What is the best bass lure for spring?

A lipless crankbait in red craw before the spawn, and a wacky-rigged stick worm during the spawn.

What is the best lure for winter bass fishing?

A suspending jerkbait from 42–50°F, and an Alabama rig or jigging spoon when the fish go deeper.

What is the best lure for summer bass fishing?

A deep-diving crankbait or football jig on offshore ledges during the day, and topwater at dawn.

What is the best lure for fall bass fishing?

A squarebill crankbait or spinnerbait in the backs of creeks where shad are gathering.

The Best Bass Lure for Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter

Written by Atlas Editorial · Last updated 2026-11-05

Spring is jerkbaits, lipless crankbaits and soft plastics around the spawn; summer is deep crankbaits, big worms and early topwater; fall is squarebills and spinnerbaits chasing shad; winter is jerkbaits, Alabama rigs and spoons slowed way down.

Spring bass fishing

Spring runs from the first warming trend in late February to the end of the spawn. Pre-spawn bass (50–60°F) stage on secondary points and channel swings in 5–12 ft, then move to 1–6 ft flats and pockets to bed when the water holds above 60°F.

Pro tip · Pre-spawn, 50–60°F

1/2 oz lipless crankbait in red craw ripped out of grass; 3/8 oz chatterbait with a 4 in swimbait trailer; suspending jerkbait on points.

Pro tip · Spawn, 60–70°F

Wacky-rigged 5 in stick worm, Texas-rigged lizard or creature bait on a 1/8–3/16 oz weight. Light weights keep the bait in the nest longer.

Pro tip · Post-spawn, 70–75°F

Walking topwater and soft jerkbaits at dawn; shad spawn on riprap and grass at first light.

Summer bass fishing

Once surface water passes 80°F, the bigger bass move offshore to ledges, humps and brush in 12–25 ft, especially on Tennessee River lakes where current from generation positions them. The shallow bite is a dawn and dusk window, or after dark.

Pro tip · Offshore

Deep-diving crankbait to 20 ft, 3/4 oz football jig, and a 10 in Texas worm on a 3/8–1/2 oz weight on ledges during generation.

Pro tip · Grass

Hollow frog on 65 lb braid over matted grass midday; the shade under the mat stays cooler.

Pro tip · After dark

Black buzzbait and black/blue Texas worm on shallow points when daytime water is in the high 80s.

Fall bass fishing

Fall starts when the water drops below about 75°F. Shad move into the backs of creeks and bass follow them, often roaming shallow and scattered. Cover water until you find bait.

Pro tip · Creek arms, 75–60°F

Squarebill and spinnerbait (double willow blades, white or chartreuse-white) along banks and wood in 1–6 ft.

Pro tip · Schooling

Keep a walking bait or a 1/4 oz paddletail rigged for bass busting shad on the surface.

Pro tip · Late fall, 60–55°F

Lipless crankbait over flats and medium-diving crankbait on channel swings as fish start drifting deeper.

Winter bass fishing

Under 50°F, bass metabolism slows and fish group up on steep banks, bluff ends and channel edges, often 15–30 ft deep in clear lakes. Slow presentations near bait schools win; warm, sunny afternoons after stable weather are the best windows.

Pro tip · Jerkbait, 42–50°F

Suspending jerkbait with 5–20 second pauses on 10 lb fluorocarbon.

Pro tip · Alabama rig

Five-wire rig with 3.5 in paddletails on 1/4 oz heads, slow-rolled through suspended fish. Check the rig rules on the waters you fish.

Pro tip · Vertical

1/2–3/4 oz jigging spoon or blade bait hopped 1–2 ft off bottom over schools you see on sonar.

Alabama rig cold-water patterns →

Questions from the ramp

Sources

Data last reviewed: 2026-11-05