How to Choose Lures for Bass Fishing

People who are inexperienced at fishing think they can just put a worm on a hook and call it a lure. Not so, as anyone who spends time on the water can tell you. When you're trying for bass, certain lures work better than others, and it's a matter of bringing specific elements together at the right time. Here's how to choose the right lures for bass fishing.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Learn all you can about the bass in the waters you fish. This entails finding out what they eat: insects, other fish or frogs. Choose a lure that's similarly colored and shaped like their food to ensure more success in bass fishing.

2. Research the different types of lures. Once you figure out if this is how you want to spend some of your spare time, you can learn more about specific lures and how they attract bass. There are crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs and topwaters.

3. Buy colored lures. Bass fishing lures are available in an array of colors, so take advantage of the variety. Experienced anglers use blue and black lures frequently for bass, but they're also available in red and green.

4. Choose colored lures according to the weather and time of day. On a clear, sunny day, a white lure works best for bass, while overcast days call for a brighter colored lure. When embarking on a night-fishing expedition, choose dark-colored lures.

5. Threaten the spring spawning. If you're taking advantage of the warmer months for bass fishing, know that this is when they spawn. You should therefore choose a lure that resembles a salamander or other small, live threat to their spawning beds to encourage bites.

6. Check the water conditions. If the waters you're fishing are murky, a bright lure is the best choice. When you can't see anything in the water, the lure should be not only bright, but shiny and noisy as well. On days when the water is clear, choose a lure that imitates the bass food supply.

7. Consider your budget. If you have money to spend on your lure supply, then have some fun in the sporting goods store, and stock up on a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. If you're new to the sport or are on a limited budget, start out with a supply of plastic worms, a couple of jigs and some white spinner bait.

Tips & Warnings

• Before baiting your hook, make sure that your hands are free from odors, as bass have a very keen sense of smell.
• If you're fishing unfamiliar waters, make a point to stop at the local tackle and bait shop to ask the locals what types of lures work best.
• When choosing your lure, you might want to add something with a little bit of red that looks like blood and will imitate injured bass prey.

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Resources

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[BassFishingNut]

on 11/8/2008 Tube lures work great on spawning fish as well.

[jfmalewitz]

on 6/7/2008 Thanks for the advice. I am researching the advantages of bass lures, and this helped.