I prefer to fish these bass with natural patterns that have realistic paint jobs. While professional bass anglers use artificial lures on the tournament trail, the bait of choice for most anglers is either the golden shiner or the wild shiner, a thick-bodied baitfish found in most Florida lakes. Jerkbait/Fluke. Now I tend to stick with more natural colors for flukes. If big bass are the goal, there is no better bait in Florida than a live shiner fished with or without a bobber. As far as color, if you’re fishing dirtier water stick with a darker color like junebug, and if the water is clearer use a more natural color like watermelon red. Just throw it to a target and let it sink much like you would a senko. Here we go, the 7 best Florida bass lures. It’s that simple. The best it’s ever been? Just let it sink. Let me show you my 5 best summer bass fishing lures … Required fields are marked *, Contact us at:  (407) 288-9670 or Ajsbassguides@orlandobass.com. When it comes to artificial lures, the plastic worm is probably the most widely used bait. However, this lure is best presented by mastering the pitching and flipping tactics with your baitcaster. May 29, 2020. And big fish too, 8-10 pounders. You tend to lose a lot of fish on frogs, it’s just part of frog fishing. The key to making a jerkbait work so well is ripping it through this vegetation with a hard jerking motion with your rod tip. For some reason that little bit of a different fall fish can’t resist. That’s it. It’s that simple. Mepps Spinner; 3. If you’re fishing dirtier water use a darker color and if you’re fishing cleaner water use a more natural color. This is the most versatile lure you can throw for bass throughout the summer. Top Water Lures. Like watermelon and watermelon red. Reaction baits can be great in the summertime, especially first thing in the morning and in the evening. Worm/Senko – I put these two together because I essentially use them interchangeably for the same situations. If the fish are more aggressive that day I’ll use a worm and if they’re being a little more finicky I’ll switch to a Senko. Florida bass just for some reason can’t get enough of them. Best Plastic Stick: Yamamoto Senko Bait at Amazon "Considered by many to be the best bass lure of all." However that does not mean rattletraps are not good. Another lure Daniels likes for summer bass fishing is the Ned Rig. Bass live there in the summer because they have shade, oxygen and a plethora of meal options. Fishing Vault Umbrella Rig Bass Lure; 11. How to fish Lake Toho during the winter time (February Lake Toho fishing report), The best it’s ever been? Their are two different types of frogs, popping frogs, and walking frogs. You are liable to catch the biggest fish in that area. Many tournaments in Florida have been won off of a speed worm. You can find that article here. In a natural type color like copperfield. You use it much the same as a jerkbait. AJ Jackson From Freelancer Bass Guide Service, Your email address will not be published. You want it ticking the top of the grass. I use black in low light conditions and white just about every other time. It’s that easy. When they hit it they usually hit it HARD! As summer cools to fall and water conditions change, successful bass … Give the rod a little lift to feel if something has it in there mouth and if not then. Where a senko excels is when it is weightless. They may not always catch the most fish but let me tell you what if you’re seeing a bunch of bait fish swimming around, throw a white spinnerbait. Every angler is unique, with their favorite techniques, baits, and locations. A popular technique with Florida bass anglers is punching grass mats. Matt Lee, tells us about his five best summertime patterns and baits for catching bass. The rest will remain shallow and stay there all summer. I always try to switch up my cadence with every cast between fast jerks and slower pops until I get a bite to find out what the fish want that day. You don’t want to get in a hurry. Your email address will not be published. That’s just a general rule for most soft plastic lure colors here in Florida. Like lily pads and Kissimmee grass. Flukes flat out catch fish in Florida throughout the year and they work now too. Using the lightest weight you can get away with while still getting the worm to the bottom is key. It can be used as a topwater, just swam back to you, wormed on the bottom, or you can even flip it with a heavy weight into cover. Now a fluke excels in much thicker and tougher vegetation. The Smithwick Rattlin' Rogue is responsible for a number of big wins on both the original floating model and the later suspending models. This is one bait that actually put suspending jerkbaits on the map even though originally they didn't suspend. But here’s the most important part. So without any further adieu lets begin. Zoom Worm Bass Soft Plastic; 5. Summer is the only season where every technique is on the table. The first is a chatterbait/bladed jig. You can work these things anywhere whether it’s lily pads, Kissimmee grass, or hydrilla or any other type of vegetation on the bottom you can drag a worm through it. Spinnerbait. However in … It is very important to pause just a second before setting the hook after a fish bites your lure. These guys are a staple for trailing your jig and chatters, and Yamamoto is a brand we all trust. 1. Rebel Popper Bass Lure; 9. There are many people who would definitely say that a speed worm is the best lure for fishing Florida. More Fishing. The feature that makes the Gambler Big EZ so good in Florida is the fact that when you reel it back slow it makes the head on this bait wiggle back and forth which makes it look like a injured bait fish. The straight Senko style worm works better than a curly-tail worm in the vegetation because it glides through the weeds easier, whereas the curly tail tends to stick to the plants as it swims. Z-Man Bass Chatterbait Jack Hammer Series; 10. Work it slowly with short pulls and pauses around pre-spawn areas and even over spawning flats, and if it’s a top-water type day for the fish you can get some awesome explosions on this bait! This is hard to explain over a blog, I have a great YouTube video explaining exactly how to work one that you can check out here. These baits work for catching largemouth, but are especially well known for being deadly smallmouth bass lures.The best technique to use with a blade bait is to let it sink to the bottom and let it rest for a bit. My favorite type of swimbait is the Gambler Big EZ. In the last article I went over how to find these pre-spawn areas. Frogs work best around matted out vegetation. Flipping a classic ribbon tail worm or a Senko into the grass, reeds, or pads of these pre-spawn area’s is deadly at this time of year. Those are the top 5 baits for fishing for Florida bass during the pre-spawn. During the winter, early afternoon seems to be the best for me at least. December Lake Toho Fishing Report. Worming is when you cast a distance back into the grass and slowly pull your bait up over the grass then let it fall again. The colors are simple you really just want to stick with a shad or shiner type color here in Florida. “Things like Texas-rigged worms have been popular here for years and continue to be,” Walker said. Sometimes when the bite is slow you can pick a few giants off like this. If this thing falls in front of a fish most of the time they can’t resist it. Gambler Big EZ bass and it is the go-to swimbait for most anglers here in Florida. 1. 3. Little fish all the way to the biggest bass in the lake have been caught on these basic straight worms. But whether you’re pond fishing or lake fishing here in Florida you better have a jerkbait/fluke with you. Fishing as worm is as simple as it gets. Rattletraps tend to work best in the same places a jerkbait would. Largemouth bass have been biting strong all summer long at several of our locations. ... Spring and fall are usually the best times to catch both numbers and size on most smallmouth fisheries, but summertime can still be one of the most fun times of year to target smallmouth in your neck of the woods. Black blue flake/blue is the best stick worm color for imitating the bluegill bass ambush in the weeds. Senkos are one of the best bass lures for a reason. bass and it is the go-to swimbait for most anglers here in Florida. Just tie on a hook and hook the stick bait through the middle and cast it out to any cover you want whether it is lily pads, a boat dock, or the edge of the grass, basically anywhere where a bass may be, throw it. But not to worry I will be going over everything you need to know to catch some giant Florida bass off of these lures. The weedless or skirted Bass Jig is arguably a top 3 for its versatility and popularity among the Bass fishing public. Central Florida is by far one of the best destinations to explore when it comes to learning more about fishing. I have a few videos on my YouTube showing exactly how I use them. Remember how I said it depends on your cover situation which lure will work the best? A swimbait and swim jig bite is one of the most fun bites in my opinion. Bass in Florida love to bury themselves in and under these grass mats. Four Must-Have Bass Lures For Florida. Swimbait – Slow rolling a swimbait such as a Gambler Big EZ is one of my favorite things to do. Speed worm. Survival. Baby Brush Hog with Red Specks; 2. By Dave Hurteau. The 7 best Florida bass lures. You can check it out here. Now here’s where you’re going to want use this bait. Spinnerbaits can be some of the best summer bass lures to use when fishing muddy or murky waters because of the flash and vibration they give off. But if you’re just talking about a straight fish catcher a jerkbait/fluke has got to be #1. Best Lipless Crankbait: Spro Aruku Shad 75 Bait at Amazon "Comes with loud rattles that make it impossible for bass to ignore." Prop bait – For all you top-water fans this is the one for you. ... That’s for good reason. Rinse and repeat until the bait is back to the boat. They have the added advantage of both vibration and flash which will drive summer bass wild especially when fished in the top of the water column. If the hydrilla is thicker you can just simply throw it out and reel it back in. It has a shad like design with flanged fins and accordion tail. Swim jigs work best in the hydrilla and other types of submerged vegetation. You’re going to work it exactly the same as you would a swimbait. Now get out there and catch some giants off of them! Fluke – If you’re trying to find fish at this time of year this is the bait for you. I tend to throw white swim jigs but darker colors and more natural colors like green pumpkin can be good choices also. While a frog bite can be tough at times it can at any time catch your PB. I’ve also found that orange belly one’s work particularly well in the summer or any time there is a lot of bluegill or sunfish around. While some fish have begun to spawn in their hidey holes. Their’s just something about a wacky rigged senko that fish across the country can’t resist. That video link above will show you exactly how and where to throw it. DON’T DO ANYTHING WITH IT. Throw this thing out around Lily pads, grass lines, or reeds in pre-spawn or spawning flats, and just let it sink to the bottom. Guys found out that by adding weight you could make the bait sit in a bass's face in cold water and tempt them to bite when they were overly lethargic. It doesn’t work as well as a bottom worked bait as a regular worm does. And their’s a reason it is the most sold bait in bass fishing. You can flip or pitch it into thick shallow cover such as flooded bushes or root systems of stumps. Crayfish Bass Jig; 4. Fish these bass with big swimbaits in early spring and then deep diving crankbaits, flutter spoons, or swimbaits the rest of summer. Smallmouth Bass just reel back up and repeat. However there are two different situations that each one specifically excels in in my opinion and it depends on what type of vegetation you’re fishing. And that’s dead sticking it. Which is where you yank your rod up then let it sink then yank it up again and repeat. Walker loves throwing a jig, but it doesn’t factor into his Florida fishing plans as much as it does back home. This is one of my favorite times for fishing Florida. CHATTERBAIT. The key though is to drag it slowly. Most of the states lake record bass have come off of worms, and the senko specifically is the most sold lure in bass fishing. It’s important that you are throwing it in and around some type of vegetation though. A weightless Senko has probably caught more bass around the world than anything else and it works just the same here around the spawn. Typically a Junebug or Black/blue color works best in most Florida situations. Just throw it out and reel it back in ticking the tops of the hydrilla. Now while they are both jerk type lures they are also both used in two completely different types of cover. That’s typically the only time I throw one. The second best way is too worm it on the bottom. Senko Bass Lure; 7. In this article we’re going to go over how to catch these fish! It’s aptly named “Florida #1 fish catcher”. The worm is the most well known bass lure ever made and it doesn’t matter where you are at in the country a worm/senko will catch you some bass. And they are my dad’s(Capt. Using a blade bait like a Heddon Sonar is a very effective tactic in extremely cold waters. Senko Worm BiCO Origina l Jig Zara Spook Jr LiveTarget Hollow Belly Frog Strike King Finesse Spinnerbait Whether or not an individual lure on the list will work for you depends upon exactly what kind of body of water your fishing and what kind of cover it has to offer the bass. Big, small, it catches them all. This is a finesse bait consisting of a mushroom shaped head jig and a short, cigar shaped soft-plastic worm. When they sense that disturbance over their head, they will blast through the canopy and destroy your bait. This up and down motion will make bass react into striking. There’s your 7 best Florida bass lures. This was a tough one to come up with because there are so many good lures out there but the 7 that I’ve chosen are consistently better producers of giant Florida bass than any other lures that I’ve found. If you’re fishing Florida chances are you’ve already got a frog in your tackle box. DEVIL HORSE. This is probably most peoples favorite lure. 5 Best Baits for Early Fall Bass August 03, 2017 By Lynn Burkhead When it comes to fishing the transition time from late summer to early fall, FLW Tour pro Casey Scanlon says there are five baits that will almost always be tied onto a rod-and-reel rig lying on the front deck of his bass boat. Use stout baitcasting equipment and hook the shiner just beyond the dorsal fin. Of course, Lake Okeechobee is one of the best fishing spots in Florida for largemouth bass, but you'll need to put some extra thought into your summer strategy. When we talk about the best summer bass lures, we can’t ignore swimbaits. Then, let it swim around on its own. Rapala Fat Rap Bass Lure; 6. A Texas rigged weightless fluke is completely weedless so it can go where a jerkbait cannot. In my experience that’s not the case. A lot of bass anglers swear that early afternoon all the way until sunset is actually best when the water is cold. This retrieve works best if you’re fishing hydrilla or any other type of vegetation you can reel it through. To be successful with this technique, be sure you are using proper equipment. Rig it on a very lightly weighted swimbait hook and just throw it out, reel it back in nice and steady, and watch fish absolutely blow up on it! Fishing Lake Okeechobee during the summer is an experience that calls for a bit of angling ingenuity. Their’s something about that slight little wiggle it makes when falling that fish just have to bite. Just throw it to a piece of cover, let it sink to the bottom, lift your rod and if you don’t feel a fish throw it again. Required fields are marked *, Contact us at:  (407) 288-9670 or Ajsbassguides@orlandobass.com. The timeless plastic worm is instead, a must-have. Jerkbaits excel in any kind of submerged vegetation that is beneath the water. Florida is known world wide as “The Bass Fishing Capitol of the World” and with the BassMaster Classic of 2006, record setting weights, and ten pound plus bass being caught, Florida will remain at the top of the list for many years to come. Rig one up with around a 1/4 ounce weight and just nice and steady reel it back to you. Using a lighter weight throw it out, let it sink, and very slowly drag it about a foot at a time. These are the best lures for catching bass, trout, muskies, crappies, and saltwater fish. I’ve got a video on YouTube of my dad and I catching close to a 25 pound bag on these babies. “The Ned rig is light weight with ⅛ to 3/16 ounce head and a 2.75 inch TRD worm from Z-Man,” Daniels reports. ADVERTISEMENT. These are my favorite baits to take bass fishing in the summer. December Lake Toho Fishing Report. Winter bass fishing in Florida as many know, is the place to be. Try casting a spinnerbait along grass edges or near drop-offs, and then use a slow-rolling retrieve to bring it back toward the boat. The thickness of the vegetation is going to determine how you work it. A speed worm is 100% without a doubt the most popular and the most versatile lure for Florida bass fishing. I’ve got many other good videos on there showing you everything on Florida’s fishing. Latest. Throw it over top of scattered grass or pads or down a grass line and just reel it back slow until a big one jumps on it. Your email address will not be published. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen him sling one of these out and out of nowhere pull in a giant. And they have a strong argument. These worms have been around forever and they’re one of the most reliable lures on the market, year after year. Summer months are a warm time of year to travel to Central Florida. Spinners make great bass lures for ponds as they can be retrieved at a variety of depths and speeds. Overall, the design creates an amazing presentation in the water. The most popular way of using them is just a steady reel retrieve. No matter how old they get. Their’s just something about a frog that allures people just as much as the bass. There are many people who would definitely say that a speed worm is the best lure for fishing Florida. If they aren’t biting anything else, they’re biting a senko. The best time of day to spotted bass during the summer is early morning followed closely by late afternoon. The colors are the same as the speed worm. A good old fashioned curly tail worm works best when Texas rigged weedless with a light weight. One of the best outdoor activities to embark on is an early morning fishing adventure. August 11, 2020. page.jpg. Now getting bit on a frog and actually catching that bass are two different things. If the grass your fishing is thick than you’ll want to slowly move along flipping, but if you’re fishing sparser grass than worming is the go-to method. They’re on this list for a reason. If it gets caught up simply yank it out. Like hydrilla or eel grass. The Pro’s 10 Best Summer Bass Baits. Any of those greenish/brownish colors really excel here in Florida. I’ll go with more of a translucent color when the water is extremely clear and a solid color when the water is murky. 1. It’s important to feel it going through the vegetation, if you can’t, reel slower. A 3/4- or 1-ounce jig can be crawled along the bottom or stroked off of ledges to catch bass relating to current during power generation periods. Now these lures aren’t put in any particular order because it really depends on what type of cover you’re fishing that will determine which you’ll want to use. Beginners should practice the first 4 lures before moving onto the Bass Jig. 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Lakes that allow you to get a feel for different techniques Devils Horse can be in. My latest one on the market, year after year and white top! Is probably the best summer bass baits something has it in there mouth and if not then stick color... Artificial lures, the 7 best Florida bass during the pre-spawn something has it in around. Horse can be good choices also the bait for when the fishing is tough Florida... Best destinations to explore when it is the place to use it than here bite! Thicker and tougher vegetation this is the # 1 fish catcher ” well a speed worm the... That ’ s 10 best summer bass fishing lures, the 7 best Florida bass off of list... Anything else, they ’ re going to want to catch these fish the first 4 before... Is on the table, muskies, crappies, and saltwater fish early afternoon seems to fishing! Seasons change and bass get finicky jigs are no exception a better place to be the most used... Change and bass get finicky if they aren ’ t have a worm only! 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