Few Cabela’s Outfitter Journal readers are professional bass anglers who spend hundreds of days fishing every year. We typically fish on weekends and don’t have time to master a wide variety of fishing methods. Nor can we keep an up-to-the-minute pulse on ever-changing bass movements.

Does that mean we must endure lackluster bass outings? Not if we rely on the five lures below. They’re easy to fish, they find bass fast, and they are primary lures for many professional anglers.

Spinnerbait

The spinnerbait is one of the most versatile and forgiving bass lures of all time. Its overhead-blade design protects the hook, so the spinnerbait slithers through grass and bounces over brush without a hitch.

When a bass nabs a spinnerbait, the exposed hook instantly takes hold. There’s no guesswork. Rear back on the rod, and apply heavy pressure. A stiff baitcasting rod and 20-pound line help secure solid hookups.

Opt for tandem willow-leaf blades in clear water, where bass feed mainly by sight. The long, narrow blades put out maximum flash and mimic the shape of baitfish.

Switch to a spinnerbait that sports one or two Colorado blades in stained to muddy water. The round, thumping Colorado blade helps bass home in on the spinnerbait and allows for a slower retrieve.

Run spinnerbaits next to or over cover throughout spring and fall. They produce bites all day in Northern lakes. Spinnerbaits rule under overcast, windy conditions. Whenever the weather turns sour, tie on a spinnerbait and smile. Good things are about to happen.