5 Summer Bass FIshing Lures You Should Be Using

And which ones you should stay away from

Picking summer bass fishing lures is important to having any kind of success while the daily temperatures continue to rise and to keep you from getting frustrated.

Bass fishing late May - June can be challenging since some parts of the country are in full fledged summer patterns while some are just transitioning to post spawn patterns, while others can be anywhere in between.

But catching summer bass doesn't have to be frustrating and can actually be pretty productive if you are prepared, have a plan on what to use and are actually catching and not just fishing.

Here are 5 summer bass fishing lures that will help you get bit quickly and make your time in the heat a lot more bearable and actually rewarding.

Topwater lures

Working top water lures over submerged vegetation and other bass holding cover can not only call out the bass but also produce some vicious strikes.

Especially effective in early morning hours or late in the day as the sun is setting. A popular way to work these baits is known as "walk the dog" but any jerk-pause-jerk and repeat retrieve will give these lures an action that bass tend to find irresistible.

Frog Lures

Sticking with the surface style lures, frogs have proven to be a summer favorite of both bass and bass anglers. There are a couple of types of frogs to choose from. 

The hollow body style is more of true topwater style lure. The soft plastic style frogs are usually solid plastic and meant to be Texas rigged. These are light enough to stay on the surface if you keep them moving but they will typically sink once you leave them still.

Both are of these lures are made to be weedless and can be used over surface vegetation like lilly pads or other weeds that are barely breaking the surface. Pause over pockets in the cover and vary your retrieval speed to find out what the bass want.

Spinnerbaits

You should always have a spinnerbait on hand no matter the time of year but for summer bass fishing they are an absolute must when you head out in the heat.

The great thing about spinnerbaits is that they can be fished shallow or deep, slow or fast. You can go to willow blade spinner for maximum flash or a Colorado blades for maximum vibration. There are a ton of options. Get searching with this lure and find out where the bass are holding.

Square Bill Crankbaits

You didn't think we wouldn't have a crankbait on this list did you?

For summer, a square bill crank is what you want to be using. These crankbaits are meant to be used and abused around structure and cover that is just below the surface to a few feet deep. Give them a try to provoke a reaction strike around downed timber and other solid structure.

Soft Jerkbaits

Last but not least is a soft plastic lure that can work wonders for summer bass fishing. Soft jerkbaits like the Zoom Fluke, can be rigged on a worm hook and made weedless to throw in almost any situation or place that may be holding bass. Rig them with weighted hook for a faster fall on deeper cover. Either way jerk these lures back to you with well defined pauses and you'll create an action that should entice a bass to strike.

Why these lures?

As stated above there is common theme with all these lures. Were you able to figure it out?

If you said they are all lures that are constantly moving or are fished with fast moving techniques, then you hit it right on the nose.

In the heat of summer, we want to locate the bass quickly. It makes it easier to deal with the heat when we're actually catching bass. This being the case, focusing on power fishing techniques instead of finesse or slow moving techniques is ideal. At least until you find the bite, then you can transition to whatever technique you are most confident with.

With that being said....stay away from these lures.

• Jigs
• Wacky Rigged Worm
• Drop shot anything

Again, whatever works for you but each of these (and others) are slow moving lures or techniques. They may work just fine but you may also be waiting, getting more frustrated by the minute with that summer sun beating down on you, while you figure out if the bite is in your chosen spot.

Here's a few things you can do next:

1. Please share this page on your favorite social networks by clicking sharing icons.
2. Download a printable copy of "5 Summer Bass Fishing Lures"
3. Check out "How to Find Bass During Any Season"

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