There’s nothing better than being out on your favorite lake on a hot summer afternoon, casting a line. The best part of summer bass season is that these rising temperatures actually cause the bass to be more active—as the temperature goes up, so does the bass’ metabolism. There’s a great selection of lures out there to attract these hungry critters and make your fishing trip not only fun but successful too!
What Types of Lures to Use in Summer for Bass
There are five main types of lures that are best used during the summer bass season. Each type of bait has its own unique traits and strengths, and some are better suited for specific fishing spots while others are more versatile. The sheer range of choices can be a bit overwhelming, so let’s break it down!
Jigs
Jig baits are the most versatile type of bait for bass fishing and are often touted as the “most productive type of bait known to man” as well as being known as “big fish catchers.” The emphasis here is on versatility—there are five main types of jig bait used for bass fishing, but the Swim Jig is a great option to use during the summer fishing season.
Swim Jigs have a distinctly round, bullet-shaped head that mimics a real fish, and a light weed guard. The weed guard will make your Swim Jig glide through the water without a problem—no need to worry about getting caught up on weed beds or other plant life. Swim Jigs come in various colors as well, which is a great help if you’re aiming to imitate a certain kind of prey native to your fishing spot!
Seeing as Swim Jigs are small and hardly cause any pressure waves in the water, they rely heavily on the movements you make to catch the bass’ attention. Because of this, Swim Jigs are great for use in the very clear water that tends to happen during late-summer droughts.
Frogs
Frog lures are a popular choice for bass fishing under more specific conditions. Frogs and other topwater lures are a great option when you’re fishing in shallow, murky areas with thick weed beds, lily pad cover, or tree stumps. Bass love to hang out in these areas year-round , but they can be a real pain to get into with other types of lures.
Frog lures are precisely what it says on the tin: they’re lures that look like frogs. Some anglers prefer particular colors that mimic prey native to the region they’re fishing in. Still, frog lures can mimic just about any kind of topwater prey a bass might go after. Several types of frog lures are on the market, but Florida anglers prefer two types of hollow bodies for summer fishing!
If you’re fishing on a clear day with no wind, a hollow-bodied walking frog might be a good choice. Walking frogs glide over the weed beds and grass. It’s double up-turned hooks staying clear of anything it might snag on. On a clear day, this lure’s subtle presence will be quite the temptation for the bass swimming by.
On the other hand, Hollow-bodied popping frogs are more suited for those days when your fishing spot isn’t so calm, and you need a little more oomph to get the bass’ attention. These lures are unique because they have a cupped mouth that spits water when the lure is tugged on by your line, making your lure far more attractive to the bass than a lure that only disturbs the water a little.
Spinnerbaits
Spinnerbaits are loud, flashy, and great for attracting bass in the water of all different depths. Spinnerbaits consist of a lure that looks a bit like a swim jig and is attached to an L-shaped wire with a few oval scales made of metal attached to the vertical section of the wire.
Spinnerbait’s versatility in different depths extends to varying types of cover as well. With its weed guard, they’ll slip over weeds and other vegetation without a problem. During the summer months, spinnerbaits are great to use on cloudy days in areas with some cover.
The Spinnerbait’s unique design is what really sets them apart. The combination of the lure and the metal flashers create the illusion of a small school of fish—bass, who are opportunistic feeders, go nuts over this. Even so, if the fish aren’t biting, adding a scented trailer or some live bait can give you the extra kick you need to get the bass biting.
Crankbaits
Crankbaits are a summer bass fishing staple among many anglers. Crankbaits come in three types—Lipless, Squarebill, and Roundbill—and they look like a little finless fish with a hook near the front of the body and one at the very end. Squarebill and Roundbill have, as the name suggests, a clear plastic bill that is either square or rounded, and lipless crankbaits have no bill at all.
Crankbaits come in many colors, but experts suggest going for shad and bluegill colors for summer fishing to get the best results. Though, when fishing in murky waters with low light, a brightly colored citrus shad could be just what you need.
You might have your best luck with a deep-diving Roundbill crankbait at fishing spots with lots of underwater structures. Bass love to hide amongst boulders and ledges, and tossing a deep-diving Roundbill into these sweet spots can help you win your catch of the day!
Soft Plastic Worms and Creature Baits
Soft plastic worms and creature baits are simple but effective tools that shouldn’t be overlooked when weighing your options. Soft plastic worms and creature baits come in all shapes, sizes, and colors—basically, anything that resembles bass prey will do the trick—but many anglers love the classic Texas-rigged plastic worm. The Texas-rigged worm is a long piece of soft, squishy rubber shaped like a worm at the top that transitions to a flat, ribbon-like tail about halfway down.
It’s important to make the worm glide realistically through the water by jerking and tugging your line to attract hungry bass lurking nearby, and every angler will make their worm lure dance a little differently than the next. The reason why Texas-rigged worms are great for summer is because of the way you can rig the worm to become its own weed guard!
Best Bass Lures for Summer
RUNCL Anchor Box Bass Fishing Jig
Pros:
- If you’ve been experiencing problems with low-quality skirts that fall off after a few casts, this might be an excellent option for you. This is a high-quality Swim Jig with a sturdy skirt that isn’t going anywhere.
- The hook is strong and sturdy, no need to worry about it bending or snapping.
- This Swim Jig could be a good option for anglers planning to fish in various locations. The RUNCL Swim Jig comes in various colors, so finding a color that is appropriate for your region won’t be difficult.
- If you like to use trailers, this could be a great option for you—the RUNCL Swim Jig pairs great with a trailer.
- Overall, this Swim Jig is really good quality for the price. If you’re just starting out and don’t want to drop a lot of cash just yet, or if you just want to stock up, you can do so for a very affordable cost.
Cons:
- The hooks can be a bit dull out of the box, but that’s easily remedied with a hook sharpener.
- While the skirt is sturdy, you may need to trim it to fit your preferences.
Livetarget Hollow Body Frog
Pros:
- Of course, everyone has their own preferences, but there really is no need to modify this lure—just take it out of the package and have fun!
- If you’ve had trouble hauling in heavy catches in the past, this lure could be a good choice for you. It has a strong hook and sturdy eyelets that hold their own when hauling in a big bass.
- Another good feature of the Livetarget Hollow Body Frog is the sharp hooks—no need to worry about sharpening them before casting.
- If you’ve had trouble catching on weeds and other cover, you might want to give this lure a try. This lure easily glides over tough, thick cover, keeping you from having to wrestle with weeds when you’d rather be reeling in your catch.
- It varies from angler to angler, but if you like your lures to look realistic, you might really like this frog. It comes in a variety of color schemes that can fit all different regions!
Cons:
- The only downside to this lure is that the paint comes off fairly easily, but that isn’t detrimental to the success of this lure.
Booyah Blade Spinner-Bait
- Spinnerbaits have many moving parts that can really be a pain if they get tangled in your line. The Booyah Blade Spinner-Bait doesn’t tangle when casting, so this could be a great option for you if you’ve run into that problem with other Spinnerbaits.
- A great feature of the Booyah Blade is its durability. This lure can really hold its own and won’t give up after a tough fight with a stubborn bass.
- Though it might be small, this spinner is a mighty little thing. For its size, this lure creates quite a lot of vibration that can lure in nearby bass.
- If you’ve been going through lure after lure, you might really like the Booyah Blade. Its sturdy construction makes it last quite a long time.
Cons:
- While this lure is mostly weedless, sometimes it does get caught up in tough cover.
- Like the Livetarget Hollow Body Frog, the paint chips pretty easily on this lure, but it won’t impact its efficacy much at all.
Strike King Pro-Model 8XD Crankbait
Pros:
- A great feature of the Strike King Pro-Model 8XD is that it’s great for bouncing off of big rocks and other submerged structures where bass like to hide. This could be a good lure for you to try if you like to fish in cluttered, rocky waters.
- Like the Livetarget Hollow Bodies Frogs, the hooks on this lure are, conveniently, nice and sharp right from the get-go.
- This lure does really well at depths of 18-22 feet. If you like fishing in deeper waters, the Strike King could be a good option for you!
- Creating the right amount of vibration is just as important as picking the right color for your lure. A great feature of this lure is that it creates a really nice amount of wobble and rattle in the water.
Cons:
- While pros outweigh the cons on this lure, you might want to buy a few extra—there tends to sometimes be a defective one in the bunch that fills with water when submerged, rendering it useless.
Zoom Magnum II Worm
Pros:
- Getting a rubber worm to look real takes some finesse, but a really nice feature of this lure is that it glides through the water beautifully all on its own! If you’re still honing your technique or trying soft plastic worms again for the first time in a while, this could be an excellent place for you to start.
- This worm comes in many different colors, and some even include glitter! If you’re looking for a new color to try, green pumpkin is my favorite!
- An exciting feature of this lure is that it tends to attract bigger bass. Smaller fish aren’t as aggressive with it, so if you want to try for bigger catches, give this lure a shot!
- If you like to fish in rivers, this lure could be a fun one to try! Paired with a drop shot, this lure performs really well when used in flowing water.
Cons:
- The one weakness of this lure is that sometimes it will rip after being dragged through weeds and other cover. But, on the bright side, they usually come in bulk packs, so all you have to do is just rig a new one onto your hook.
