The Best Bass Lures

If you are rather new to the hobby of bass fishing then you might be curious as to how to go about deciding what kind of lure or bait will be the best for you to start fishing with. Choosing your lures can be somewhat frustrating once you realize how many options there are out there, however, bass lures can be broken down into three different categories of Spinnerbaits, topwater baits and crankbaits.

Spinnerbaits are generally turned to when a bass fisherman is about to set out onto a larger area of water. These lures help the angler to fish more water in less time. They can be used with just about any depth and relatively quickly as well. Choosing the right spinnerbait involves finding the right three combinations of weight, blade composition and color that will be right for catching your fish in that particular river or lake. To do this will take some experimenting with different lures until you find one that seems to work well for you.

Topwater baits are usually used if the fisherman is out fishing in situations where the light is rather low such as days that are particularly overcast, dusk, or the early morning hours. These lures happen to work their best if the day on the water is a little on the windy side as these lures do have a way of spooking fish in still water.

Cranbaits are a time honored lyre that are considered the best when it comes to determining whether or not bass might be lurking amongst a section of weeds or not. Once a crankbait is tossed upon the tops of weeds or grass and gently trolled along, it is almost as irresistible as it gets for bass and they immediately snatch up the prey. However, crankbaits take a significant amount of practice and skill in order to fish effectively with them.

Regardless of which lure you choose to go with, you will always hear conflicting opinions among bass anglers as to which ones work the best. This is an age old debate among the bass fishing community and there is only one way that you can get in on the fun and decide for yourself and that is to give each category a shot. Still, some anglers choose to fish outside of the box and use lures that do not fall into these categories. This is always an option as well, however there is a reason these three have stood the test of time.

Fishing the Shad Run

Each year during the spring, all along the coast of the Atlantic, shad fishermen everywhere get their fishing reels ready for thirty days of prime shad fishing. This is extremely exciting as there is only one month out of the year that the shad will run on any river along the Atlantic.

The baits as well as the rigs used at this time will work the same regardless of what river you are fishing on. Colors such as various shades of pinks, greens, whites and yellows among other combinations will usually be quite effective when fishing for shad. For the fly fisherman, a good sinking fly on a properly weighted fishing line will be ideal, particularly if the colors are either silver or white.

Whichever river you will be fishing on, the shad will always be found heading upstream. Rivers that have areas with violent rapids or dams will usually have schools of shad waiting in nearby pools for the spawn. If one is lucky enough to happen upon one of these pools, this angler could easily reel in over a hundred fish in a matter of a few short hours.

If you are using spinning gear while shad fishing, all you need to do is be sure to cast either across the current or upstream in order to ensure that your bait sinks properly. Most fish will strike as soon as the bait begins to sing or immediately following your first twitch of your line. Keep in mind, the stronger the current is that you are fishing in, the heavier jig you will need to use.

Some local bait stores around rivers containing shad will often have specialized fishing gear for shad anglers. You may even be lucky enough to run into a guide in the area that can offer some helpful fishing tips before you head out. However, many times the only element that you need is to just get your bait into that water.

If you are considering a shad fishing trip, be sure that you look up some of the bait and tackle shops in the area and call ahead of time before you set out. Not only will they be the most likely resource to tell you where the shad can be located that day, but they will also be sure to set you up with the exact fishing gear that is necessary for catching them.