Bass Fishing Guides

This hub brings together practical, in-depth guides on everything that goes into consistently catching bass, largemouth and smallmouth alike. You will find breakdowns on lure types and when to throw them, rigging methods for soft plastics, techniques for working crankbaits, jerkbaits, and topwater baits, gear setup advice, knot tying, seasonal patterns from prespawn through winter, and how to read different types of water from clear reservoirs to stained rivers and heavy cover ponds.

Start with whatever problem you are trying to solve right now, whether that is picking the right retrieve for a jig, understanding why bass position differently in summer versus fall, or choosing between a squarebill and a lipless bait on a given day. Each guide stands on its own, so there is no required order and no need to read everything at once. All of it is free to use, reference, and return to as often as you need.

Browse by topic

• How to Fish Every Bass Lure. This is our biggest section: one clear guide for every lure type we stock.
• Bass Rigs and Setups. How to tie and fish every common bass rig, step by step.
• Bass Techniques and Presentations. The casts, retrieves, and presentations that put more bass in the boat.
• Bass Gear and Setup. Pick the right rod, reel, line, and terminal tackle for how you fish.
• Essential Fishing Knots. Tie the handful of knots that hold every bass you hook.
• Seasonal Bass Playbook. Where bass are and what to throw through the whole year.
• Reading Water and Structure. Learn to read a lake so you spend your time where the bass are.
• Where to Fish for Bass. Practical guides for the waters most anglers actually fish.
• Best Lures for Every Situation. Straight answers to the question every angler asks: what should I throw right now.
• Bass Species and Beyond. Start with bass, then branch out to the other fish anglers love.
• Bass Fishing for Beginners. Start here. Everything you need for your first season on the water.
• Walleye Fishing. How to find and catch walleye through the whole year, and the lures that get them to bite.
• Pike & Musky Fishing. Chasing the apex predators of freshwater with big baits and the right gear.
• Crappie & Panfish. The most fun fishing there is, and a great way to learn. Crappie, bluegill, and perch on light tackle.
• Trout Fishing. Trout in streams, rivers, and lakes, and the lures that fool them in clear, cold water.
• Catfish Fishing. Big, hard-pulling catfish, from channel cats to blues and flatheads, plus the rigs that hold them.
• Multi-Species Fishing. One tackle box, many species. The lures and setups that catch whatever is biting.

New to bass fishing? Start with Bass Fishing for Beginners. Ready to fish? Shop all tackle.