So you're planning your next bass fishing trip. You've got all those brand new shiny crankbaits sitting ready to go in your tackle box, and now your surfing the net looking for the best bass fishing lures secrets. In this article that's exactly what we are going to look at, and I know after your done reading this you'll have a added a tip or 2 to your bass fishing arsenal of knowledge. After all it's all about getting that nest monster bass in the boat right? There's no point having a nice shiny crankbait in your tackle box if you don't understand how to put a bass into your live well with it.

So let's look at best bass fishing lures secrets and their strategies and how they apply to bass fishing. All lures no matter if they are spinnerbaits or crankbaits are designed to perform a specific way. A lot of times the reason why anglers fail to catch more bass is because they fail to use lures for the function they were designed for. If you're completely familiar with the function and characteristic of each lure in your tackle box then you can be rest assured you have an edge over the angler that just starts grabbing crankbaits on a whim when the chips are down.

There are all kinds of different bass fishing lures available. Many of these lures overlap in their function, but there are others that were designed to meet certain conditions and require special techniques to be successful. In general bass fishing lures fall under the following;

1. Shallow Water Fishing: Ah the magic of catching bass in shallow water can be a bit tricky. This is one water type where snags can rule the day and it can be easy to lose 20 bucks worth of crankbaits and catch zero fish if you are not careful. This is also probably the most common section of water where most bass anglers prefer to take on their trophies. Floating/Diving plugs and Spinnerbaits are the winners here.

Choose, minnow-imitating balsa plugs or plastic plugs that float when they are at rest and dive only a foot or two on retrieve are your best choices here.

Spinnerbaits are excellent shallow water lures, particularly in the spring when fish are shallow due to the warmer water. Spinner baits are also very good at covering large amounts of water fast as you look for those active feeding bass. So I often like to hit shallow water areas up with a 1-2 punch technique. First fish an area with a quick covering spinnerbait looking for those active lunkers then follow up with a shallow running plug. By using the 1-2 punch you can cover a lot of water, and be sure you covered it effectively before moving on to the next spot.

2. Medium depth angling (4 to 12 feet): Here you are best off choosing a straight running dive to the bottom plug often referred to as a crankbait. Crankbaits generally come in 3 styles, shallow medium and deep diving versions. Each version is dependant on the size and shape of the lip that protrudes from each one. The idea is you want to choose a crankbait that can dive into the strike zone where the bass are sitting as fast as possible and stay there the longest. Medium and deep divers are usually the most useful to bass fishermen here as they tend to work best for most conditions.

Don't forget worms and jigs are also highly effective bass baits in this depth range, so don't forget to give them a try too. Often worms and jigs in this depth range will tend to target the shy biting bass or are great to tie on if your fishing during a cold front.

3. Deep Water Bass Fishing (10 feet or more). A bass fisherman needs to understand why bass heads for these deeper waters and understand this then you'll see why this bass fishing lure secret should be your first choice. Bass seek the comfort of cooler, deep water in late spring, summer, and early fall. A lot of the times the water is too warm for the bass in the shallows so this tends to push the bass into deeper water. Another reason why bass head into deep water is because of weather. A heavy cold front will push bass into deep water as well, but for whatever the reason why bass may be holding in the deeper water doesn't mean you can't catch bass, it just means we change strategies.

Here the bass fisherman that knows how to handle a plastic worm is going to put lunkers in his boat. In deep water plastic worms are probably more effective then all the other lure combinations combined. Another great choice here is the jig. Both lure choice are extremely effectively in very deep water (and at any depth for that matter) at targeting shy bass.

4. Surface fishing: Ah the favorite technique of bass anglers, nothing gets the heart pumping more then the excitement of surface fishing for bass. Watching a bass nail a fishing lure on the surface is breath taking and I don't know an angler alive that doesn't get excited just thinking about it. Surface lures run the gamut here and there are a lot of choice from soft plastic floating baits to wood or plastic plugs that twitch, wobble, chug, and sputter. Going through all the techniques in how to fish surface lures is an article all on it's own but finesse in working these surface lures is the name of the game.

That's the basics of bass fishing lures secrets and how to choose the best bass fishing lure for the job. The point to remember here is there is a time and place for every fishing lure. If you want to maximize your potential to catch big bass then you need to use a lure that was designed for whatever situation you may be fishing in. There are good lures and bad lures, good times to use them and poor time to use them. But having a solid understanding of the usage a lure was designed for an its place will go a long way to help you choose the correct fishing lure the next time you open your tackle box.