Bass Lures You Can Rely

I usually fish large reservoirs during the summer because these bodies of water give me opportunities to fish shallow or deep and in clear or dirty water. Here are my five favorite lures for catching summertime bass.  A variety of lures will catch bass throughout the summer depending on the water clarity and body of water you fish.

Plastic worm

This is the ultimate summertime bass lure because you can fish it shallow or deep, in clear or dirty water and during the day or at night.

The classic Texas-rigged worm is ideal for working slowly and thoroughly in brush piles, which is preferred cover for summertime bass on my home waters of Lake of the Ozarks.

You can also swim it through standing timber to catch bass suspended in the trees.

Plastic Creature Bait

These soft plastic lures area a good alternative for the plastic worm if you are targeting bigger bass. You can Texas-rig creature baits for flipping and pitching into shallow cover or for crawling through brush piles and along rocky bottoms to imitate crawfish.

The lure is also ideal for fishing at night because the bigger profile of this bulky soft plastic makes it easier for bass to detect in the darkness.

Skirted Jigs

This is the most versatile lure you can throw for bass throughout the summer. You can flip or pitch it into thick shallow cover such as flooded bushes or root systems of stumps. A 3/4- or 1-ounce jig can be crawled along the bottom or stroked off of ledges to catch bass relating to current during power generation periods.

You can also work a swim jig along weed edges or through holes in the vegetation to catch bass hiding in the cooler shady water under the weeds.

Deep-Diving Crankbait

This shad imitator is great for banging the bottom of offshore structure to catch active summertime bass 15 to 20 feet deep.

The lure also draws strikes from bass suspended over brush piles or in standing timber. The prime time to throw this lure is during the heat of the day when power generation is at its peak.

Topwater Popper

When schooling bass are busting baitfish on the surface, twitching a topwater popper resembles an injured baitfish. Matching the size of your plug to the forage size will increase strikes from bass feeding on the surface.

Prime times to throw this lure are in the early morning around the front edges of boat docks or during mid-day when balls of baitfish flick on the surface.