Although bass may group up offshore, or chase pelagic baitfish, for the hard core largemouth hunter in search of hand-to-hand combat, the most enjoyable times are when they’re pinned around shallow cover ambush points, waiting to feed. This can be just about any time of the year, from the pre-spawn through the fall, and under all types of conditions, so a one-size-fits-all approach to choosing your lure makes no sense.

Of course a topwater bite can be thrilling, and is often the only way to go around thick vegetation, but it’s also the first option to go south when conditions get tough. Pitching and flipping soft plastics and jigs can be super-effective, especially when bass are buried in cover or otherwise reluctant to chew, but they’re slow, time-consuming methods that don’t allow you to cover maximum water.

To read the entire article, please click on https://www.fieldandstream.com/story/fishing/top-bass-lures-you-should-never-fish-without/