Best Bass Lures for Summer Fishing (Top 5 Picks)

Do you want to catch more bass over the summer? Chances are that you’ve been using the same baits for years, and your success rate hasn’t been too great. Just like any other technique, successful summer bass fishing requires knowledge as well as the right equipment. This article aims to show you 5 of the best bass lures for summer that will help you drastically improve your catch rate in hot weather.

With these baits, you’ll have no trouble finding fish when waters are at their warmest and the current is sluggish. I’ll also include tips on how to pick the best bait and maximize its effectiveness while on the water.

1. Soft Plastic Worms

Bass fishing with worms in the summer time is an excellent way to beat the post-spawn pressure and land a big one.

During the summer months, bass are typically found much deeper in lakes and ponds than other parts of the year. This means that you’ll need to use a heavier bait than normal.

For summertime bass fishing, you’ll want to use a 7-inch worm with either a Wobble Head or Swing Head jig.

These rigs provide great capabilities for quickly covering deeper waters. Ideal for lakes where the bass flock deeper during hotter temperatures. Learn more from this article about How seasons and temperature affect bass?

When working with these lures, you’ll want to select a longer rod in the 7:3 to 7:6 range along with Sunline Shooter Line (16 lb) and a high speed reel. This setup helps maintain bottom contact while also giving you better hook sets when it comes time to pull them up.

When it comes to colors, watermelon black has been a tried and true option when it comes down to summertime worms. It is thought that this particular color has been catching Bass for many years now which certainly won’t dissipate anytime soon!

Of course, you may want to experiment with different colors as well depending on your own personal preferences or what local reports are saying about successful lure colors!

2. Crankbaits

a. Lipless Crankbaits

Lipless crankbaits have become one of my favorite summer bass baits because they cover a lot of water and put fish in the boat quickly. They are great for fishing grass lines, ledges, or humps. However, you can also still fish them in the weeds too!

My go to is usually a 1/2 oz. or 3/4 oz. Red Eye Shad depending on the depth I’m trying to reach. Color will depend on conditions but I like a chrome/blue or black/chrome pattern that imitates an array of baitfish.

Keep in mind that if you decide to fish the lipless crankbait in the weeds, you might want to use a heavier power rod and braid line to ensure that it gets down deep enough into cover where you think the fish are holding up.

Another great way to fish them is by Carolina rigging them so they hover just above bottom debris or structure that bass like to hang around during the summer months. Check our recommendation for the Best Lipless crankbaits.

Read this article to learn more about: Top 5 Best Deep Diving Crankbaits for Bass Fishing

b. Squarebill crankbait

Squarebill crankbait is a popular summer bass fishing lure for anglers due to its effectiveness in areas with less weeds and vegetation.

It doesn’t go deep enough to target bass off the edges, nor is it good for shallow water since it gets easily caught up in the weeds.

However, that doesn’t mean you should completely ignore it. At times, Squarebill indeed produces excellent results.

A great way to make use of these lures is by cleaning the dead weeds off on each cast. This helps create a reaction bite that sometimes works when others aren’t interested in feeding.

Since squarebills are perfect for clear water, try and make sure the fish don’t get a chance to see your bait clearly by deflecting it off stumps, laydowns, rocks and other obstacles.

When using a squarebill crankbait, Fish the Moment suggests using a larger profile in the morning and low light hours, as well as switching to a smaller 1.5 size during midday.

I recommend trying a KVD 1.5 in a bluegill pattern they works well for me and I usually catching bass on the smaller end of the range. Don’t hesitate to check our recommendation for the Best Square Bill crankbaits.

In summary, while squarebills may not always be effective depending on where you’re fishing and what conditions you find yourself in, it’s worth trying at least once because you never know what could happen!

Read this article to learn more about: The 5 Best Cold Water bass Baits for Winter Fishing

3. Spinnerbaits

Spinnerbaits are a great choice when fishing for bass in warmer water. They’re one of the most versatile lures that must be in your tackle box.

With their flash and vibration, they not only work well in murky or muddy water, but also shallow, mid range, and deep water.

They’re particularly useful in low and fast moving waters, making them a great search bait to quickly cover a large area until you’ve located the fish.

These lures are especially useful on sunny days when bass might search for shade near logs, vegetation, or branches.

When it comes to color selection for spinners, it’s all about matching the light conditions for optimum visibility.

• white/chartreuse works well on sunny days as it will stand out against any type of background.
• For overcast days, purple/silver or black/silver combinations often do the trick because they provide contrast while still masking themselves amongst vegetation and other structures where bass may take refuge from the sun’s rays.

At night time my favorite confidence SB is 3/8oz Black with a nickel colorado blade.

Read this article to learn more about: 7 Best Early Fall Bass Lures to Catch Bigger Bass Now!

4. Topwater Frogs

Frog fishing is a popular tactic for catching bass during the summer months. It’s especially effective when bass are holding under thick surface vegetation or in shaded pockets along the shoreline.

Bass absolutely love frogs, and it’s hard for them to ignore the attention a popping topwater frog draws, so they tend to strike them more aggressively than other lures.

When should you be using frogs for bass?

Generally speaking, it’s best to throw frogs out during the morning and evening hours when the light is more subdued.

The best place to throw a frog are under thick surface vegetation like lily pads, weeds or a log along shorelines, as well as any shaded pockets along the shoreline.

So, to ensure that your frog lure gets noticed, cast it close to this both places.

The best way to use frogs is to let it hit the top of the water and wait for some ripples before giving it a few firm tugs on your line. Let it rest for about 5 seconds and perform this action again, repeat and walk along cover.

I tend to prefer BooYah Frogs because I find they give me a better catch ratio compared to other brands I have tried.

Additionally, you’ll want to use heavy braid like 50lbs test line so that you can easily set your hook when there is any kind of hit on your line.

It takes some time and practice but once mastered, successful frog fishing can be very rewarding!

Read this article to learn more about: Top Picks: 5 Best Bass Lures for Shore Fishing

5. Jigs

Summer bass fishing can be quite challenging, as the fish tend to be lethargic in warm water. This means you need a lure that is both effective and versatile. Enter the skirted jig! 

A skirted jig paired with a rod that is 7′ – 7’6″ in length with a heavy to medium power will give you great success when targeting summer bass.

The skirted jig is one of the most versatile lures you can use during the summer months. The beauty of this jig lies in how easy it can be adapted to different scenarios. 

You can flip your lure into heavy cover or swim rapidly just under the surface to mimic a fleeing baitfish, work along drop-offs, cast out near structure and rocks, swim it through grass and otherwise pick apart areas quickly or slowly, shallow or drag along the bottom in deep water to mimic a crawfish.

The key to getting results from your skirted jig is its profile. Skirted jigs have more extensive profiles compared to standard lures which seem to be especially attractive for lazy summer bass. 

I recommend throwing a 3/8 oz jig on a medium rod 7′. The 2/0 bronze hook should offer excellent sharpness (which can easily be sharpened with a file) and won’t bend out easily with appropriate rod power and line choice. 

When it comes to color selection, I like black and blue combos since they mimic aquatic life while also offering visibility amongst deeper waters.

Read this article to learn more about: Best Bass Lures for Summer Pond Fishing: 5 Must Have Baits

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you are looking to catch bass during the summertime, then the best lures are ones that mimic the behavior of the local species and make a point of moving into warmer water.

By understanding bass behavior and optimizing your lure selection based on this knowledge, you can find some great success out on the water.

With all that said, we hope our list of the five best bass lures for summer has given you some great ideas to try out this season.