water. This is because a large part of crankbait fishing revolves around straight-retrieve casting and reeling. As a result, you need to be intentional about the color of the lure you pick for the specific diving depth you’ll be fishing in.

Although a straight retrieve for catching bass works most of the time, randomly jerking the tip of the rod gives the bait some erratic action, which helps trigger more bites.

We especially like that you can use them in both freshwater and saltwater. This particular brand of baits comes with a steel ball inside, allowing you to cast farther into the distance and create a bit of noise to allow the bass to easily sense them.

If you intend to take crankbait bass fishing seriously, having a single lure won’t cut it. You’re going to need several of them to cater to different fishing situations. If you’re a beginner, the YONGZHI crankbaits are a great option to consider. The pack comes with lures in a wide range of different colors with life-like swimming action.

Whether you plan to fish for bass around brush and stumps or in steep rocky ledges and banks, the YONGZHI crankbaits are a great option to consider.

Topwater Lures

There’s nothing more exciting for an angler than the sight of bass leaping out of the water to engulf their bait. The sheer joy you get from it is second to none. That’s why topwater lures exist. They are not only highly effective in catching bass but also a ball-of-fun to use whether you’re fishing in a hatchery or lake.

Topwater baits are designed to cause subtle ripples and popping sounds on the water’s surface. The idea is to create the impression of prey in distress, which is a sound that the bass cannot resist. The drawback to using these baits is that bass charging up from beneath the water surface may occasionally miss them in their attempts to engulf them.

For best results, topwater fishing is done in dimly-lit conditions like those in the early morning, late afternoon, or on an overcast day.

The wind also plays a critical role in your fishing success when using these baits. Windy weather makes the water choppy. As a result, it becomes difficult for the bass to see the lures as opposed to fishing in calm conditions. Keep this in mind when choosing the right size and color of the topwater lure you intend to buy.

Its most outstanding features are the two distinct sounds and motions they produce depending on how you hold the rod tip. You can work them quickly across the surface to mimic a panicked prey or twitch it slowly like a meal that’s dying.

Either way, you’re in for a fantastic time.The Rebel Pop-R is by far one of the most effective topwater bass baits we’ve encountered. Several anglers have won hundreds of thousands of dollars using this particular lure in bass tournaments.

Rubber Worms

Rubber Worms

$16.99 Amazon 

Another useful, cost-effective form of bait are rubber worms. Keep in mind that these aren’t the generic variety you’re probably thinking of. These particular ones are so life-like that bass can’t tell the difference when they engulf them. They feel identical to natural worms.

As a result, the bass latches on to them longer than they do any other type of lure. There are, of course, several tricks you can use to increase your success rate.

Additionally, no other lure in existence allows you to rig as weedless as rubber worms do. You can bury your hook point into their body, making them completely snag-proof, which is great for fishing in areas with very thick weed covers. Once you set the hook, the point exposes itself, which is a critical component in worm fishing.

There are several different ways to rig a rubber worm. The technique you use depends on the kind of presentation you’re looking to achieve. Some of the most popular rigs include the Drop Shot rig, the Carolina rig, the Ned rig, the Wacky rig, and the Texas rig.

While all of them are pretty decent, the Texas rig is by far the most effective, which is why most bass anglers like to use it. It is completely weedless, making it an ideal choice if you intend to fish in areas with heavy vegetation without getting caught in the cover.

With so many different sizes, colors, and styles of rubber worms on the market, the choice of one over the other all comes down to the fishing conditions you’re casting in.

The XFISHMAN Senko Worms are a hit among many seasoned fishermen. For whatever reason, these lures flat out catch bass. Any time you have a tough bite on your hands, these are your best bet.

We like the fact that they are remarkably easy to use. All you have to do is rig it straight on to the hook, cast it, and let it sink. Its tantalizing tail wiggles as it falls through the water column is irresistible to bass. The folks at XFISHMAN call this the “fatal quiver.” You can use them for a weightless rig, a Carolina rig, a Wacky rig, or a Texas rig. You can’t go wrong with them.

Spinnerbaits

SILANON Bass Spinnerbaits

$14.99 Amazon 

If you plan to cover a lot of water quickly, these lures are your best chance of getting bass to bite. We like how simple they are to fish and that they are fairly weedless. The most effective technique to use when fishing with spinnerbaits is the straight-retrieve.

Although their appearance is somewhat odd and their action in the water looks a little unnatural, you’ll be surprised by how effective these lures are. As they move through the water, all bass sees is the flash from the head/skirt and the blade.

These baits consist of one or more spinning blades that dangle from one end of a bent wire. The idea is for the spinning blades to attract the attention of the bass through their peculiar sight and whirring sound. The flash emanating from the spinning blade causes vibrations in the water, which resonate across several yards drawing the attention of fish at a distance.

The blades come in a wide variety of styles, which all determine the level of resistance they have in the water. This causes each of them to give off a slightly different presentation, profile, and speed as it glides through the water.

Three of the most popular blades for bass fishing are the Indiana blade, the Colorado blade, and the Willow blade. They come in different weights, with the most common ones ranging between ¼ and ¾ oz. The specific weight you pick depends on the depth at which you’re fishing.

As far as spinnerbait fishing goes, no company understands the game better than Free Fisher. Their range of hard-metal spinning lures is a total game-changer. They come with razor-sharp carbon steel hooks and are optimized for fishing in the swimming layer.

They are quite effective when crawled across the lake or river floor, especially when fished slowly using the deep-lift-and-drop technique. If you’re looking for a high-performance lure that works well in a variety of fishing settings, the Free Fisher spinnerbait is your best bet.

Bass Fishing and Lure Selection

Bass fishing is a mental sport. The best bass lures are the ones that give you the greatest amount of confidence in their ability to reel in a sizable catch.

Black bass, for instance, is the most sought-after game fish in the US. Anglers spend quite a bit of money on equipment for them. A large number of tackles on the market are made with a special focus for catching these fish.

As enticing as newer lure designs may be, keep in mind that they need to attract bass and not the anglers.

Cost vs Confidence

Bass Fishing and Lure Selection

The lure you use for bass fishing can be as modest or as high-tech as you want it to be. Seasoned anglers can catch bass using nothing more than a simple fishing rod and a tackle off the shore.

The point is – although top-of-the-line bass rods and fancy tackles may get the job done, focusing more on technique will increase your chances of success significantly.

Choose the Best Bass Lures for Fishing Success

With so many different kinds of bass lures in the market, figuring out the best one can be a daunting task. Each of the ones we’ve detailed in this guide has a different mastery level and a different success rate depending on the waters and conditions you’re fishing in.

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned angler, use the information we’ve provided in this guide to help you find the best lures for your style of bass fishing.

If you’re completely new to the sport, check out our beginners guide on how to fish.