Top Lures for Stress-Free Summer Fishing, and When and How to Use Them
Remember the days when you had one trusty fishing pole that could do it all, barely a handful of lures and a seemingly endless summer to go fishing? Whatever happened to those days?
There’s no time like summer. School is out and family vacations, backyard barbecues, and lazy days at the beach or pool are in.
Most importantly, summer means the bass are biting! Anglers do more bass fishing in the 90 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day than during the other 270 days of the year combined.
As you ready your tackle for some summer fishing, we’ve got the goods on the must-have bass lures: lures that not only are productive, but are unbelievably easy to use and resist snagging. Because all of the lures mentioned below have their own built-in action, they do much of the work for you. You can sit back and wait for them to attract the fish while you save your energy for reeling ‘em in.
Seriously - when fishing with these lures, your job is to reel steadily and pause often; working them too hard can be counterproductive. In other words, your job is to relax and enjoy. Remember: It’s summer and the fishing is easy!
Worms Rule
The worm always has been and likely always will be the numero uno bass lure. Why that is the case remains a mystery … it’s not like earthworms are found naturally in freshwater.
Regardless of the reason why, the worm still reigns as king of all bass lures. Despite all of the brain power, research, design, field testing, marketing, and manufacturing prowess the fishing industry can muster into its latest and greatest bass-catching tools, the fact remains that bass never have wavered in their preference for the soft plastic worm. Unquestionably, it is the best artificial lure of all.
If you placed one of the first soft plastic worms ever made next to a modern worm produced today, you would be hard pressed to tell them apart.
Your ideal soft plastic worm should be 5 to 7 inches long. There are smaller worms on the market, but these will attract smaller bass that often are below the legal size limit. There also are longer worms on the market; but, unless your fishing hole is full of bona fide trophy bass, longer worms will be less productive. A 6-incher is the ideal size to attract respectable 2- to 4-pound bass that any angler would be proud to catch — and plenty big to also attract trophy bass.
True, soft plastic worms do have some variability. They may come with perfectly straight tails, flat spade tails, short C-shaped tails, or longer U-shaped tails. All work just fine. Every angler has his favorite worm style, but no one can honestly say one tail works better than another one. Take your pick.
Texas Rigs Rule
One of the greatest merits of a soft plastic worm is that it can be fished on a Texas rig. This makes it snag-free. Simply slide a bullet-shaped sinker onto the fishing line, tie on a hook that has a bend to hold the worm securely, and embed the point of the hook within the worm. Since worms are slender, they also are the easiest of all soft baits with which to set the hook. There's not a lot of plastic the hook point has to penetrate in order to hook a fish.
The biggest tip to keep in mind when using Texas rigs is that you should keep them on the bottom at all times, because that’s where they’re most effective. Just cast out the rig and “deadstick” it (let it lay motionless). Often, this is when you’ll get bit. After awhile, shake, stir, hop, and swim it back slowly. Then lift and drop it — or use whatever technique seems most natural to you. There’s really no wrong way to work a Texas-rigged worm, as long as you work it slowly, pause often, and let it lay still for plenty of time. It’s that simple. If you’re not doing well with a Texas-rigged worm, chances are you’re working too hard.
The Sensational Senko
The Senko from Gary Yamamoto is a relatively new and unique style of worm that has gained popularity in the past 5 to 10 years. The Senko style of worm has a thicker body than usual and is shaped like a ballpoint pen. It comes in several lengths, but the 5-inch model is the most popular and most productive. If you want to keep it simple, the 5-incher is the only one you need.
The Senko’s beefy, heavy body distinguishes it from standard worms, and lets you use it in a way that you don’t ordinarily use other worms - weightless without any sinker.
The Senko style worm is heavy enough to cast well without a sinker, and the Senko shape causes the worm to quiver and wriggle as it falls weightless through the water. Simply rig a Senko on the hook alone, without a sinker. Cast it out and get ready. Bass often strike it as it falls, or after it rests on the bottom for awhile. You don’t really need to do anything else except to drag slowly and pause often.
You don’t work a Senko. It works for you.
These hefty baits are particularly easy and effective for shore fishermen to use weightless without snagging bottom. Of course, you can add a bullet sinker in front of a Senko, and it will work at least as fine as any other worm on a Texas rig.
There are many other styles and models of soft baits on the market; they are all fun to try - craws, lizards, grubs, beavers and more abound. But if you are looking for an easy, enjoyable, uncomplicated and productive day of bass fishing, Texas-rigged worms and weightless Senkos will get you there and back beautifully. No matter what other soft plastics you choose, Texas-rigged worms and weightless Senkos are must-haves.
From top down: 5-3/4" 7C Kut Tail worm in color #297 green pumpkin pepper with bullet sinker. 6-1/2" Kut Tail worm in color #194J watermelon pepper with bullet sinker. 5" weightless Yamamoto Senko in color #912 green pumpkin/watermelon pepper laminate. Actually, depending on wind conditions, any of these can be used weightless or with a bullet sinker, and the angler who tries different options when others aren't working, he or she will probably have better luck over the course of the summer. |
Soft Plastic Colors
Most of the top bass pros worldwide rely on two main colors of soft plastic baits, and you should too.
Most pros favor, and some almost exclusively use:
-
Dark green pumpkin with black pepper (color #297), which is an opaque, relatively darker, solid, muddy-green color
-
Watermelon with black pepper flake (color #194), which is a relatively light-colored, translucent green
Both green pumpkin pepper and watermelon pepper are top fish catchers. No one knows why (bass do not eat watermelons or pumpkins), but fish certainly seem to prefer soft baits in these colors more than any others. Pros are guided by the following rule-of-thumb: Use the darker green pumpkin in darker-colored water or during low-light conditions at dawn or dusk, or on overcast days. Use the lighter watermelon color on sunny days and in clear water.
Other colors that excel are solid black, black with blue or red flake, and black with a chartreuse tail tip, especially in dark water or under a dark sky. In stained water (water that's not too dark, but not clear either), june bug (purple with green flake) works well. Smoke with black pepper flake often proves productive in clear water. White works well in clear water - or anytime that white-bellied baitfish are around. Who knows why, but smallmouth bass have a sweet tooth for chartreuse soft baits.
Most importantly, though, remember that dark green pumpkin and watermelon are the most productive soft bait colors. With that being said, as heavily as green pumpkin and watermelon are favored for soft baits, it’s rare to find spinnerbaits, crankbaits, topwaters or other lure styles in these colors. It’s a fishy mystery we have no answer for.
Spinnerbaits
A spinnerbait is one of the most popular bass fishing lures. It’s also one of the oddest contraptions you may ever throw at a fish, but bass love them. Interestingly, trout, salmon, and saltwater species don’t seem exceptionally fond of spinnerbaits, but bass are - something about a pair of spinning, flashing blades and writhing skirt captivates bass.
At first, using a spinnerbait may feel ungainly or awkward, like casting a coat hanger. But, these lures are deceptively aerodynamic and surprisingly snag-proof. Once you become comfortable using a spinnerbait, you will realize that the strong wire arm acts as fantastic snag protection for the spinnerbait hook. The incredible spinnerbait can be fished through heavy cover that would snag most other kinds of lures. Only a handful of baits, such as the Texas-rigged worm, are more snag-proof than a spinnerbait.
Best of all, a spinnerbait works great with just a simple, steady retrieve. If the steady retrieve's not working, simply stop reeling a second or two, then resume reeling, which makes the spinnerbait suddenly break stride and falter. That's a trick move to get bit! Unlike a Texas-rigged worm, a spinnerbait doesn’t need to be near the bottom, and will attract fish at all levels of the water column, including just under the surface. Especially when the wind comes up, a spinnerbait can seal the deal.
The all-around favorite spinnerbait colors feature half-white/half-chartreuse skirts or pure-white skirts with matching painted heads. Half-chartreuse/white or all-white spinnerbaits may work everywhere, all the time, under most conditions across the planet. So don’t worry about whether or not it’s the right item for the waters you fish. It is.
Many anglers say they prefer the all-white model in clearer water and the chartreuse/white combo in darker water. So be it. Truthfully, either color can work any day, any time.
Most anglers favor 3/8- and 1/2-ounce spinnerbaits with two medium-sized Willow blades. A willow blade is shaped like a leaf on a willow tree. By medium-sized blades, we mean a #4 front Willow and a #4 or #5 back Willow. This double Willow configuration is most popular by far. Also, one silver blade with one gold blade is most popular.
Second most popular is a small Colorado in front with the same back Willow. A Colorado blade is almost perfectly round and deeply-cupped like a teaspoon. Go for a #3 gold Colorado and a #4 or #5 silver Willow in back.
Bank anglers may want to consider the1/4 ounce size; because they face so much skinny water, the 1/4-ounce size rides higher when run close to dry land. So it will snag less in skinny water or dense cover. Boat anglers may want to grab a 3/4-ouncer to try in offshore areas where the 3/4 gets down deeper - but we're starting to overcomplicate things now - and we don't want to do that.
Bottom line, most spinnerbaits on the planet are 3/8 or 1/2 ounce with a half-chartreuse/white or an all-white skirt and double willows or a Colorado/willow combo, one gold, one silver. Who knows why that's the ticket. It just works. You'll want to add one of those to your summer tackle bag, and use it when it's too breezy for your other lures.
Ideal Spinnerbait Conditions
Anglers typically have their best success with spinnerbaits on blustery days, and even on overall calm days when the wind momentarily kicks up enough to cause a ripple or “chop” on the water. In slick, quiet water, Texas rigs, Senkos, or floating minnows are probably a better choice. Spinnerbaits also work best in low-light conditions, such as overcast, cloudy, or rainy days; early in the morning; or in the dusky evening. Of course, as is true with any lure, even under ideal conditions success is never guaranteed. Anglers who keep an open mind and show bass a variety of options will probably have better luck over the course of the summer. In other words, if it's a windy, overcast, dusky evening and the spinnerbait isn't working, it may prove fruitful to try a Senko, Texas rigged worm or whatever else.
The Forgotten Floating Minnow
Many anglers who fish for bass favor two types of topwater baits:
-
Poppers, which are smallish and have cupped faces to splash water, and
-
Cigar-shaped stick baits such as the XCalibur Super Spook or Lucky Craft Sammy (there are many others) that experienced anglers work with artful rod English — “walking” them in a repetitive, zigzag motion.
The problem with poppers and walking baits is, they require skilled rod action, experience and expertise to make them move in a lifelike manner that bass can’t resist. In other words, they are a bit too involved for the easy summer fishing we’re after.
But the floating minnow fills the bill perfectly. Just by slowly reeling in line, anglers can make this lure crawl across the surface in a struggling manner. The floating minnow’s lip generates all the required action. No knowledge of how to “walk the dog” or pop the minnow is needed. Instead, you can just reel a floating minnow across the surface for a few feet, then pause long enough for a bass to belt it with abandon.
Even before you begin to retrieve it, there is a great opportunity to get hit instantly upon splashdown. All you have to do is cast out and wait. The simple act of splashing a floating minnow down will provoke some bass to take the bait.
After splashdown, watch the bait intently. Do you see a swirl underneath or around the bait that was not part of the rings and ripples caused by its own splashdown? Do you see the bait tick or shift sideways when you don’t think it should have? Are panfish pecking at it? All of these are promising signs that a big bass may be lurking under your bait, under the panfish, all tensed up and ready to pounce. Remain motionless until these signs subside, then twitch the bait ever so slightly — and get ready for an explosion! On some days, you can catch more and bigger bass on this initial splashdown than on the rest of the retrieve. At minimum, you always stand to get a few bass every trip merely from the splashdown of a floating minnow. It’s easy and exciting stuff. If you can cast - and wait - the bass will do the rest!
If there is no hit at first, wait as the lure nods and bobs there until everything is quiet for a spell. Then twitch it. Wait. Twitch it again and again, and be ready for your twitching minnow to get plowed by a hefty bass. The key point to remember is that bass tend to strike when the lure is paused and motionless.
If still no hit, reel slowly and steadily. The floating minnow will leave an enticing wake while it wriggles seductively. The floating minnow casts the illusion of a disoriented baitfish waking the surface. Do not reel so quickly that it dives below the surface. Let it leave a rippling trail of turmoil across the surface, and pause every couple of yards. Twitch or pop it three or four times before you crawl it forward again. Repeat those steps over and over. For some reason, the fish like a floating minnow on top —. they rarely hit it while it is pulled under.
| Smoky Joe color 5" Cordell Red Fin (model C08). Switch out factory-installed hooks for smaller, lighter #6 ones. This lets it wiggle its way over grass and through brush better. A 5" Rapala Original Floater (model F13) is an equally good choice, and may be used as is out of the box. |
A black-backed, white or silver-sided floating minnow is the number one color choice. It’s really all you need for starters. If you’re interested in a second color, choose a black and gold one. Especially under cloudy skies or in stained water, gold outperforms chrome.
Because floating minnows do not dive too deep when used this way, they float above most underwater snags. Even if they get pulled under the surface a little, they quickly bob back up when paused, letting you pull the line so they practically drift over and avoid scrapes with snags just below the surface.
Few, if any, treble hook lures work as well around thick cover. The floating minnow’s slim shape and buoyancy, combined with the slow, easy manner in which it is worked on top let it slip past snags.
This lure performs best over vegetation that barely reaches the surface. Since the twitched minnow rarely dives below the surface, you can twitch it right over dense weed beds that would smother most other lures in green. Do give the floating minnow a try this summer!
In terms of size, a 5-inch floating minnow is about right.
If there’s one mistake that anglers make, it is not using big enough baits to appeal to the decent-sized bass in most any body of water. More often than not, anglers gravitate toward smaller lures that attract smaller bass. The size of the lure predetermines the size of the bass you will catch; choosing a 5-inch floating minnow, a 6-inch Texas-rigged worm, or a 5-inch Senko affords you a better chance to attract a better size of bass. Simply by using a good-sized lure, that's all you need to attract good-sized bass.
Follow Up to Double Up Your Catches
The second biggest mistake most anglers make is not following up missed strikes by switching to a soft plastic bait for your next cast.
By following up every single missed strike on a spinnerbait, floating minnow, or whatever other lure type with a soft plastic bait dramatically increases the chances you’ll catch that fish. No one knows exactly why this little ruse works so well, but it does.
Your lightly-weighted Texas-rigged worms and weightless Senkos are ideal for this. Especially if you are on a boat, always try to keep a follow-up bait rigged and ready on a second rod. However, even if you have only one rod, it is worth it every time to retie and pitch a soft bait back to where a fish swiped at or followed another lure. The fish usually has not gone anywhere, except right back to where it was before. Even if it takes a long minute to retie, your chances to catch that fish are best by throwing out a soft plastic bait on the next cast. If you haven't a second rod, save some time by pre-rigging a worm or Senko on a short piece of line (only a few inches) with a swivel tied on the end - and keep it handy so you can tie it on quickly for follow-up.
Need a Rod and Reel to go with Those Lures?
Regardless of your skill level, a medium-heavy spinning rod and reel is ideal for all the lures mentioned in this article.
If you are a big person, you may want to go with a 7-foot medium-heavy spinning rod. A 6-foot, 6-inch medium-heavy spinning rod also will work fine here, particularly for a smaller person. Many reel manufacturers number their spinning reels similarly, and what they call the 2500 size spinning reel is the standard size for bass fishing.
One feature to look for in a reel is a second spare spool. This allows you to fill one spool with 10 lb test monofilament line and to fill the other spool with 20 lb test braided line. You can use the 10-pound test line when fishing open, snag-free water and then switch to the 20-pound braided line in snaggier situations. It’s like having two rods in one.
There is a third type of fishing line, fluorocarbon, but in the 10 lb test we suggest in this article, fluorocarbon it tends to be too wiry and stiff for medium-heavy spinning tackle.
| Yamamoto's 21-SPT-3 spinning rod and Shimano 2500 series reel with spare spool. |
First Light can be Unforgettable
When is the best time of day to put your lures to the test? Especially during the heat of the summer, the first couple of hours starting at the crack of dawn can be better than the rest of the day combined. (Dusk can be good too, but by then people often have become so wrapped up in the rest of the day’s activities that they can’t break away for evening fishing.)
The opening moments of each day are magical. If you can wake early and position yourself on the water at first light, you may find that it provides the best fishing of the day: Most of the big bass are active during that timeframe. It’s an appointment you don’t want to miss! Make sure to arrive on time, because it lasts only an hour or 2. After that, you may as well go home or go to work. If you keep fishing, odds are the action will be spottier and the fish smaller for the rest of the day, until dusk.
Why is this so? It's because early morning tends to be the coolest period of most summer days. It’s a peak daily period of activity for most living creatures - from squiggly microorganisms and all the way up the food chain. Even plants take care of essential business at daybreak.
At daybreak workers in the “factory of life” show up for a full shift churning out … more life. When the end-of-shift whistle blows, it's only a couple of hours later. Only a skeleton crew will stay to man the factory floor for the rest of the day. It’s too hot to work up a head of steam in summer, except for that coolest part of the day, from around 4 to 6 a.m. There is simply more activity that goes on during that 2-hour period than during any other period: It’s the reason why bass, and everything else in and on the water will be most active then.
| Murph and Mel McBride landed this tournament-winning catch before 9 a.m. They fished the rest of the day until late afternoon with limited success. |
Some of the best daybreak fishing happens a day or two after a saturating summer rain. A late-afternoon or evening thunder boomer - or a full day of hazy, drizzly weather - can really set the stage for an exciting episode to follow. By the next morning, the factory of life will have put on an extra shift of workers, and that pace will carry over into the next daybreak or two. One caveat: Don’t be foolish and expose yourself to potentially dangerous weather or water conditions. That’s not what we are talking about here. Moderate rain sets the stage for some great action the next couple of daybreaks - dangerous or destructive weather does not. On the contrary, it is best to stay off of the water then.
But, even without the catalyst of a recent rain, the diffused light of early morning is ideal for anglers to enjoy some superlative action. Summer light is best before the sun hits the water. That first light is paramount before the sun glints and you start squinting. There is enough light to see; but, there are no shadows yet. In summer, bass seem to prefer feeding in the indirect, diffused light before the sun rises. Once the sun pops up, when glare and shadows start, the morning bite begins to vanish.
Let's Wrap it up and Go Fishing
Easy to use lures for stress-free summer fishing fun are:
-
A pack of 5" to 7" soft plastic worms and a pack of 5" Senkos in green pumpkin or watermelon pepper
-
A pack of light bullet weights (say, 1/4 oz) and pack worm hooks (say, 3/0) with the worm-holding bend in the neck
-
A 3/8 or 1/2 oz spinnerbait, all white or chartreuse/white with double willows or a Colorado/willow combo (one gold, one silver)
-
A 5" floating minnow in black/silver
-
A medium/heavy spinning rod and reel
There you go. You’ve got the goods on the must-have bass lures for summer: lures that not only are productive, but are unbelievably easy to use and resist snagging.
Now get out there and put ‘em to the test!