If you’re new to bass fishing, you might be puzzled and intimidated by the variety of lures at first glance. However, you do not require a large variety of baits to catch bass, and you definitely don’t need to bring every bait you possess with you on every expedition!

Use low-cost, transparent plastic multipurpose tackle boxes to carry just the lures required for the season and the water type you’ll be fishing in. Throughout the fishing season, this guide will assist you in selecting the baits that work best in clear and muddy lakes. 

Ready to talk bass lures by season? Let’s get started!

Why Do You Need to Choose Different Bass Lures By Season?

Different seasons bring about different water conditions. For example, warm water is less dense and stays on top of the water surface in winter. What does this mean? Bass migrate differently every season, so anglers need to switch up lures accordingly.

Best Fall Lures for Bass

This season, we know that the bass are becoming bigger, chasing shad to the rear of the streams and feasting. So, consider some of the best fall lures for bass mentioned below around creek mouths and near the banks:

• Texas rigged minnow baits: We’re especially talking about zoom fluke-type lures. These will look like the small fish the bass tend to chase.
• Lipless crankbaits: These will be effective in places void of vegetation and nearby deep-water hiding places. Keep in mind to use your map to locate these spots.
• Buzzbaits: The morning bite on buzzbaits is extremely good. The spinnerbait-style bait buzzes over the surface, luring bass from adjacent foliage and other hiding places.

Best Winter Lures for Bass

As you begin to explore off-shore structures for fishing spots, your search lures should be running a bit deeper. Once you’ve had that bite or are prepared to attempt something new, you can consider the best winter lures for bass:

• Carolina rig: Drag a Carolina Rig over deeper areas where you see shelter or along ledges.
• A flutter spoon: These are pretty easy to use. Allow the spoon to fall over the desired spot and wait for the fish to bite. You may try jigging off the bottom a few times to determine whether you can get a bite.
• A drop shot: The drop shot benefits individuals who fish from the bank. You may direct your cast to a specific spot. Fish steadily with a wacky rigged Senko.

Best Bass Lures for Spring and Summer

For some anglers, spring and summer are probably the most challenging seasons. Fish are quite active, the water is colder at the bottom, and various tactics are available for fishing. Here are the best bass lures for spring and summer fishing:

Spring Lures

Thanks to the three bass-fishing seasons, you’ll have no problem determining the stage the bass are in around your lake. Below are some tips for each:

• Pre-spawn season: Deep-diving crankbaits might assist you with locating bass as they move in. You can also suspend jerkbaits and swim jigs. All of these bass lures by season can span a range of depths to assist you in locating the pre-spawn bite.
• Spawn season: This is when your soft plastics will be of assistance. You may toss lizards, crawfish, or worms to bedding bass. The strike will be motivated by hostility instead of hunger. It would be best to convince the bass that your bait is dangerous to their nest. Lightweight Texas rigs or maybe even weightless plastics should suffice in this situation.
• Post-spawn season: You should use a variety of lures throughout this period. 

During the post-spawn, there are pre-spawn and spawn lures accessible. Bass will be scattered, so the thing to remember here is that strikes will almost certainly be driven by violence rather than hunger. Keep this in mind while you select bass Lures by season.

Summer Lures

Summertime brings hotter days and warmer water. Bass will come near shore early in the morning to eat, then migrate to open water near stream channels or deeper structures. 

• Alabama rig: A school of forage in front of a potentially sleepy bass is one method to tempt it. That’s what you’re essentially achieving with an Alabama rig. Attach some soft swimbaits to this rig and work it around ledges, humps, and points.
• Jigs: Working jigs in places where summer bass congregate is an excellent technique to get them out of their hiding place. Cast a circle around any separate cover and transition zones.
• Swimbaits: Swimbaits, hard and soft alike, are excellent choices for summertime bass. Concentrate on the offshore structure and specific spots.

Picking Bass Lures by Season: Final Words

Bass fishing isn’t rocket science, but it does help if you’re familiar with the changes in migrations every season brings. You can’t modify how bass moves from one season to the next, but you can vary the method you fish, the baits you use, and the various colors of those lures.

There are countless lures out there, but you can fit all the essential bass lures by season in a standard tacklebox. Besides picking the best bass lures by season, you can also sort the best lures by water temp – but we’ll leave that for another article.

FAQs

What are good lures for bass fishing?

Bass lures are all effective for bass fishing, such as jigs, crankbaits, plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and swimbaits. Most of them are highly flexible lures that can be used efficiently for bass fishing in most situations all year round.

How to catch bass in the spring?

The most effective way to catch bass during spring is to keep your rod tip down and carefully pull the bait around rocks or other habitats to allow the bass plenty of opportunity to choose bass lures by season. 

People Also Ask

When does the fishing season start?

The first Saturday in April is traditionally considered the start of the fishing season.