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5 Lures To Help You Catch Big Bass – October 2025
October is here. You’d expect to start seeing some cooler temperatures but it’s actually been touching 80 here in Wisconsin. Eventually we’ll start to see the temp drop as the weeks go on, and as they do, it should be a little easier to find fish. September is a transitional month for bass fishing and can be one of the trickiest all year, but October generally seems to be much more productive for me. Some fish will stay deeper, some […] The post 5 Lures To Help You Catch Big Bass – October 2025 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
October is here.
You’d expect to start seeing some cooler temperatures but it’s actually been touching 80 here in Wisconsin. Eventually we’ll start to see the temp drop as the weeks go on, and as they do, it should be a little easier to find fish. September is a transitional month for bass fishing and can be one of the trickiest all year, but October generally seems to be much more productive for me. Some fish will stay deeper, some will move shallow, but with grass starting to die off, especially in the northern part of the country, hard cover can be a major player.
So without further ado, here’s 5 bass baits for the month of October, that should play across a majority of the country.
1. Topwater
Topwater is still a great player in the month of October, especially in the cool and calm mornings. Tough to go wrong with bone or black, especially in low light situations. But if you got some matted vegetation, lily pads, or my favorite, duckweed, a hollow body frog is tough to beat. A plopper type bait can be fantastic if you have some clean water that won’t foul up the treble hooks, but a buzzbait will work great too, and can get you some bigger fish on average.
Berkley J-Walker Walking Bait – $11.99
Colors: Bone, Maverick, CJ Shad
River2Sea Whopper Plopper 130 – $16.99
Colors: Bone, Loon, Monkey Butt
Toad Thumper Swamper Frog – $9.99
Colors: Bad Bone, Black, Bad Gill
2. Jig
You really can’t go wrong with a jig any time of year. But in the fall months, as the grass starts to die off, bass tend to move towards hard cover… and that’s when I LOVE skipping docks. You can use a wacky rig on docks too, and you may even get more bites, but you’re gonna get bigger bites with a jig. You can also flip it into laydowns and brush piles, or even steep rock banks, what grass you have left. Find the greenest grass in the lake and you’ll probably find fish.
Green pumpkin or more natural colors in clear water, black and blue or dark colors in dirty water. I like the compact size of the Outkast Stealth Fighter jig, and the vertical line tie is great for swimming it out and through grass, but if you want to strictly skip, the Untamed Tackle Ace Jig has a great head for skipping.
If you’re just gonna buy one, go with the tungsten Outkast, otherwise… give both a try.
Outkast Tackle Stealth Fighter Jig – $8.99
Colors: Money Craw, Black Sapphire, Green Pumpkin Craw
Trailers: Crush City Cleanup Craw, Netbait Paca Chunk,
Untamed Tackle Ace Jig – $4.99
Colors: Magic Blue Craw, Donk, Green Pumpkin
3. Jerkbait
A jerkbait is a staple in cold water, but the truth is, I probably have one tied on year around. I might not pick it up every single day in the summer, but it’s tied on and ready to go. That being said, as waters temps start to cool, early fall is one of my favorite times to work it.
I like to use a shorter, 6′ 8″ baitcaster (St. Croix Victory), but you don’t need a fancy rod for jerkbait fishing. You’re gonna feel them there when you go to twitch, so sensitivity isn’t all that necessary. Many anglers, even some professionals, will throw them on a spinning rod. It’s pretty standard to use 10 or 12 pound fluorocarbon, and then depending on your type of lake, you’re gonna wanna look for long points, steep drop-offs, bluff walls and creek channels. Anywhere you can find transitions, deep to shallow pockets, and of course, if you have forward facing sonar… it does make it easier.
Colors: Elegy Bone, GG Megabass Kinkuro
Colors: Northern Lights, Table Rock, Hankie Pankie
Colors: Ghost Ayu, OZ Shad, Pro Blue
4. Underspin/Paddle Tail
In October, covering water with some kind of paddle tail or minnow-style bait does the trick. Of course, you can’t go wrong with an old fashioned Keitech, but I’ve had a ton of success this year with the Rapala Crush City Mayor, as well as the Great Lakes Finesse dropkick shad (the minnow too). Pair it up with the sneaky underspin and it’s deadly for smallmouth, but largemouth will hit it too.
Colors: Electric Shad, Shad, Pro Blue Red Pearl
Colors: Pro Blue Red Pearl, Albino Shad, Gizzard Shad
Keitech Swing Impact Fat – 3.3″
Colors: Pro Blue Red Pearl, Electric Shad, Ayu
Size: 3/16, 1/4 oz
Great Lakes Finesse Sneaky Underspin
Size: 3/14
Great Lakes Finesse Dropkick Shad
Colors: Green Pumpkin Shad, Gizzard Shad, Shiner
5. Texas/Punch Rig
For me, flipping and pitching around shallow cover is always gonna play, doesn’t matter what time of year it is. It’s just the way I love to fish and it will catch you fish year around. By this time of year, grass is pretty topped out and/or matted up, so I love to punch through it with a heavier weight (3/4 ounce – 2 ounce, use the lightest that will work). Heavy rod, heavy lines, heavy weights… it’s a fun way to fish and you’ll catch BIGS.
If you haven’t found a favorite yet, here’s a few I really have had a lot of success with, especially the Bronco Bug… it just gets bit. But if you’re punching thicker grass, try flipping that Cleanup Craw or the Berkley Stank Bug. Flipping a tube is also an VERY underrated option, especially up in northern grass. Comes through really easy and I like to use a ring hook for that.
Rapala Crush City Bronco Bug – $6.99
Colors: Black & Blue Flake, Green Pumpkin Blue, Candy Bug
Rapala Crush City Cleanup Craw – $6.99
Colors: Tilapia Magic, Green Pumpkin Blue, Bama Craw
Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Stank Bug – $8.99
Colors: Green Pumpkin, Black Blue Fleck, Green Pumpkin Blue
Big Bite Baits Craw Tube – $4.99
Colors: Tilapia, 1099, Confusion
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 – October 2025 first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
