Fly Fishing

From the east coast of the United States to the west coast, sport fishing for bass is one of the most enjoyed summertime sporting events. Professionals and amateurs enter tournaments as well as simply having a bass fishing weekend or go on daily trips to a favorite lake.

In addition to being a very popular sporting event, bass fishing is also considered an art. For success, it is critical to choose the best bass fishing lures to use by thinking about the behavior of the fish, water temperature, water conditions and seasonal movements.

There are any number of freshwater bass fishing lures that are customarily used in places where bass tend to exist. The many types of bass include small and large-mouthed bass, peacock, stripped, spotted, and white bass. Each one of these groups is fished using a different size and type of bait. Common bass fishing lures can include:

Swimbaits - these bass baits are streamlined and sectioned throughout the body to produce an almost exact duplicate of a minnow’s swimming movement. They are colored like the bait fish in the area; and, on the whole, the shad colors are the most popular. The swimbait can harbor one single hook, a treble hook or a series of hooks.

Crankbait - these bass fishing lures may be used at any water depth, from near the surface, mid-level and really deep. Depending on the depth of use and the action that you want to get from them, crankbaits can have a lip or may be lipless. These baits typically are shaped like very thick minnows and they are known to attract the fish due to the of the movements they make going through the water, when the lure is “cranked” or reeled in.

Crankbait - these bass fishing lures may be used at any water depth including deep, mid-level, or very close to the top. Crankbaits come with or without a lip, which is dependent on the depth at which they are used and the action that the fisherman desires to get from them. Crankbaits are most often shaped to resemble thick minnows and they attract fish when they move through the water while the lure is being reeled in.

Topwater baits - these particular bass fishing lures are used on the water’s surface. They float and are moved in order to attract bass feeding just below the surface. Topbaits are usually rattlebaits or buzzbaits and actually utilize the movement along the surface of the water to produce a sound or vibration that helps attract bass. Or, they may have small propellers to make a splashing sound when they are cutting through the surface of the water.

Bass fishing lures also may include trolling baits, worms, and live bait fish. Usually the lures will be brightly colored for fishing in bright conditions and deeper waters. More naturally-colored lures are for fishing in shallow and cloudy water found near the shoreline.