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Weedless bass lures can be the most suitable option when it comes to certain techniques, including topwater fishing. But why should you use them?
We have put together a short guide to help you learn a little more about them and when a weedless lure might come in handy.
Best Weedless Lures For Bass Fishing
1: Topwater Frogs
Frogs are generally built for topwater fishing and can be thrown into weeds and vegetation with less chance of getting hung up.
The hooks tend to curve around the body of the frog, which can allow the lure to move effortlessly through vegetation. This means you can walk the lure over lily pads to target bass lurking underneath.
Booyah Bait Company Pad Crasher Fishing Lure
- Length: 2 ½ inches
- Weight: ½ ounce
This Booyah Bait Pad Crasher is a topwater frog with a hollow body and a hook at either side that curves around the body for a weedless presentation.
2: Jigs
Jigs can be useful types of lures at various times of the year and they can be great for a weedless presentation. You’ll find that many jigs that are designed for flipping into cover will often have weed guards, which helps to protect your hook and prevent your lure from getting caught up and lost in heavy cover.
Terminator Pro Jig
- Length: 2 inches
- Weight: ½ ounce
The Terminator Pro jig is designed for flipping, pitching and casting into cover. It features a silicone skirt and a nylon weed guard to prevent the lure getting caught in vegetation…
3: Plastic Worms
Soft plastic worms can be one of the most versatile bass lures because of the many ways in which they can be rigged and they can be ideal for fishing in and around vegetation. These can work well as a weedless lure when they are Texas rigged, covering the end of the hook with the bait itself.
These can be used in various situations, whether you’re targeting bass in rocky cover, brush piles or weeds.
Zoom Bait Finesse Worm
- Length: 4 ½ inches
This Zoom Bait Finesse Worm can be a great choice for a wide range of fishing techniques and can be Texas rigged for a weedless presentation…
4: Weedless Spoons
Weedless spoons can be ideal for bass fishing in and around cover, making them a good choice for year round fishing. The spoon design means there is additional flash, which can attract bass and appear more like a real baitfish under the water.
Berkley Johnson Silver Minnow Hard Bait
- Length: 2 inches
- Weight: ¼ ounce
The Berkley Johnson Silver Minnow is a metal spoon lure that is built to be weedless. It features a metal weed guard and a brass blade, which is designed to let you cast it long distances.
5: Buzzbaits
Buzzbaits can be ideal for topwater bass fishing. They are usually designed with a blade at the top to create noise and vibration to entice bass to bite. They can be fished around docks and other structure, as well as brush piles and weed mats. They can also be a great to use for covering water as a search bait.
Booyah Buzz
- Length: 7 inches
- Weight: ½ ounce
The Booyah Buzz can be a good choice of buzzbait for fishing in and around cover as the blades help to prevent snags.
6: Creature Baits
Creature baits can be versatile lures to have in your tackle box. You can often use them as jig trailers and on their own. Creature baits can be a good choice for a range of presentations, and when Texas rigged, similar to a soft plastic worm, they can be a great weedless lure.
Creature baits come in a range of styles, including crawfish, and often have legs or other parts that can move in a realistic fashion under the water to attract bass.
Strike King Rage Tail Craw
- Length: 4 inches
The Strike King Rage Tail Craw can be Texas rigged for a weedless presentation. This lure is designed to look like a crawfish as well as mimic the action of a crawfish as it moves under the water.
7: Chatterbaits
Chatterbaits tend to have features of a spinnerbait, swimbait and a jig, which can be useful in attracting bass in various conditions and you can also add a trailer to your chatterbait to increase its profile.
They can be ideal for fishing in and around cover and usually feature a weed guard to prevent any snags. Chatterbaits can be a good option if you’re looking to cover water.
Z-Man Original Chatterbait
- Length: 4 ½ inches
- Weight: ½ ounce
This Z-Man Original Chatterbait can be a great choice to use as a weedless chatterbait. It features a hexagonal blade which also doubles as a weed guard, helping to shield the hook from getting caught on weeds or brush.
What Are Weedless Bass Lures, And How Do They Work?
Weedless lures are generally designed so that they don’t get snagged on weeds and cover. This can make them ideal for using in thick cover, such as weed mats or brush piles, or anywhere there’s a risk of your hook getting caught up.
The way they work is that the hook is rigged in such a way that it’s covered or shielded. This is so that the point of the hook can’t accidentally attach to objects in the water, meaning it could help prevent you losing a fish.
Some lures will have built-in hooks that, for example, curve around the body of the lure to that it’s flush with the body. In other cases, the point of the hook will be embedded within the body of the lure.
How Do You Hook A Weedless Soft Plastic Lure?
Some lures will come with hooks built into them and will often require you to simply tie your line to the eye on the lure. However, some will require a Texas rig set-up.
1. Slide Your Weight On And Tie Your Line To Your Hook
Before you attach your lure, you should thread your weight onto the line and then tie your line to the eye of your hook.
2. Slide Your Lure Onto The Hook
Using an off-set hook, put the point of the hook through the top of your soft plastic lure and slide it up to the top of the hook.
Video: Bass Fishing | How To Texas Rig Soft Plastic Worms
3. Twist The Lure
Rotate the lure around the hook so that the point is facing the body of the lure. Your lure should be straight.
4. Push The Point Of The Hook Into The Lure
Put the point of the hook into the body of the lure so that it gently comes back out the other side. Keep it flush to the body of the lure and tuck the point of the hook back inside the body of the lure.
Final Words
Weedless lures can be the best choice if you’re targeting bass in and around vegetation, as it means you should be less likely to suffer snags. They can be ideal lures for fishing around structure and cover, including rocks, logs or brush piles and can be great for bass fishing in the shallows.
Do you have a particular favorite when it comes to weedless bass lures? Tell us about your set-up and remember to share this to help your fellow bass fishers discover new lures.