Whether you live up in the northern part of the country, or all the way south down in Florida, May can be one of the best months of the year to catch bass.
May might be the single best month of the year to catch largemouth bass across the country as a whole. Here up north, fish are moving up into the prespawn phase, in a good chunk of the country they’re getting on beds to spawn, and down south they may be post spawn, but either way, they’re probably biting pretty good.
The best bass baits during this time will capitalize on that bass behavior—feeding aggressively before spawning, defending nests, or maybe even holding tight to shallow cover in search of spawning shad and bluegills.
Here are my top five bass lures for May:
1. Wacky/Neko Rig
It’s TOUGH to beat a Senko in May. It’s great for bed fishing, pre-spawn staging areas like docks, shallow flats, isolated cover, back pockets and bays, in and around bluegill beds… you almost can’t go wrong anywhere in 10 feet of water or less.
There’s a million stick baits out there, and most will do the trick, but I’ve always been pretty partial to the Senko. I feel like I can really skip them under docks and up under overhangs with the most confidence. Of course, they might only last you one fish…
I’m also becoming a big believer in the Berkley Maxscent so the General is another good option. Finally, the Rapala Crush City line’s Pig Stick has a great groove for the O-ring so I’m also starting to really like that one as well. An O-ring is a must-have.
Colors: Green Pumpkin, Black and Blue, Baby Bass
Rapala Crush City Pig Stick – $6.99
Colors: Green Pumpkin, Black Blue, Plum
Berkley General Max Scent- $9.99
Colors: Green Pumpkin, Black Blue Fleck, Grn Pumpkin Watermelon
2. Big Swimbait/Glide Bait
May is the month when you can go BIG. That means big glides, big swimbaits, or even a larger paddle tail than you’d normally use. But I’m telling you… don’t be afraid to go big. I live in southern Wisconsin where 5 pound bucketmouths are considered giants and I’ve been fishing a 6″ Megabass Magdraft nonstop lately… and everything is biting it. 1 pounders, tiny rock bass, pike of every size, you’d be surprised what will take a run at a big swimbait in May. If you’re further south, especially in a lake with some shad, try a big glide bait.
You’re gonna wanna beef up your rod a bit (probably 7’5″ or bigger, Heavy Power rod), but you can get away with your regular 7′ Medium Heavy with some of the lighter ones… a 6-inch Magdraft only weights an ounce and a quarter. Target points & drop-offs, or other transitional cover. Docks & overhangs are also great places to find big bass hiding in shade. And if you’re on the pre or post spawn phase, shallow flats are money.
Of course, big baits can get very pricey, so here’s a few of the more affordable options.
Megabass Magdraft Swimbait 6″ or 8″ – $17.99
Colors: Albino Pearl Shad, Pro Blue Chart, Borealis Shad
Berkley Nessie Soft Glide Bait 7″ – $12.99
Colors: Burnt Bone, Perch, Shad
Storm Arashi Glide Bait – $37.59
Colors: Dirty Bone, Threadfin Shad, Bluegill
3. Swim Jig
Swim jig is another one that is tough to beat this time of year, and really no matter where you live. It’s a must during the shad spawn, but can work on beds, is great around shallow cover in the prespawn… it’ll catch fish around the country right now.
Here’s a few swim jig options, with the Toad Thumper being more ideal for heavier cover:
Toad Thumper Hydra HD Swim Jig – $5.49
Outkast Tackle Pro Swim Jig – $5.99
4. Topwater
Topwater can be great for bedding bass, but it’s particularly effective in the post spawn, as well as the shad and bluegill spawn. Plus, there’s nothing like a big bass blowing up on a topwater walking bait.
Evergreen SB Topwater Plug – $18.99
Hollow body frogs are another great topwater option. walking baits. If you need to fish in much heavier cover without snagging, a frog is really the only topwater option that allows you to do that.
Toad Thumper Swamper Frog – $9.99
Colors: Bad Bone, Black, Bad Gill
5. Texas Rig
If they’re spawning, your favorite Texas-rigged creature or craw is tough to beat. But even if they’re in pre or post spawn, flipping and pitching around shallow cover is gonna play. Here in Wisconsin, I generally don’t start flipping until the water hits about 50 degrees, and then I’ll usually start with a jig, but once they get close to the spawn, it just seems like a soft plastic performs better.
If you haven’t found a favorite yet, here’s a few I really had a lot of success with last year, as well as a new offering from Berkley that has been killing it.
Rapala Crush City Bronco Bug – $6.99
Colors: Black & Blue Flake, Green Pumpkin Blue, Candy Bug
Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Stank Bug – $8.99
Colors: Green Pumpkin, Black Blue Fleck, Green Pumpkin Blue
Rapala Crush City Cleanup Craw – $6.99
Colors: Tilapia Magic, Green Pumpkin Blue, Bama Craw
And for a more detailed bait recommendation, specific to your exact location and waterbody, check out the Bass Forecast Bait Advisor. Just input your ZIP code or share your location, and Bass Forecast will give you 5 bait recommendations, a bite rating, and suggestions for peak feeding times.
Bass Forecast Bait Advisor
What is Bass Bait AI – Powered by Bass Forecast
Our advanced bass fishing algorithms analyze over 11,000 factors, including weather shifts and bass behavior, to predict what baits will give you the best chance at success for any GPS location. Just enter your location, and it does the calculating for you. Giving you the complete bait breakdown for major and minor Bass feeding times in any bass fishing location. Click HERE to learn more.
