Bass Fishing Bait - What Baits Work For Catching Bass, And How To Use?

When fishing for bass there are a variety of baits that work. The key is to understand why each of them work and to only use the correct bait for the situation you are presented with.

In my opinion the spinnerbait is the best bait a bass fisherman can use. It is a versatile lure that you can use in a majority of the situations you will encounter on the water. There are two main varieties of spinnerbaits. One has willow leaf blade and is designed to provide maximum visual attractant to the fish. The blade design creates a large surface to reflect the available sunlight and make the bait visible to the fish.
This type of spinnerbait should be used when you want to attract fish through a sight pattern.

The second form of spinner has what is called an "Indiana" style blade. These blades are rounded with a cupped end. This design creates a great deal of vibration as the bait is retrieved. When attempting to fish using a sound pattern this is the style of bait to use.

The great thing about a spinnerbait is its versatility. By altering the speed of your retrieve you can fish this lure on the surface of the water or as deep as three to four feet with equal success. It allows you to experiment with different pattern of fishing without the need to change lures.

The spinnerbait is also a semi-weedless lure. I have used them through the years with great success in dense lily pads. A favorite approach of mine is to cast directly into the pads, allowing the spinnerbait to drop into pockets. As a spinnerbait drops the rubber skirt flutters on its way to the bottom. The often causes a strike on the drop. When using this technique you need to be ready to set the hook at this time. It is imperative also that you have somewhat heavy line and a stout rod when using this technique.

For deeper water pattern you need to switch baits. The spinnerbait is no longer effective in water that is 6-12 feet deep. For these situations I have two bait choices for you to consider.

If the fish are very active the bait of choice in these situations becomes the crankbait. Crankbaits come in many different shapes. They also have unique diving depths that are creates by the design of the plastic lip of the bait. You should have a variety of styles in your box so that you can accurately present your bait to the bass at the proper depth. Crankbaits are designed to be retrieved much quicker than most other baits. This bait is useful only when the bass are active.