We’ve caught countless bass on Terminator spinnerbaits. In fact, we’ve replaced the chartreuse skirts on our Terminators so many times, we can’t even remember. That color seems to be a go-to spinner for so many conditions, although our box carries other colors, too. We’ve also brought in a LOT of big northern pike with it, too. It’s a go-to for those toothy fish, too. The head on the Terminator cuts through the water well and the wire frame resists bending extremely well. These baist vibrate more than many other baits and have super-sharp VMC hooks. Our current favorite is the gold-plated Colorado blade version. These spinnerbaits catch fish. Period.

Rapalas are lures that EVERY angler has in the tackle box. The original balsa wood lures are what most of us think about when it comes to crank-style baits, and the company has developed all kinds of variations that catch fish. One of our current favorites is the Ripstop. These ripping stick baits tear up the water and stop quickly, imitating injured baitfish. These are a shallow-running bait that we like to work over weed beds, especially later in the day. Bass can’t seem to resist chomping up injured fish. The boot tail gives this bait some crazy action, too.

There are a lot of “rubber” worms on the market. The Powerbait Power Worm from Berkley flat works. Impregnated with a powerful scent attractant, these worms bring in the fish. We get a kick out of it when tiny fish come and smack them while at the dock or as we’re sitting in the boat with it dangling in the water. That’s all due to the scent. One of our favorite and very productive techniques is to wind drift over weed beds while slowly bounce-trolling a weedless-rigged 10-inch worm. This tactic has brought fish into the boat when nothing else is working on those hot summer days.

There are a lot of  skirted, weedless jigs for bass fishing. The Booyah Boo Jig is a very good one. Rigged weedless, these jigs are designed to get dropped into brush and other thick cover that would normally be pretty hard to work. You can work it right down onto fish that are holding tight to cover and get right in their faces. We like the ⅜-ounce jig. It has built in rattles and weighs enough to cast well and get out there, without being too heavy for feeling every twitch. This is the perfect pitching and flipping bait that every bass angler needs.

When the water is calm and the bass are surfacing, you’ll never have more fun catching bass than when you’re running a popper or other surface bait. The hits are sweet and explosive. There are a lot of different surface baits, but the one to have in your tackle box is the tried and true Arbogast Hula Popper. These skirted popper baits make a big splash and get lunkers to scream up to rip them. The classic Fred Arbogast design is widely considered as one of the best bass baits of all time. These have been a must-have bass bait for the past 60 years.

Bass aren’t always a shallow water fish. When there are massive temperature changes and lake turnover, the bass can head for deeper waters. Deep-running crank baits are a good call, and one of the classic ways to get the job done is with a lipless crankbait. The classic choice and still one of the best bass baits going, is the Rat-L-Trap. These baits run deep and carry a lot of rattle, making them very noisy. The design of the bait gives it a perfect wiggle as it runs deep, making it look like a seriously wounded baitfish. There’s lot of colors, but one that really hammers the bass early season is red. Many pro anglers work red baits  early in the season to great success. Fire tiger is another great color. It is highly visible and great for working murky water.

Jointed, body swimbaits are proving themselves to be some of the more versatile body baits for busting monster bass. These baits can be run hard and fast over a weed bed, jerked and flipped like a wounded baitfish, jigged off the bottom or trolled. With a basic shape and colored like a wide range of bass forage, these baits are a popular choice for anglers hitting new waters. The Storm Kickin’ Shad comes in several sizes, up to 6-inches long, which is good because as we all know, big fish need big baits.