What lure when? A simple guide

Topwater, spinnerbait, crankbait, soft plastic or jig: when each one works, plus a simple color rule.

Obalus TeamUpdated Oct 1, 2026 · 3 min read

Chartreuse spinnerbait with gold blades on an orange Obalus background

In this guide

The quick chart
Topwater: poppers, walking baits, frogs
Spinnerbait
Crankbait
Soft plastic worm (Texas rig)
Jig
A simple color rule
Lure weight and your rod
Start with five

Short answer: Topwater early and late. A spinnerbait when it's windy or the water's muddy. A crankbait to cover water. A soft plastic worm when the bite is slow. A jig around heavy cover for a bigger fish. Natural colors in clear water, dark or bright colors in muddy water.

This is written for bass, the fish most of us chase, but most of it works for other freshwater fish too.

The quick chart

If it's…	Try first
Early morning or evening, calm water	Topwater
Windy, cloudy, or muddy water	Spinnerbait
You need to find where the fish are	Crankbait
A slow bite, a cold front, or a hot afternoon	Soft plastic worm
Thick cover, and you want a big one	Jig

Topwater: poppers, walking baits, frogs

When: early morning, evening and cloudy days, in warm water.
Where: shallow flats, along grass and lily pads, shade lines.
How: twitch it, pause, twitch again. When a fish hits, wait until you feel its weight before you set the hook. Setting on the splash pulls the lure away.

Spinnerbait

When: wind, clouds, stained or muddy water. The blades flash and thump, so fish find it even when they can't see far.
Where: along banks, fallen trees, grass edges.
How: cast it out and reel it back steadily. Bump it into cover. It doesn't snag easily.

Crankbait

When: spring and fall, or any time you need to cover a lot of water to find the fish.
Where: rocks, points, riprap, drop-offs.
How: reel steadily so it dives and bumps the bottom or cover. The lip on the front sets how deep it runs: small lip, shallow; long lip, deep.

Soft plastic worm (Texas rig)

When: any time, and especially when fish are slow: after a cold front, or in the heat of the day.
Where: right in the cover: logs, docks, grass.
How: let it sink to the bottom, lift the rod tip slowly, reel up the slack, repeat. Slow is the point.

How to Texas-rig a worm is in Bass fishing 101.

Jig

When: cooler water, and any time you're hoping for a bigger bite.
Where: thick cover, rocks, docks.
How: hop it or drag it along the bottom like a crawfish. Add a soft plastic trailer.

A simple color rule

Clear water: natural colors that look like what fish eat: green pumpkin, brown, white, silver.
Stained or muddy water: dark colors like black and blue, or loud ones like chartreuse and white, that stand out.

Color matters less than where you put the lure and how deep it runs. Get the spot and the depth right first.

Lure weight and your rod

Baitcasters cast best with lures of about 1/4 ounce and heavier. Very light lures are easier on a spinning rod. Your rod has a lure weight range printed just above the handle. Stay inside it.

Start with five

You don't need a whole tackle shop. A popper, a white spinnerbait, a medium-diving crankbait, a pack of green pumpkin worms with hooks and bullet weights, and a black and blue jig cover most situations, most of the year.

Rather start with a full box? The Obalus Fishing Tackle Kit is 130 pieces of lures, hooks and accessories, in a tackle box.