How to Use Bass Fishing Lures

Bass fishermen have a huge array of lures available to entice both largemouth and smallmouth bass to bite. Bass fishing lures range from plastics shaped like worms and frogs to more complicated crank baits and top water lures such as buzz baits. All bass lures are designed to resemble something that a bass would want to make a meal out of, but knowing how to fish them is important.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

How to Use Bass Fishing Lures

Step 1

Use a crank bait to fish for bass in deep water. Crank baits are built with a lip on them and most of them will float. The lip forces the entire bait down when the angler retrieves it rapidly. This allows the fisherman to start the bait out on the top of the pond or lake, and then make it dive down. Bass will follow crank bait and hit it from behind. Reel these baits in slow, then fast, and use them where the water is deep and free of any weeds. Let them bump off submerged structure such as boulders and stumps, and bring them in with a stop-and-go technique for the best results. Do not set the hook hard when a bass bites or you risk ripping them out.

Step 2

Try a buzz bait in shallow water full of weeds. Cast the buzz bait right onto the weeds or lily pads, and begin to reel it in immediately. These baits have a "propeller" built in that keeps them from getting tangled in the weeds. Cast the buzz bait into an open spot in the weeds, and then pull it over them; bass lurk beneath lily pads and other aquatic vegetation, looking to ambush insects and frogs. The blades on a buzz bait churn up the water and attract the attention of a bass as it goes along.

Step 3

Utilize a popper at dawn and at dusk to catch bass. Poppers such as the famous Hula Popper are made to look like creatures such as frogs or injured fish that bass will rise up under and gobble down. Fish a popper only when the water is calm. Bring this bass lure in at a painfully slow pace with just a twitch of the rod every 10 to 20 seconds. One advantage about using a popper is that it can be fished in deep or shallow water, but try to use them only in clear water.

Step 4

Be sure to always carry a variety of soft plastic baits. Use them to fish for bass along the edges of weed beds and near structures such as fallen trees, logs, stumps and docks. Cast plastic worms and plastic creature baits such as lizards and crayfish next to structures; let them sink for a second, and then retrieve them at different speeds. When the weed cover is very heavy, rig these plastic baits to be weedless by using a hook with a weed guard on it so that the bait does not snag. Cast them into open areas near weeds or on top, and reel them in slowly.

Step 5

Use a spoon lure in deep open water. Cast a spoon as far as you can and bring it back to you with a steady retrieving action. Try to have a number of different colored spoons in your tackle box to use when one is not producing any bites. Avoid weedy or shallow water where spoons will get hung up.

Resources

Bass resource website

Article Written By John Lindell

John Lindell has written articles for "The Greyhound Review" and various other online publications. A Connecticut native, his work specializes in sports, fishing and nature. Lindell worked in greyhound racing for 25 years.

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