The best summer bass lures with Monsterbass

It's peak summer, the water is warm, and the bass have moved on from the spawn. That means they've moved on from where you were finding them in spring, too. Topwater and shallow fishing are now early morning and evening pursuits. Once the sun is up, it's all about shade, cover, and depth.

Adjusting your tactics means adjusting your tackle. You need baits that can draw strikes at every level of the water column, lures you can skip under docks, burn over grass, or walk through schooling fish on the surface.

We've gone through the best Monsterbass has to offer for summer bass fishing and here's what stands out.

The best crankbait for bass

Rollo 6 Crankbait

When the sun is high and the fish go deep, you need a bait that follows them down. The Rollo 6 dives to around five feet, more than enough to reach the cool, shaded water where big bass wait out the heat. The broad body moves serious water with a side-to-side roll, and the dressed rear treble adds lifelike movement even on the pause. A red front treble rounds it out, giving fish an easy target to key in on. When they bite this bait, they commit.

The best jerkbait for bass and pike

Slick Stick 110 Jerkbait

The Slick Stick 110 casts a mile. The internal ball bearing system drops to the tail on the cast for distance and accuracy, then resets once the bait hits the water so it suspends horizontally right in the strike zone.

On a straight retrieve it looks great, but this lure really earns its keep on a jerk-pause-jerk retrieve with a little slack in the line. That side-to-side action is a dead ringer for a wounded baitfish. One thing to dial in: match your jerk cadence to water temperature. Slow it down in the early morning or in cooler water, and speed it up as the day heats up.

Bonus: this bait has pike written all over it too.

The best popper for bass

Mad Max topwater popper

The grey of early morning and the pink of sunset are prime time for big bass cruising near the surface. Topwater fishing is one of the most exciting ways to catch bass, and the Mad Max is one of the best poppers you can throw.

The uniquely shaped mouth scoops water hard with every pull, and a re-engineered internal weight transfer system makes it easier than ever to walk the dog: the chugging action it produces is unlike anything else in this class. Sharp Mustad hooks and a dressed tail that keeps moving even at rest make sure any fish that shows up actually stays pinned. Work it in two to three feet of water at dawn, or try it over deeper transition zones where bass are pushing bait to the surface.

The best pencil bait for schooling bass

Patriot topwater pencil

Pencil baits are the move when bass are schooling on shad in open water. The Patriot's walking action – side-to-side with a little speed – mimics a wounded baitfish struggling at the surface, and the internal ball bearings do double duty: they load the tail for long casts and create a rattle on the retrieve that draws attention from a distance.

Red treble hooks add to the injured-fish illusion and help land more bites that would otherwise be tail-swipes. The Patriot shines on open-water schools, but don't sleep on it near structure either. Its dark profile works well in the shadow of docks, bridge pylons, and overhanging trees.

The best topwater for big bass

Ragnar topwater walking bait

If the Patriot is for schooling bass, the Ragnar is for hunting the big ones. This is a large, loud walking bait, formulated from a harder plastic than most topwater baits, which makes it more sonorous, and fitted with a modified weight transfer system for long, accurate casts. Three razor-sharp Mustad treble hooks and oversized eyes recessed into the body (so they don't get knocked off on reaction strikes) make it as functional as it looks.

Work it with a steady walk-the-dog retrieve, or mix in some pops and pauses. The rattle carries on every motion. Dark color patterns like Sleepover make a great profile in shaded areas, perfect for targeting bass tucked under docks or deep in cover.

With topwater options, a precision jerkbait, a deep-running crankbait, and a pencil built for schools, this lineup covers every situation summer bass fishing throws at you. You can shop these lures individually or try Monsterbass's subscription box: they put together seasonal, regionally matched boxes.

Now get out there. We'll help with the lures.

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