Shopping for Bass Lures:

Seeing the huge amount of fishing lures seems overwhelming because of the huge selection available. Different types, colors, sizes and brands can confuse anyone! We suggest that you consider the specific type of fish you are going to target and the type of equipment (rod and reel) that you intend to use. If you can, figure out the following information about the waters you intend to fish and purchase a couple of lures to cover the variation of depths, water color and cover you may encounter.

Things to Consider:

Depth: Depth is a very important factor in choosing a lure. There are several classifications of lure types, surface, below the surface and deep. Most lures will tell you whether they are a top-water, shallow, medium or deepwater lure. Deep water lures are generally anything that dives deeper than eight feet. Bass tend to be a shallow water fish and like warmer water that is close to deep water escape routes. Try to find out if the water you want to fish is considered a deep lake or a shallow lake. Check out our Map and Lake Links or do an internet search for the water. Finding or purchasing a lake map that shows the depths of the lake can be a great help!

Cover: When fishing weeds, grass or brush use a lure that is classified as weed less to prevent snagging. Most of the time this will involve some type of a guard. Most Spinners are pretty weed less and check out the Soft Plastic section to see how to rig a worm or creature bait weed less.

Temperature: Bass love warm water. But rapidly changing weather can give them lock jaw! Cold water reduces fish activity and it is a good idea to downsize your lure and fish it slower than you normally would. During warm stable weather, Bass are active and they feed readily. This can be a good time to fish spinner baits, crank baits and lipless crank baits.

Choosing Lure Colors: Basic lure color choices are based on water clarity, brightness of day and the food that bass eat. Bass tend to favor, Purples, Blues, Greens and Browns. Chose colors that match the food in the lake like shad, minnows, crawfish and lizards. General rules for choosing lure colors are as follows. Lighter colored lures work the best in clear water. When fishing stained or murky water bright, shiny and fluorescent colors are favored. When fishing on bright days choose lighter colored lures and on dark days or when night fishing choose darker colors.

Lure Sizes: Lures size depends on many factors. The known size of bass in the water your fishing is not generally important because even the smallest of bass will strike a large bait and a large bass will strike a small bait. A general rule is that a large bait will catch a larger fish. Cold and clear water generally require smaller baits. When possible match the size of the lure to the size of the bait fish or forage. When bass are actively feeding they tend to hit larger baits more frequently. Dirty or stained waters require the use of larger and sometimes noisier (rattles) baits.

"Go Fish"
-Matt