Topic: The Best Bass Lures for Summer of 2023 (Read 56 times)
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Key Features
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Japanese lure manufacturer Teckel took the ultra-natural body shape from their other frogs and put a spinning tail on the back, which means you can present an altogether new sound profile to bass that are used to silent topwater amphibians. You can think of this frog a lot like a weedless Whopper Plopper, and it excels at quickly covering water in or around thick vegetation. The hooks are tucked neatly against the side of the body to minimize fouling, but the plastic bends easily to maximize hookups on both aggressive and tentative strikes. You can simply cast out the Sprinker and reel it in or work in pauses to trigger a strike. My favorite way to use the Sprinker is cast it parallel to the edge of lily pads and work it back. You can cover the entire edge—where active fish will lurk—in just a few casts. The biggest con of the Sprinker is that the tail is will get chewed up or ripped off. You can buy replacement tails though and I reco*mend stocking up on them.
Key Features
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There aren’t many times I don’t have a Gavacho tied onto my line because there aren’t many situations where it doesn’t excel. If I’m fishing a pad field, I can bring the bait into an opening and walk it in place. If there’s some chop on the water I can pop the frog. I have no problem quickly walking it down a weed edge. The only time it doesn’t shine is in really thick vegetation because the cupped face doesn’t co*e through cover as cleanly as the pointed head of a walking frog.
I also like that working the Gavacho takes very little effort, and the slim profile means I get more eats with fewer short strikes. The hooks on it are the right thickness, so they won’t bend out when you’re winching a fish from the slop, but they’re thin enough that they still penetrate easily. Another design feature that aids in hookup ratio is the soft body, which easily collapses and exposes the hooks. —Scott Einsmann
There may be more modern and more natural-looking “walk the dog” topwaters, but this upgraded version of the original from Heddon is the best topwater smallmouth candy. It walks easily and calls big brown bass from a distance, or from the depths. They strike it extra hard, too, which means you’ll also need to invest in a quality pair of pliers to remove the premium Excalibur Rotating Treble Hooks.
There’s no more exciting way to catch a post-spawn bronzeback than with a topwater lure, and few surface tools have been getting the job done longer than Heddon’s Zara Spook. You can still use the original effectively, but this upgraded version, the Heddon Super Spook, has all of the extra bells and whistles to grab a few more bites and to keep them hooked up. The smaller “Junior” version is often smallie anglers’ first choice, but don’t hesitate to go to the five-incher, especially in wind and waves where you need to make a ruckus to grab their attention. It’s worth noting this isn’t just one of the best topwater lures for smallmouth bass, it’s also one of the best bass lures of all time.
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When summertime bass are schooled up and waiting for baitfish to swim by, nothing gets them going and keeps them going like a big crankbait. The 6XD gets into the strike zone quickly and stays there, and unlike some co*petitors it doesn’t pull so hard that it wears you out. It also co*es in a “Hard Knock” version with a more aggressive sound profile. This is the crankbait the pros turn to when the offshore bass are chewing. And don’t be surprised if you occasionally catch two at a time. When throwing the 6XD make sure you have the right crankbait rod, one that will allow you to feel the bait bounce of cover and keep fish hooked after they bite.
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Dirty Jigs has quickly beco*e one of the pros’ most valuable lineups of leadhead jigs for everything from flipping to pitching to swimming. But this finesse jig is made to be hopped and dragged along the bottom. It provides a co*pact profile and a light wire hook to get solid hooksets at just about any depth but also enough weight to get to the bottom and stay there. In addition to a wide range of standard colors, they offer some options not found anywhere else.
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The Spinbait has given rise to a whole host of copycats, but the original remains the gold standard. It looks like an old-school Devil’s Horse topwater, but instead of staying on the surface it sinks. That means it can be counted down to the desired depth and then slow-rolled back to the boat through the strike zone. Largemouths and spotted bass love it too, but it’s really proven the most deadly on smallmouths in the Great Lakes region.
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Ned rigging—placing a small, stubby piece of plastic on a mushroom-shaped jighead—was once thought to be the province of beginners, but as more and more anglers win national tournaments with this simple technique, it’s beco*e a standard in boats and tackle boxes everywhere. The Z-Man Finesse TRD remains the standard bearer. Not only is it super tough—so you won’t need to constantly re-rig or replace your lure—but it is also buoyant, so when sent to the bottom, the tail stands up, calling fish to investigate. Throw the TRD on the lightest Ned rig head that will get the bait to the bottom. Once your bait hits the bottom watch the line carefully. If the line doesn’t jump or swim away—indicating a strike— slowly drag the Ned rig across the bottom. You can also pop it off the bottom and let it fall again. It’s an absolutely deadly technique for catching largemouth and smallmouth bass in anybody of water. Just keep in mind that the ElaZtech material cannot be stored in contact with other soft plastics. It’s best to keep thes