Each year, bass anglers are inundated with new lure offerings from countless companies each claiming they have the best bass lures for catching largemouth bass. Trying to choose which individual baits are the best bass lures can be nothing short of overwhelming.
The good news for anglers is that each lure on the market fits into a category of bass baits, so rather than trying to figure out which individual bait is best, it can be more helpful to try to understand which category of bass lures work the best.
Once you understand which types of bass baits work best, you can begin to narrow down your search for the all-time best bass lures. Here is a list of the top five types of bass baits.
Plastic worms
It is tough to beat plastic worms, when it comes to catching bass. Millions of largemouth bass are caught each year using a plastic worm, making it the overwhelming favorite for many anglers.
There are a number of factors that make plastic worms effective. The most significant is that they have a life-like look and feel to them, making them irresistible to bass. Plastic worms are also very versatile. They are sold in a wide range of colors and sizes and can be fished in a variety of ways. Fast, slow, top, bottom, Carolina rig, Texas rig, there are countless different methods by which plastic worms can take bass.
Crankbaits
Largemouth bass feed heavily on smaller fish and crayfish, which is a key reason crankbaits are one of the best bait choices. Crankbaits effectively imitate these food sources, which is why they catch so many bass.
Like plastic worms, crankbaits come in a wide range of colors and sizes, which makes them quite versatile. They also allow anglers to cover large areas of water relatively quickly, which can result in more fish in the boat.
Spinner baits
It may be argued that crankbaits and spinner baits are equally effective at catching largemouth bass. Spinner baits are flashy, colorful and grab a fish’s attention with the noise and vibration they make in the water.
Unlike plastic worms or crankbaits, spinner baits do not specifically imitate a source of food, but they are nonetheless deadly when it comes to catching bass. Spinner baits have the added advantage of being weedless, so they can be fished in heavy cover with little problem. They also allow anglers quickly cover large areas of water.
Jigs
No largemouth bass angler should be without a large selection of jigs. They are versatile, coming in a variety of sizes and colors. They also can be fished using a number of different methods, which adds to their value as one of the top categories of bass baits.
The downside of jigs is that they take a bit more skill to fish. Anglers need a soft touch for flipping and pitching. In addition, jigs do not allow an angler to cover as much water as other categories of baits. However when it comes to taking large bass, jigs are definitely among the best choices.
Top-water baits
It can be argued that the most exciting bait to catch a bass on is a top-water bait. When that fish breaks the surface to hit your bait, the adrenaline rush is unmatched.
Top-water baits are not as versatile as other categories of bass baits, but under the right conditions, such as low light or nighttime on a calm surface, top-water baits can be deadly. They create enticing commotion on the surface and imitate natural food sources that are often found swimming on the surface.
