My Deadly Top Five Bass Fishing Lures

One of the questions I'm most often asked is "what lures do I need in my tackle box to catch fish in any situation." Well with the huge array of choices out there today, it's hard to narrow down the choices. But if I had to pick just five for South Jersey waters here they are:

1. Worm - Probably the most versatile bait ever produced. Plastic worms can be rigged in many different ways. They can fished with or without a weight. They also come in a million different shapes and sizes. But my favorites are the 4 and 7 inch ribbon tail, straight tail and the curl tail models. Rigged Texas style, the plastic worm can be fished through any kind of cover. My number one choice is a Berkley Power worm in pumpkin seed, blue fleck, or black.

2. Jig - The skirted weedless jig is a perfect imitation of one of South Jersey most readily available forage; the crayfish. Like the texas rigged plastic worm, the jig can be fished through thick cover and in a variety of different depths depending on the weight of the jig. A jig is my favorite lure for catching really big bass. My biggest bass caught in New Jersey weighed 9 pounds and was caught on a jig. Also always add a trailer to the jig for a little more action. My favorite jig is a 1/2oz. black and blue Mann's Stone Jig with a Berkley Power Craw trailer.

3. Spinnerbait - The spinnerbait is the perfect imitation of a small school of bait fish. It is a lure that can be fished at different depths of the water column depending on how fast you retrieve the bait. With its shiny flashing blades and pulsating skirt, the spinnerbait is perfect covering a lot of water in short amount of time. The safety pin shape of a spinnerbait also makes it quite weedless. My favorite spinnerbait is 3/8oz. white Stanley Wedge with a small gold Colorado blade followed by a larger silver willow blade. Also remember to always add a trailer hook when the cover allows it.

4. Crankbait - Another great imitation of a smaller fish. Crankbaits wobble and rattle, enabling a bass to hone in n the bait even under dirty water conditions. Crankbaits are diving lures The bigger the bill the deeper the bait will dive. With several different bill sizes, I can effectively cover from one foot of water down to about 16 foot of water. My favorite crank bait is a Berkley Frenzy Diver in a firetiger color.

5. Topwater - Rounding out the top five is the most exciting and fun lure to fish in the world. Topwaters are designed to be fished on the surface of the water and imitate something wounded or in distress. Fish naturally feed up on the surface. Topwaters excel under lower light conditions like morning, evening or cloudy skies. My favorite top water lure is a small popper like the Rebel Pop R in a natural shad or frog pattern.

So next time your staring blindly at the million different choices in the tackle store, remember the deadly five. With these lures you can effectively fish from top to bottom, in any kind of cover, during any season the year. But keep in mind that even with these deadly five, the most effective lure in your box is your own confidence.