How to Pick the Best Bass Fishing Lures for Beginners

Bass is one of the most sought-after fish!!! Why? It’s the fight when landing a largemouth or smallmouth bass. What sucks is casting all day and not landing one at all – not even a bite. Is this you? Using the best bass lures makes it easier, as does technique. But with so many to choose from, and having bass anglers throwing every lure at you, how do you pick lures to catch bass that ACTUALLY work?!?

In this post, we’ll cover the best bass fishing lures that even beginners can use. It covers the different types of lures, including soft plastic lures and bass fishing spinners, and shares tips and techniques to help you catch more fish. We’ll even share the best bass lure brands that we use to land largemouth and smallmouth bass.

So, let’s land that big fish with the right bass lures for pre-spawn fishing, summer fishing and even night fishing.

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Understand Bass Basics Before Buying Bass Fishing Lures

Did you know that 70% of strikes happen near cover? Bass chase shallow in the spring and early fall, then go deep in the summer and winter. So, when you’re choosing a fishing lure for bass, make sure you pick a lure that works for the local lake you are fishing. Remember: in clear water, use subtle baits and in murky, muddy waters, go bright. Let’s see how water conditions affect lure choice.

How Does Water Temperature Affect Lure Choice?

Water temperature plays a huge role in determining how willing the bass is to strike. In cold waters, bass are sluggish and less likely to chase down fast-moving lures. Therefore, use slower, more subtle lures such as a high-quality jig or a soft plastic worm. On the other hand, in warmer water, bass are active and aggressive, making topwater lures or fast-moving crankbaits a better choice.

What About Water Clarity?

Bass rely more on vision to locate prey. In clear water, use subtle artificial lures that resemble natural baitfish or critters. When fishing murky or muddy water, use baits with a larger profile or fishing lures that create more vibration or noise to help the bass locate and strike your bait. Fish, in general, will often sense a lure’s vibration and begin the chase long before they actually see the fishing lure. Chartreuse coloured lures work amazingly well in stained waters.

Weather Lures Bass

Weather conditions also play a big role in selecting fishing lures. On bright, sunny days, bass seek shelter in deeper water or under cover. Work your lures in these areas using a curl-tail jig or Texas-rigged soft plastic. On cloudy or overcast days, bass are more likely to roam and feed in shallower water, making topwater lures or shallow-running crankbaits a better choice.

Where in the World are the Bass Feeding?

Depth – know where the bass are feeding! Are the fish actively feeding on the surface or near the bottom? Or are the bass suspended in the water column, which can be the most difficult area to fish?

Top Lure Types for Beginner Bass Anglers

All artificial lures are engineered to imitate a specific type of baitfish or prey. Your chances of success greatly increase when you know which types of bass lures to select, the colour, timing and presentation. Your job as an angler is to closely mimic the local baitfish in the waters that you are fishing.

Hard Baits: Crankbaits and Bass Fishing Spinners

Crankbaits are the most common type of bass fishing lure and the easiest bass lure for beginners and kids to use. They dive quickly and are very effective at imitating injured or fleeing baitfish by creating erratic movements that entice bass to strike.

Know the diving depth of a crankbait, as it allows you to target specific areas of the water column where bass are likely to be feeding. Go too deep, and all you’re doing is deweeding the lake!

Lipped vs Lipless Crankbait for Largemouth Bass

There are different types of crankbait bass fishing lures, like lipless and lipped. The diving lip allows the crankbait to dive to a specific depth when retrieved. Diving depth varies with the size and shape of the lip. Lipless crankbaits are the most effective bass fishing lure types for early spring and fall, and are perfect for shallow water, but can be used at any depth.

• Colour Choice: Opt for colours similar to the waterbody’s baitfish, such as green pumpkin (my fav!!!), bluegill, and natural, which do better in cold water. In warmer waters, use bright colours, like chartreuse. My go-to colour for early summer is a bright blue with a chartreuse belly.
• Where to Use a Crankbait: Cranks are great in areas with submerged structures or when bass are actively chasing fast-moving prey.
• Fishing Rod Choice: Use a rod with more flex, with an action of 50/50 or 60/40, with a soft rod tip. Bass hate being caught! Hard tips make it easier for the bass to fling off. Use a rod that is between 6’6″ and 7’6″. My crank rod is 6’6″, whereas hubby prefers a 7’1″ rod.

Crankbait Fishing Techniques

With crankbaits, the key is to mimic the movements of injured or fleeing baitfish. Make sure you delay setting the hook – give the bass a chance to swallow. Once you use a long cast to cast out your crankbait, there are a few techniques you can use:

1. Use a steady pace to reel in the lure. Vary the speed (which affects depth) of your retrieve to imitate the erratic movements of wounded baitfish.
2. Another technique is to reel quickly with pauses in between.
3. Or burn the lure and sweep the rod occasionally to get the fishing lure to bounce off a hard bottom and get that reaction strike.
4. Learn how to hover over vegetation – it elicits massive strikes.

Spinnerbaits

Spinnerbaits are my husband’s favourite. Bass fishing spinners consist of 1 or more metal blades that spin with a skirted jig on the opposite end. As you retrieve the fishing lure through the water, the blade(s) create vibrations and flashes mimicking a small school of baitfish, catching the attention of nearby bass.

When nothing else is working, spinnerbaits will hook a bass! Spinners work great in murky water or when the bass is actively feeding on the surface. It’s our go-to when dealing with heavy weed cover.

• Colour Choice: Bass love spinnerbaits in chartreuse with a pinch of orange or in black and blue. Start with a 1/2 oz.
• Where to Use a Spinnerbait: Fishing weedbeds or brush piles. Unlike triple hooks, the spinnerbait is better at breaking through weeds. The lure pops and bounces off the weeds, which triggers a good reaction strike.
• Fishing Rod Choice: Use a medium-heavy rod. For beginners, you can get away with using a spinning rod, but a baitcaster is much preferred. It allows for greater control. FYI – There is a learning curve to using a casting rod.

Spinnerbait Techniques for Bass Fishing

With a spinnerbait, you need to master proper techniques; otherwise, you’re wasting your time.

1. Start by casting the spinnerbait out and reeling it in at a medium speed. If you’re not getting bites, try adding a trailer.
2. Another technique is to slow down and slow-roll along the bottom. The slower the retrieve, the deeper it goes.
3. You can also speed up and burn the lure just under the surface – this doesn’t give the bass time to look (and think), leading to a massive reaction strike.

Jigs and Topwater Lures

Jigs are another must-have bass fishing lure. These lures consist of a weighted head and a trailer, which can be a soft plastic lure or a skirted jig. Bass fishing jigs are incredibly functional and can be fished using various methods, such as dragging them along the bottom or flipping them into heavy cover.

Their realistic appearance and slow, methodical movements often trigger bass to strike. When you find your other bass fishing lures not producing results, this is the time when you want to use a jig.

• Colour Choice: Natural colours work best.
• Where to Use a Jig: Fishing in heavy cover or at the bottom of the lake.
• Fishing Rod Choice: Use a medium-heavy rod. For beginners, you can get away with using a spinning rod, but a baitcaster is much preferred. Note, there is a learning curve to using a casting rod, but it allows for greater control.

Effective Jigging Techniques

The best use of jigs is to cast the bass fishing jig out and let it sink to the bottom. Once the jig reaches the desired depth, use a series of short hops and pauses to imitate a crayfish or other bottom-dwelling prey. Pay close attention to any subtle taps or pressure on the line, which could indicate a bass has taken the bait. Also, aim for an instant hookset with jigs, as fish will spit the lure out quickly when they bite on all that metal.

Best Jigs for Bass and Our Favourite:

Nishine Football Jig, Nishine Smelt Head, MegaBass Okashira Head

Bass Fishing Topwater Lures

Bass fishing topwater lures conjure up an explosive strike. These fishing lures excel in calm water conditions or when bass actively feed near the surface. Bass love swimming under lily pads – using a frog will help you skip the pads and entice a bite.

Buzz bait, frogs, whopper ploppers, walking bait, poppers, darters, prop baits, crawlers, etc, are all considered surface lures (topwater).

• Colour Choice: Look for colours in green, green pumpkin, chartreuse, white or blue.
• Where to Use a Topwater Lure: Near lily pads, under docks, and weedy shorelines. Summer dawn is the perfect time to use a topwater lure.
• Fishing Rod Choice: Use a medium-powered rod with a fast tip. You’ll want to use a shorter rod between 6’6″ and 7′.

Best Topwater Lures for Bass and Our Favourites:

Poppers: Shimano World Pop, Megabass Popmax
Walking Bait: Teckle Kicknocker, MegaBass Karashi
Buzzbait: Megabass Jamaica Boa
Whopper Plopper: River2Sea 110 (4 3/8″)

Soft Plastics Like Worms and Craws

Every beginner should have soft plastic lures in their tackle box. These plastic baits for bass come in various shapes and sizes, including worms, creature baits, bass fishing swimbaits, plastic craws, and tube bait, and can be rigged with different hooks and weights. You’ll also notice that the tails vary from straight to curl-tail.

Plastics are more of a “finesse” technique and can be rigged in various fashions like the wacky rig, Texas rig, drop shot or Carolina rig. Texas rigs are the go-to for heavy weed cover and shallow water – a favourite method amongst tournament anglers. Drop shot is suited for the times you want to set your worm at a specific depth off the bottom. You can also set up drop shots in a weedless fashion. Carolina rigs are suitable for fishing deep water.

• Colour Choice: Opt for bright-coloured soft plastic lures in murky water and natural colours in clear water. Over the years, our go-to plastic worms have been natural in colour with a yellow curl-tail or black with a pink fire tail.
• Where to Use a Soft Plastic: Soft plastics are especially effective when bass are in a more sluggish, less aggressive mood.
• Fishing Technique: The key to using soft plastic baits effectively is to imitate the movement and behaviour of natural prey. No straight retrieve! When was the last time you saw a worm crawl or swim in a straight line?
• Fishing Rod Choice: Depending on the technique, you’ll want to use a lighter medium action rod between 6’5″ and 7′ long. Some anglers will opt for a medium, fast action – again, it all depends on the setup. If you’re using a ned rig, you’ll want a light-powered rod.

Best Soft Plastic Baits for Bass and Our Favourite:

Yamamoto Senko 5″ Worms, MegaBass Hazedong, Geecrack Bellows Gill

Your Lure Presentation Matters!

Remember to vary your presentation if things aren’t working! The bass may be chasing down fast-moving prey or prefer slower-moving offerings. Sometimes, the lure is not the issue, but rather the speed of the retrieve. Be sure to change your retrieval to see if it sparks more bites.

If you’re having one of those days where nothing seems to work, try changing lures from vertical to horizontal presentation, and vice versa.

Remember, the key to success is to have a varied selection of lures in your tackle box. Bass will not respond to the same old fishing lure used every time, especially in busy open water with anglers throwing everything at them.

Buying Your First Best Bass Fishing Lure

Look for good bass fishing lures with sharp hooks and strong line ties. You don’t need to spend a fortune on largemouth bass fishing lures. A budget of $5 to $10 per lure is a great starting point. Brands like Berkley, Strike King, and Z-Man make excellent lures for bass fishing.

As you master bass fishing, you can then move up to better bass lure brands like Megabass, 6th Sense, Raid Japan, etc. Lures in this category cost about $20 and up. They tend to last longer, come with extra sharp hooks, and look more realistic. I am a huge fan of Megabass, and it’s pretty much all I use. Until I got a bass lure from Raid Japan for my birthday, and I’m in love!!! Altough, not with the price!

My son experiments with everything under the sun, and my hubby has his favourites, which include Megabass, Z-Man, Shimano, and a few others.

Rigging Basics for Max Bites

Remember to always test and tweak your lure setup! I’m not kidding! Test the fluorocarbon line before buying! Tie a knot and pull as hard as you can. If it snaps, try another spool. You wouldn’t believe how many of the new spools have dried-out line.

• If using a braided line, some anglers add a fluoro leader to prevent tangling when using certain lures, like poppers. A good rule of thumb is to use 2x the length of your arm. J-Braid X8 Grand in 20 lbs is one we use and highly recommend.
• 10-12 lb fluorocarbon is a great all-around fishing line, especially for cranks and jigs. For finesse fishing (Ned rigs, drop shot), opt for a 6-8 lb line. In fluoro, we use Daiwa’s J-Fluoro line in 15 to 20 lbs – we opted for a heavier line, which has worked out really well with the lures and type of fishing we do.
• Use weedless hooks with soft plastics to fish through heavy cover. These hooks prevent snags in grass and weeds. A couple of great hook brands are Zappu Bellows Hook and Owner Range Roller. Rule of thumb is to make your hook small enough without compromising the lures profile/shape. Start with a 2/0 for finesse fishing, for bulkier bass baits start with a 3/0 or 4/0.
• Use weights on plastics for a natural fall. For finesse fishing, use a 1/8 oz. and a 1/4 oz. for punching through thick vegetation.

Tips for Maintaining Your First Bass Fishing Lure

You can spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, on fishing lures, only to lose a catch to damaged lures. After a day of fishing, most anglers will mindlessly toss wet fishing lures into a tackle box only to find the lure peeling or hooks rusting.

In fishing, nothing is more gut-wrenching when you hook a good-sized bass, and it suddenly breaks, or the hook is not sharp enough to puncture the lip. Multiply this by 10 if it’s your only hookup all day! Here are a few housekeeping tips to ensure the longevity of your fishing lures:

1. Clean your lures after each fishing trip. Remove excess dirt or debris with a soft cloth or towel. Then, rinse the fishing lures thoroughly with fresh water to remove any remaining residue.
2. Inspect your bass lures for any signs of damage, such as bent hooks, chipped paint, or loose parts. Make sure you replace damaged or rusted hooks and/or split rings.
3. Store your bass lures in a fishing tackle box or trays. This keeps them organized and makes switching on the water easier. Plano and BassMafia make awesome trays that last.
4. I don’t bother with this, but some anglers use lure sealant or nail polish to keep their lures from chipping and to maintain colour.
5. Store your bass fishing lures in a cool, dry place to prolong their lifespan.

Where to Buy the Best Bass Baits and Lures

Bass lures can be found everywhere! You can find affordable bass fishing lures available in Canadian stores like Canadian Tire, BassPro and Sail. For mid to higher-end lures, check out local Canadian specialty stores like Peterborough’s Tackle Bros or The Hook Up in the US. These stores often have knowledgeable staff who can provide advice and recommendations based on their experience, your skill level, water body, and, of course, budget.

A word to the wise – knowledgeable staff tend to sell you what they use in their particular body of water, what may not be selling well in the store or the latest, expensive, untested lures – so be careful when putting your trust into others. Check with your fishing buddies first or ask around.

If you prefer to go the online route, you at least have access to customer reviews, an extensive selection of fishing lures and discounts. Making it easier to find affordable yet effective fishing lures for beginners.

Don’t Make These Mistakes When Choosing a Bass Lure

Don’t just chase after popular lures because everyone talks about them. Bass behave differently depending on water and weather conditions. What works now might not work tomorrow. Instead, learn what makes each lure special and how it suits the water you’re fishing in. Try different options and see what bass respond to in your spot. It’s better to understand your lures than to follow every trend. Doing so will definitely break the bank!

• Matching Lure Size to Target Bass: Using an inappropriate fishing lure size drops your chances of catching fish. Larger lures are better for larger, hungrier bass. Smaller lures are great for shy or smaller fish. Pick a lure that matches their size and feeding habits. This way, you’re more likely to get bites and hook more fish.
• Overcomplicating Purchases: Don’t buy a ton of different bass lures right away. It can be confusing and a total waste of money. Start with some plastics, a crankbait, and a topwater lure. Learn how to use these bass fishing lures before adding more to your collection.
• Lack of Adaptability: Being flexible is key in bass fishing. If your lure isn’t working, don’t stick to the same one. Try different lures, colours and techniques.

Recommended Bass Fishing Lures Resources

There are so many resources out there to help you master everything from fishing techniques to gear selection. The best way to learn is to practice, ask a friend for help, or hire an experienced fishing guide.

Otherwise, read popular books like “Bass Fishing 101” by Kevin VanDam or “In Pursuit of Giant Bass” by Bill Murphy. Our favourite is the Total Fishing Manual series by Field & Stream. These books are easy to read and add a bit of humour. They cover tips and tricks that help anglers improve their skills without overcomplicating things. It’s a mix of learning and having fun, which makes them popular even with seasoned fishermen.

If you’re more of a visual learner, check out BassFishingHQ or Mike Iaconelli on YouTube. Both are excellent channels offering tips and tricks for bass fishing.

Other than that, you can always join online forums for answer-specific questions related to local spots, techniques, and lesser-known gear. Two awesome forums are: BassResource.com and Bassfishin.com.

Conclusion: Finding the Perfect Bass Fishing Lures for Beginners

Selecting the best bass fishing lures for beginners can increase your success rate by 35%! To kick off your bass fishing trip, be sure to include a variety of lures: a selection of soft plastics, crankbaits, a spinner, and a couple of topwater lures. This assortment will give you a fantastic start and help you catch bass quickly!

👉  Be sure to tag us on Instagram with your first catch and let us know which lure worked for you. Or share with someone who you think could use these helpful tips. Thank you!

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