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When the weather heats up, so does the bass fishing.
This time of year, we must shift our mindset to figure out the best bass lures for summer and how bass’s habits have changed with the warming water temperatures.
We need to remember that their metabolism has sped up, which means they’ll strike some larger lures, they’ll follow us a bit longer, and they might even be defending a spawn if we catch them early enough in the spring.
No matter your motivation, having the best summer bass lure at the end of your line is one of the essential aspects of having success this summer.
I’m going to give you some ideas on lures to help you learn how to catch bass with them.
Let’s do it!
Types of Bass Lures to Use in Summer
I’ve said this in my reviews a few times, and I’d just like to make it clear. To say that one lure is the “best” over the other is a bit subjective.
Our goal here at Anglers.com is to be an honest and reliable source of information.
Not the one that is spewing nonsense to try and sell you a sponsored lure. That’s not what we’re doing here.
When I say something is the best, I mean it works the best for me. My style and ability to fish backs up the presentation and action of the lure.
You might have a completely different experience with it.
For me, the best bass lure is a spinnerbait, no matter what season it is. For you, it might be a soft plastic worm, lipless crank, or even some live bait.
Anyway, enough of that! Here’s some of the methodology behind the best summertime bass lures.
Spinnerbaits
So, what is it that makes spinnerbaits work so well during the summer months? For one, it’s the presentation and the noise of their approach. These baits are loud, and they create a vibration through the water that triggers bass.
Ideally, when you’re fishing bass in the heat of summer, you want to be as obnoxious as possible.
Bass will strike even if they’re not feeding because they’re naturally ornery.
If you can aggravate them enough, they will take the bait no matter what the situation.
I think spinners work so well because you’re combining a lot of the features that make every other lure work great.
You have a noisy vibration through the water, you have a blade that creates a flash, and there’s a skirt so you can work it through the weedier sections of shallow water.
Booyah Pond Magic
BEST SPINNERBAIT
Specs
- Type: Spinnerbait
- Size: 5 x 2.8 / 1.4 ounces
- Color: 12 different color options
- Pieces: 1 piece
FEATURED SPECS
- Comes with a 60 strand ultra-fine silicone skirt
EXTRA FEATURES
- Color and blade combos are built to match the forage of small ponds
BUYING ADVICE
- Excellent for finesse angling for 2-3 pound bass in small ponds
Pros
- Awesome blade action
- Great color options
- Durable skirt
- Perfect topwater lure for finesse fishing
Cons
- Too small for some
If you’ve read any of my reviews, you’ll know that I believe spinnerbaits are the best summer bass lures.
You’ll also know that I’m a big believer in finesse angling and technique oversizing up and going for gold right away.
These spinners are smaller than your standard bait, but they work exceptionally well in the weeds where you want to be.
It comes with many colors, and the sharp hook on this guy sets quickly and easily.
I’d say you could take this spinnerbait to any pond across the country and have success if you know what you’re doing.
Soft Plastic Worms
I’m a big worm guy because it’s natural prey and I believe that keeping things simple is the best approach.
We always like to complicate fishing and make it sound like we need to “trick” the bass, but that’s not true. All you need to do is give them what they want.
Pay attention to what other anglers are doing on the water and gain experience at that lake or pond.
If you’re fishing somewhere for the first time, I would always suggest trying a worm first and then playing around with other baits.
Rubber worms are always a good summer bass lure because they’re simple, and bass will always bite them, simple as that.
XFISHMAN Senko Worms
BEST PLASTIC WORMS
Specs
- Type: Soft plastic worm
- Size: 5 inch
- Color: Lemon Yellow, Cinnamon, Watermelon, Pearl White, Chartreuse/Pumpkin
- Pieces: 30 pieces
FEATURED SPECS
- Comes with multiple colors and durable plastic
EXTRA FEATURES
- Great design that quivers in the water to create an irresistible presentation
BUYING ADVICE
- Use a Texas rig and fish it near stumps and structure
Pros
- Multiple colors
- Comes with 30 pieces
- Easy to fish with
- Beginner-friendly
Cons
- I can’t really think of any!
These worms come from a generic brand on Amazon, but after reviewing and comparing them to Berkley and Yamamoto, they’re the same quality, and they get the job done for a lower price.
I’d go with these for summer bass fishing because their activity is heating up and the presentation on these worms is so great.
The best bait for largemouth bass in summer are not just ones that the bass will like to eat but also one that will aggravate them enough to earn a strike.
If you choose a brightly colored worm on an overcast day and cast it Texas near the weeds or wacky outside the weeds, you’ve got yourself a deadly lure that will catch fish all day long.
Crankbaits
When choosing a crankbait, you want to pay attention to a few things.
First, what kind of bill does it have?
If it’s a square bill crankbait like the one above, you’ll want to use it in mostly open and deep water because it’s all in the presentation.
If it’s a round bill, you have more flexibility and freedom because you aren’t relying so much on the bill, but you won’t get that brilliant presentation.
Second, you want to look at the color and design of the crankbait.
It’s important that they look natural, have realistic eyes, and that the color is congruent with the body of water you’re fishing.
You don’t want the lure to stand out too much, and the colors should blend in a little with the surroundings.
This factor is especially true during the early spring and late summer.
When you’re choosing the best bass lures for summer, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
You need to remember that bass are relatively dormant during the winter, so their activity picks up when the water warms up.
They’re not like some species like walleye or pike who can stay active all winter.
Bass activity relies heavily on warm water temperature.
As a result, their metabolism speeds up dramatically during the summer, and they create a feeding frenzy.
This opens the door for the hungry angler who wants to get out on the water and catch some fish.
Let’s break down some of the best summer bass lures into more detail.
Supertrip Topwater Frog Crankbait
BEST CRANKBAIT
Specs
- Type: Crankbait
- Size: 8g – 12.3g
- Color: Green, Yellow, Black, Blue
- Pieces: 8
FEATURED SPECS
- Made of a soft plastic that collapses to allow for a better hookset
EXTRA FEATURES
- Highly attractive colors and natural swim action
BUYING ADVICE
- These lures fix extremely well in heavy cover so I would use it along the shore in the late spring and early summer
Pros
- Comes with eight pieces
- Natural swimming action
- Built-in treble hook
- Deadly with bass
Cons
- Too heavy for some
This lure is straight-up deadly when it comes to fishing for bass in a murky pond in the middle of nowhere.
If we pull up on a small pond or lake and see limited visibility, I’m always reaching for my topwater frog.
These lures have such a great presence on the water.
They look so realistic, and once you get the presentation down, it’s one of those lures that I expect to catch a bunch of bass with.
It only comes in one size, which is a bit of a bummer, but you should have no problem catching a 3-4lb bass with these guys.
Strike King Square Bill Crankbait
RUNNER UP CRANKBAIT
Specs
- Type: Square billed crankbait
- Size: 1.5 – 2.5 ounces
- Color: Many options
- Pieces: One
FEATURED SPECS
- Dives three to six feet
EXTRA FEATURES
- Square billed crankbaits waddle throughout the water creating an erratic presentation
BUYING ADVICE
- This is a silent deep-diving plug, so you’ll be looking for a lot of accuracy and deflection on your casts
BENEFITS
- Ideal for open water
- The silent approach is preferred by many anglers
- Creates a great action when deflected
DRAWBACKS
- Color options don’t match up with the photos
If you’re familiar with square billed crankbaits, you’ll know that they create a unique presentation.
These lures don’t move “naturally” through the water, but instead, they move kind of like they’re in a panic and trying to escape from something.
Bass like that because they’re the predators of the warm water, and they are bullies, so they like to pick on fish that look down and out.
Since this is a silent approach lure, you’ll want to fish along dams and rocky shorelines to create a little noise.
Let it dive down a few feet and bang off the rocks, and that’s what will attract the bass.
Swimbaits
Yamamoto Zako Swimbait
BEST SWIMBAIT
Specs
- Type: Shad Swimbait
- Size: 4 inches
- Color: 12 natural colors
- Pieces: 6 pieces
FEATURED SPECS
- Molded-in belly slot leaves room for the hook
EXTRA FEATURES
- Accordion-style tail creates lifelike movements that mimic baitfish
BUYING ADVICE
- I would use this as a trailer for a chatter bait or jighead
Pros
- Excellent trailer
- Comes in multiple colors
- Great tail action
Cons
- A little pricey for a 6 pack
When we talk about the best summer bass lures, we can’t ignore swimbaits.
These guys are a staple for trailing your jig and chatters, and Yamamoto is a brand we all trust.
It has a shad like design with flanged fins and accordion tail.
Overall, the design creates an amazing presentation in the water.
I just recommend that you very carefully rig this onto your hook because the wrong setup can ruin the entire presentation.
It comes in 12 different colors, but they only have a four-inch size option.
I think it’s a bit expensive for a trailing bait, but hey, we all spend a lot of money on our hobbies so we can be the best we can be, right?
Tubebaits
Strike King Coffee Tube
BEST TUBEBAIT
Specs
- Type: Hollow tubebait
- Size: 0.155 ounces
- Color: 17 different colors
- Pieces: 8 pieces
FEATURED SPECS
- Scented with real coffee bean granules and coffee oil
EXTRA FEATURES
- The scent is incredibly attractive for bass
BUYING ADVICE
- Use it with a jig head and pitch it around structure for the most success
Pros
- Simple and easy to fish
- Scent improves the probability of catching bass
- Great summertime bass lure
- Impregnated with salt
Cons
- Honestly, you can’t go wrong with these
Summer is the best time for bass fishing, and with that comes a whole bunch of lures I can’t really say anything bad about.
You’re fishing at the best time using the best lures, and we’re at the top of the food chain, it’s like taking candy from a baby!
The Strike King coffee tube is great because it’s scented, durable, comes in a variety of colors, and designed to win every time.
You can’t go wrong with this lure, so hook it up to a jig head and throw it out around structure.
Spoons
Sougayilang Spoons
BEST SPOONS FOR BASS
Specs
- Type: Spoons
- Size: 1.5 ounces
- Color: Silver, Gold, Mix, Rose Gold
- Pieces: 5 pieces
FEATURED SPECS
- Unique “S” shape creates a swimming motion
EXTRA FEATURES
- Brighter and flashier than some other spoons
BUYING ADVICE
- These sink quick, so they’re great for dropping around structure
BENEFITS
- “S” design is deadly
- Brightly colored to create a blinding presentation
- Draws a lot of attention
DRAWBACKS
- Too small for some
Our final choice here is a spoon design that I have never seen before, nor have I used it myself.
My father actually recommended these and specifically the gold color because of the amount of flash they create in the water.
He says they work exceptionally well on sunny summer days, and the texture of them produces a lot of noise.
Overall, between the “S” design creating a swimming motion, the bright colors creating a flash, and the dimples making a bunch of noise.
These might be the best June bass fishing lures I’ve ever seen.
Final Thoughts
When you’re choosing the best bass lures for summer, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
You need to remember that bass are relatively dormant during the winter, so their activity picks up when the water warms up.
They’re not like some species like walleye or pike who can stay active all winter.
Bass activity relies heavily on warm water temperature.
As a result, their metabolism speeds up dramatically during the summer, and they create a feeding frenzy.
So you’ve made it this far, and you think you’re ready to grab yourself a few lures and hit the water.
If you’re as excited as I am for summer, you know that fishing season is right around the corner, and we now have excuses to take days off from work and hit the water anytime the weather looks good!
I’d recommend any of the lures we talked about above, they’re all good choices, and they’re affordable, so pick up as many as you can and fix your tackle box with the best summer bass lures.
