Top 5 Bass Fishing Baits for May

May is a super fun time to fish. Bass are in transition, most bodies of water will have fish in all three stages of spawn. During May you have to be prepared to make adjustments day to day and cover water to find where the bass are for that day.

The shad spawn is a super important during this time of year for those with shad in their lake. This typically happens during low light conditions in the evening or early morning. Look for shallow hard surfaces that are appealing to shad for spawn. Bass will be close by looking for a easy meal.

1. Spinnerbaits

Spinnerbaits, especially during the mornings are the best bass lure for may. The produce a ton of vibration and flash which mimics a school of shad. Additionally, spinnerbaits are weedless which is super beneficial when targeting shallow water. The last thing you want to do when you find a school of hungry bass is get hung up and scare them off by driving up and getting your lure free.

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2. Swimbaits

Swimbaits are another great lure for targeting active fish during May. Whether the fish transitioning in or out of their spawning bays both large glidebaits and soft plastic swimbaits are great options. Look for brush piles, docks, laydowns, rock piles on points.

Glide baits are great for targeting giant bass while covering water and seeking out those active fish. Due to their larger size, they have a lot of drawing power which means bass will travel a longer distance to strike them. The S-Waver is one of the best options for anglers looking to try out glide baits. They are relatively cheap when compared to other glide baits and are fish magnets.

If large glide baits aren’t for you then a larger soft plastic swimbait is a great alternative. For this, I prefer 4.8″ Keitech rigged on a 1/4oz Flashy Swimmer. This option adds in some flash from the spinning blade and is fairly weedless.

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3. Squarebills

Squarebills are perfect for targeting those shallow bass around rip rap or chunk rock. Squarebills have excellent deflection and are great for covering water. I like to use a burn-pause retrieve. This is a great option for targeting those big staging females.

06/02/2023 09:07 pm GMT

4. Deep Crankbaits

Deep diving crankbaits are my personal favorite lures to fish. They are perfect for targeting the bass that are transitioning out to deeper water.

I have found that the largest bass tend to school up as they transition out to deeper water. If you can find this pattern you will not only catch some of the largest bass but also a good number of them.

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5. Topwater

May is when topwater lures start to pick up. During this time of year poppers are a really great option because you want to be able to fish a little slower than you would during summer.

You want to target shade lines, laydowns, and under docks. With these targets you won’t be covering a lot of water. You want to work the lures until it’s few feet away from the structure then quickly reel in and try again.

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6. Wacky Rig

The wacky rig works great up shallow in May. Look for shade lines or skip under docks. This is good if you need a finesse bait because the louder and more active lures listed above aren’t working.

The month of May is a great time to hit the water. Fish are active and for most of the country some bass will be in each stage of spawn. No matter what kind of fishing you enjoy most, May will have opportunities for you.