I love, love, love fishing for big largemouth. If I could do only two things with the rest of my time on the water, I’d punch and frog my little heart out. Those are two techniques that run a high risk of producing a new PB every time I hit the water. But what are some other baits that are notorious for catching big largemouth? Glad you asked. That’s what we’re here to talk about today: the top baits for big largemouth.
First, why are specific baits more effective on big largemouth?
It’s not lost on me that a 10-pound bass will eat a dropshot, shaky head, Ned rig, or Neko rig. But, by and large, a bait that has a bigger profile, or more importantly, a more noticeable presence in the water, is more alluring to a big bass.
Think of some of the baits that catch big ones, like topwaters, glidebaits, wakebaits, spinnerbaits, and vibrating jigs. Most of these baits have larger profiles, and all of them have drawing power, which is created by water displacement from their blades, bills, and bodies.
Unless the water is ultra clear, big bass hunt primarily on feel. So, putting a substantial meal in the water that they can feel with their lateral lines is a great way to lure in a lunker.
Spinnerbaits
There are a lot of big fish baits out there, but the one that has caught the most big largemouth for me over the years has to be the spinnerbait.
The thump and flash of the blades of a spinnerbait paired with the large profile of the skirt is extremely effective at triggering strikes from big bass in clear water, stained water, muddy water, water with current, calm water, hot water, cold water, shallow, deep, you name it. This is the best bait, year-round, for catching a big bass.
Frogs
Although a spinnerbait is my number one big fish catcher, a hollow-body frog is my favorite. Though frog fishing is seasonal, this is still a fantastic big bite getter most of the year and one that will create memories that are unmatched.
I like to fish a hollow body frog anytime the bass are shallow and the water temp is over 60 degrees. You can catch them a little cooler than that, but you’ll catch more in the 70- to 85-degree range than any other. Obviously, throw them into thick cover, but don’t be scared to fish them around isolated cover or even out in the open.
Glide Baits
A bait that oozes big bass vibes, the glidebait is one I’ve become more intimately acquainted with over the last couple of years. I have found these lures to be a lot of fun to fish with, in part because they catch big fish, but also because they keep me more engaged with each cast. I have to pay close attention as I walk them around cover, waiting anxiously for a grown one to show itself.
A glidebait has tremendous drawing power. As it glides back and forth, it displaces water and also creates an eye-catching disturbance, causing a fish to travel several yards very quickly to investigate, and hopefully annihilate, the bait.
Buzzbaits
Another long-time favorite big bass catcher, the buzzbait is one of the oldest and most effective tools in the box. These baits generate a lot of disturbance on the surface as they’re reeled along, which can be seen and felt by the bass below.
These baits are also versatile, some with double props and others that replace the skirt with a soft plastic bait. The buzzbaits trailed with soft plastics can be used to skip under docks and other cover. But the standard skirted buzzbait in 3/8-ounce is your best bet usually for going down the bank.
Wakebaits
Back to making your presence known; wakebaits do just that by wobbling back and forth slowly across the surface. Anything from a big wood rat to a small wakebait that basically looks like a shallow-running crankbait can be used to draw a fish’s attention to the surface.
As a bass eases up behind the bait to investigate it, a true lunker rarely has it in her to let such a slow-lumbering, easy meal pass her by. The subtle appeal of one of these big baits in particular, paired with its seemingly incompatible larger profile, makes it a unique and irresistible option for the angler targeting big, wary fish.
Other Best Baits For Big Largemouth
Toads
A toad is another fantastic bait for targeting big bass. These lures are rigged weedless and fished along the surface. A great option for fishing over and through vegetation, the toad is one of the most effective baits for covering shallow water in the spring and summer.
Reeling Prop Baits
Reeling prop baits like the River2Sea Whopper Plopper work well in the summer for targeting big bass. Since these lures can be cast far and reeled constantly, you can cover a lot of water with one of them. This makes a reeling prop bait great for fishing around and between bream beds in the summer, which can be separated by hundreds of yards at times.
Stick Baits
I did want to add one finesse bait to this list, because it can be rigged a variety of ways and has caught countless giant largemouth. A soft plastic stick bait — the Yamamoto Senko specifically — has a very small profile and a minimal presence in the water compared to these other baits. But this bait is super effective at catching big fish when rigged on a wacky rig and a Texas rig.
Vibrating Jigs
The chatterbait birthed a whole genre of baits at the turn of the century. The original, as well as the hundred or so alternatives that have come out since, has an aggressive side-to-side action that’s generated by its blade. Big bass around grass and other cover cannot stand this thing being in the area, and they do something about it more often than not.
Swim Jigs
A swim jig is the perfect cross between a frog and a spinnerbait. These baits can be fished right over the top of dense cover (like a frog), and then dip down below the surface into a hole (like a spinnerbait), only to pop back up on a thick patch of grass again, and so on, and so on. While a swim jig can certainly be used in open water too, these baits shine around thick, patchy grass like this.
Ribbon-Tailed Worms
Slow and subtle with a big profile, that’s a recipe for a big bite. With a foot-long ribbon-tailed worm on a Texas rig, you can simply change the size of the weight and have an appetizing option to present to a big bass in a foot of water or 20 feet. Slowly dragging a big ribbon-tail worm through shallow stumps or deep brush is a great way to get a big bite.
Hair Jigs
As for deep water tactics, a big hair jig is a great tool for largemouth. With an intermittent retrieve consisting of reel bursts and pauses, you can effectively use a hair jig to mimic a big dying shad along the bottom. And that’s exactly what a lurking lunker is looking for.
Flutter Spoons
Similar to the hair jig, a flutter spoon is designed to mimic a dying baitfish. But that’s about where these two part ways. A heavy chunk of shiny metal, the spoon gives off a lot more flash as it rocks to and fro on the fall.
To work this bait, you have to incorporate the whole rod, with double-pump snatches between pauses. But this is another stellar bait for catching big largemouth on ledges and around deep cover.
Deep Crankbaits
Deep-diving crankbaits are most likely responsible for more largemouth over 5 pounds being caught deeper than 12 feet than any other single bait category.
These lures are so effective because they can be cast far, they can be burned to the bottom quickly, and they maintain bottom contact for a long time. As this happens, bass that are sitting along or around deep structure or cover looking for a meal are suddenly presented with one, and then the fight is on.
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I confess this is not an exhaustive list. As I tried to wind down the different bait categories I wanted to cover, swimbaits like Huddleston’s, MagDrafts, and Basstrix Paddle Tails crossed my mind. Then there are the creature baits, craws and jigs too.
In reality, this list could go on and on and on. But, I do feel like the lures we’ve gone through today are fantastic big largemouth baits that will give you something to try no matter where you fish. Hopefully that’s the case, and you’ll have a new big fish favorite of your own soon.
