Wes Littlefield 07.07.25
Bass anglers are always looking for a leg up on these tiny-brained green (sometimes bronze) creatures of the water. We often resort to the latest and greatest technologies and the best bait for bass to get that edge. Some anglers will find my list controversial, while others will recognize its greatness. Let’s find out which side you’re on.
Best Bait for Bass
I’ll argue from sunup to sundown that the best bait for bass is live bait. You can’t beat it. When I struggle to get a bite, busting out some shiners or worms instantly increases my odds of getting a bite. Granted, you’ll have to weed through other species. I catch crappie, sunfish, catfish, and just about everything else in the water when using live bait.
Live bait works the best because it’s what the bass are used to eating. It looks, smells, and feels real, because it is. You’re not trying to trick them into eating something they typically wouldn’t.
The best live baits for bass are:
- Shiners (minnows)
- Crawfish (crayfish)
- Hellgrammites
- Nightcrawlers (worms)
- Leeches
- Grasshoppers
- Cicadas (locust)
How well these bass baits work depends on the species of bass you’re targeting (largemouth have a slightly different diet than smallmouth and spotted bass), where, and what time of year you’re fishing.
In my experience, shiners are great for all species of bass. Crawfish and nightcrawlers are excellent bait for smallmouth and largemouth. Grasshoppers and cicadas work best for largemouth. Hellgrammites and leeches are excellent smallmouth baits. However, bass are opportunistic feeders. This means the species will eat what’s in front of them when given the chance.
Bass have also been known to eat baby birds/ducks, frogs, snakes, and turtles, but I don’t recommend using these as bait. Lastly, always be conscious of your local fishing laws, as some live baits are illegal to use or dispose of in certain water bodies.
Best Bass Lures
I understand that tournament anglers can’t use live bait, so artificial lures are a must. Like live bait, artificial baits work better in specific environments, at particular times of year, and for various species. You can mix and match colors and styles to experiment with what the bass want that day. Lure companies constantly develop new lures, so anglers have something new to show heavily pressured bass. However, many lures continue to work, even after decades of use.
- Plastic worms
- Jigs
- Spinnerbaits
- Crankbaits
- Topwaters
Let’s dive a little deeper into each type of lure.
There are so many plastic worm variations, but the one that reigns supreme is the Yamamoto Senko. The Senko catches bass when others can’t. I love it because it can be rigged just about any way you want. I catch a ton of smallmouth and largemouth bass by wacky rigging the Senko. However, you can rig it on a drop shot, shaky head, Texas-rig, Carolina rig, and just about any other bass rig.
Bass jigs are always a bait that professional anglers have tied on, no matter the time of year. Again, there are several variations of bass jigs, but my favorite is a swim jig. The Berkley Swim Jig is great for most conditions and locations because it has many color options and weights. I prefer a swim jig because it’s more versatile. It’s easier to drag a swim jig along the bottom than swim a football jig. Another jig that I love throwing is a bladed jig. The StrikeKing Thunder Cricket is an excellent vibrating jig, and I’ve caught many bass with it.
Spinnerbaits are some of my favorite lures, and my favorite spinnerbait is the Berkley Power Blade. It’s easy to use and comes in dozens of color options, blade variations, and weights. I’ve caught some of the biggest bass of my life on a Berkley Power Blade, but that’s probably because I throw it all the time.
Crankbaits are another favorite of mine, and the one I catch the most fish with is the Strike King KVD Elite 1.5 Squarebill. It’s an excellent shallow water (5ft or less) crankbait that entices bass nationwide. It comes in many colors, so you can match what the bass are eating that day.
The Booyah Pad Crasher is the best topwater lure because it’s snag-resistant and catches bigguns. There are many color options to choose from, and the soft-body design reduces the chances of your hooks getting snagged when you toss it into a laydown or pop it over the top of some lily pads. However, be prepared for fewer hook-ups, as hollow-body frogs are known for reducing anglers’ hook-up ratio.
Last Cast: Best Bait for Bass
Now that you know the best bait for bass, it’s time to head to the water and test it out. When you match the conditions and the lures mentioned above, you’re in for an incredible day of bass fishing. Your arms are about to be sore, and your lip-grippin’ thumb is about to be raw.
Trending Products
