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5 Lures To Help You Catch Big Bass – July 2025
It’s July (‘MERICA!), it’s hot, but the bass are still biting. Just about everywhere in the country, bass will be in their summer patterns and that can generally mean one thing… it’s time to fish deep offshore structure. Carolina rigs, football jigs, those bottom-contact dragging baits will play, but there is also a good population of fish that stay shallow… and to me, those are the most fun to catch. It also makes it easier to avoid pleasure boaters and […] The post 5 Lures To Help You Catch Big Bass – July 2025 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
It’s July (‘MERICA!), it’s hot, but the bass are still biting.
Just about everywhere in the country, bass will be in their summer patterns and that can generally mean one thing… it’s time to fish deep offshore structure. Carolina rigs, football jigs, those bottom-contact dragging baits will play, but there is also a good population of fish that stay shallow… and to me, those are the most fun to catch. It also makes it easier to avoid pleasure boaters and jet skis…
So without further ado, here’s 5 bass baits for the month of July, that should play across a majority of the middle 75% of the country… if you’re way north, maybe go back a month and check out June’s list, and if you’re on the deep south, maybe check out last year’s August post.
1. Topwater/Frog
A topwater walking bait or a popper (especially during the mayfly hatch if you have that going on) is particularly effective in the summer months, as well as the shad and bluegill spawn. There’s nothing like the surprise of a big bass blowing up on a topwater walking bait. Tough to go wrong with bone, natural, and/or chrome colors. But if you got some matted vegetation, lily pads, or my favorite, duckweed, a hollow body frog is tough to beat.
Evergreen SB Topwater Plug – $18.99
Colors: Bone, Full Metal, Natural Gill
Storm Arashi Cover Pop – $9.99
Colors: Green Gill, Ghost Pearl Shad
Rapala PXR Jowler 127 – $21.79
Colors: Broken Bone, Pure Chrome, Ayu
Toad Thumper Swamper Frog – $9.99
Colors: Bad Bone, Black, Bad Gill
2. Drop Shot
A drop shot is one of the most versatile and one of the most effective techniques that you can honestly probably use every month of the year. I have one tied on pretty much year around, and it’s really become a confidence bait for me over the years. When I need a bite, pick up the drop shot. If you’re on the bank, it’s great. If you’re fishing around shallow flats or near docks, it’s great. If you’re fishing deep rock way offshore… still great.
If you’re not fishing around any grass or wood, you can nose hook your soft plastic on a drop shot hook, but if so, opt for a finesse Neko hook and you can tex-pose that hook point so it’ll come through that cover without hanging up.
Roboworm Straight Tail Worm – $3.97 – $4.99
Colors: Aaron’s Magic, Margarita Mutilator, Morning Dawn
Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Flat Worm – $4.98 – $9.99
Colors: Goby, Smelt, Gobyashi
Great Lakes Finesse Drop Worm – $6.99
Colors: Morning Dawn, Green Pumpkin Purple, Matte Black
3. Crankbait
Fishing a deep crank can be a great way to catch them in the summer months, as a number of bass, especially some big ones, will push deeper where the water is a little cooler and the water has more dissolved oxygen in it. Look for ledges, deep points, creek channels, and offshore humps. If you’re in a big reservoir with some current, bass will often set up on the down-current side of the structure, waiting to ambush baitfish.
The one thing about deep cranking is that you really need a special rod for it, one that not everybody has since it is not that versatile. You’re gonna want a big and long, cranking rod with a moderate action, probably or 7 and a half feet or more, so you can get a good, long cast. A lower gear-ratio reel will help you not wind too fast.
Colors: Citrus Shad, Green Gizzard Shad, Big Shad
4. Hair Jig
A big hair jig is a fun way to fish and one that is often under-utilized my most anglers. It’s definitely more common on ledge fisheries like the TVA lakes, but even up north where I live in Wisconsin, we have deep natural lakes where the bottom falls off a cliff in a hurry. When the bass start school up, a hair jig is a great way to pick off some of the bigger ones in the school.
Outkast Tackle Chicken Hair Jig
And for a smaller profile…
5. Texas Rig
For me, flipping and pitching around shallow cover is always gonna play, whether we’re talking about pre-spawn fish, bedding bass or even post-spawners. It’s just the way I love to fish and it will catch you fish year around. Fish will generally go deep in the summer months, especially down south, but there’s always a population that stays shallow, and those are who we’re looking for here. If you want fewer bites but the chance at bigger fish (at least on average), maybe try a flipping jig.
If you haven’t found a favorite yet, here’s a few I really have ha a lot of success with, especially the Bronco Bug… it just gets bit
Rapala Crush City Bronco Bug – $6.99
Colors: Black & Blue Flake, Green Pumpkin Blue, Candy Bug
Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Stank Bug – $8.99
Colors: Green Pumpkin, Black Blue Fleck, Green Pumpkin Blue
Rapala Crush City Cleanup Craw – $6.99
Colors: Tilapia Magic, Green Pumpkin Blue, Bama Craw
And for a more detailed bait recommendation, specific to your exact location and waterbody, check out the Bass Forecast Bait Advisor. Just input your ZIP code or share your location, and Bass Forecast will give you 5 bait recommendations, a bite rating, and suggestions for peak feeding times.
Bass Forecast Bait Advisor
What is Bass Bait AI – Powered by Bass Forecast
Our advanced bass fishing algorithms analyze over 11,000 factors, including weather shifts and bass behavior, to predict what baits will give you the best chance at success for any GPS location. Just enter your location, and it does the calculating for you. Giving you the complete bait breakdown for major and minor Bass feeding times in any bass fishing location. Click HERE to learn more.The post 5 Lures To Help You Catch Big Bass – July 2025 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
