Today, we are talking all about the best lures for catching white bass (also called sand bass or silver bass). In the world of bass fishing, there are many variables. When you target different subspecies, the strategy does change slightly. One of the variables is lures.
The are a ton of lures on the market, so we’ve picked the best to make it easier for you. Here are the best lures for white bass!
In a hurry?
We’ve narrowed our list down to two choices, the best overall winner and the best budget lures for white bass.
Overall Winner: Mepps Basser Kit
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Best Budget Lures: Tbuymax 10pcs Fishing Lure Kit
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Keep reading to see our complete list plus some tips and tricks for catching white bass.
What are white bass?
White bass are aggressive fish that love to school up and attack bait. A similar species is the hybrid bass, so when we talk about these white bass lures, there is a fair amount of crossover. In fact, white bass are in the same family as striped bass, yellow bass, and white perch. White bass are fun to catch and delicious to eat.
Generally, white bass are smaller, but their meat is known to be pure and tasty if you are into harvesting your catch. Even if you are just fishing for the sport of it, these are active fish that will be a ton of fun to catch!
Whtie bass are signalled by the white and silver colors with black lateral lines. Their mouths are small and the bodies will be compact and not very long. So, look for these signs when seeking out white bass.
White bass look a lot like striped bass, but they’re very different. If you want to learn more, check out our article on white bass vs striped bass.
The best lures for white bass!
1. Mepps Basser Kit
The Mepps Spinner is a lure that is as classic as it gets. There are a lot of smaller game species caught with these spinners, and white bass are no exception. These come in a variety of excellent colors and combinations to give you the best action possible.
Mepps Spinners feature a small spoon on the top and a hairy treble hook for the white bass to bite on. This small, yet powerful action is a great first lure to try.
2. Ribbon-tail grub on a jig
Jigs are super versatile lures, but that is too broad to be its own point. The real action comes with what you put on the jig. In this case, a ribbon-tail or curly-tail grub is a fantastic presentation.
There are so many brands that make this style of grub, so you can get them for cheap and in bulk if you’d like. Some of the best colors include chartreuse, pink, white, and blue. This subtle action is super enticing for white bass.
3. Small crankbait
Crankbaits hold a strong corner of the bass fishing industry. Specifically to white bass, small crankbaits are great moving baits to throw in a school and engage in the catching fun. Because whtie bass are aggressive feeders, having a reactionary bait is a great way to initiate bites.
Sticking to natural colors is usually best. When you can match the actual color of the bait being imitated, you will be in a good position to get bites.
4. Rat-L-Trap
Although we already talked about crankbaits, we need a specific section for lipless crankbaits. To make it even more specific, Rat-L-Traps are excellent lures for white bass. These are lipless crankbaits that you rip through the water and cause some really good action.
The insides are made to rattle and cause some noise that pulls the fish in. The best colors include silver, blue, chartreuse and other flashy colors that can grab attention. When you drop these down or cast them out, use sharp ripping motions to get the most out of the rattle.
5. Topwater popper
Topwater fishing is super fun and very underrated when it comes to white bass fishing. When you can visually see the bites taking place, everything is more enjoyable as your adrenaline will be pumping.
Because white bass are so aggressive when feeding, you can hit them with a small topwater popper. Poppers do a great job of causing a disturbance on the surface. This is just enough to get the bass fired up.
With white bass, the smaller the better when it comes to topwater. This will not intimidate the bass and get them to commit to the bite.
6. Jigging spoon
Spoons are great for white bass because they add tons of flash and action. When you can get a jigging spoon with bright silvers and enticing accent colors, you will be in for a ride. This is the
type of lure that is dropped into a school of white bass and the feeding frenzy begins.
A ton of brands make spoons, so you will be able to find them fairly easily. The key is matching the colors of the natural baitfish and downsizing enough for the white bass to commit.
7. Mann’s Little George
One of the more classic lures out there is the Mann’s Little George. If your parents or grandparents fished back in the day, there is a good chance that they had a slew of these. These are usually gold or silver bug-like lures that carry a flashing blade on the back.
The key to making a Little George work is ripping them up and down into a school of white bass. The flash and subtle size are great for feeding white bass and triggering a frenzy of action.
8. Small spinnerbait
Spinnerbaits are great in the bass fishing world, and if you downsize the presentation, you can absolutely use them to target white bass. The Johnson Beetle Spin is an awesome option as it is downsized and has some added action on the side of the hook.
The beetle plastic is great when coupled with the spoon on the other end of the lure. When thrown into a school of whtie bass, this accurately imitates a group of baitfish that is caught in the wrong area. The classic color of the Johnson Beetle Spin is of a darker patten, but colors like white and chartreuse
9. Johnson Sprite Spoon
Although we have already listed jigging spoons, the Johnson Sprite Spoon has a different enough design to have it’s own section. This is a gold, flat spoon that features red detailing on the treble hook.
Spoons are excellent for white bass, and the gold flash coupled with the red provides a really solid presentation for the white bass. Imitating the scales and the blood of an injured fish together is an incredible pair.
The best sizes are under half an ounce as anything more is too heavy and will be too big.
10. Paddle tail swimbait
One of the most consistent actions for all of bass fishing is from a paddle tail swimbait. Swimbaits are awesome moving baits that provide steady action and can trigger a white bass bite. Just about every soft plastic brand makes their version of this swimbait, so they are easy to find and are affordable.
As with many other lures on this list, the key is downsizing to a presentation that works for the smaller fish. Stick with the natural and white colors as they best imitate shad and other baitfish. Once you have a solid plastic, pair it with a jig head and get to fishing!
11. Shad
Although today we are talking about the best lures for white bass, it is still important to point out that live bait can be used to target white bass. With lures, you are trying to imitate what they naturally eat, and if you actually use what they eat, you skip a step.
We will also use this section to group together all live bait. Live bait is a bit harder to manage, but if you can, it can be super successful. Matching the hatch is super important. So, if you can find out what your local white bass are eating, use the same things to target them.
12. Bucktail or hair jig
Hair jigs are super underrated presentations for bass, and the smaller version can be great for white bass. Bucktail jigs are super similar and provide some really good action with hair sprouting out of the jighead and covering the hook.
Hair jigs are best in white, chartreuse, blue and other major fishing colors. If you need even more action, plastics can be attached to the hook, but generally, the hair on the jig provides the perfect amount of action.
13. Catch Co. Baby Bull Shad Swimbait
Hard-bodied swimbaits are not normally thought of when it comes to white bass, but Catch Co. has developed one that works for all subspecies, including the one in question today. The Baby Bull Shad Swimbait is small enough to be attacked by a large white bass and realistic enough to capture attention.
This is a swimbait with excellent action and the size that still works for this fish. They are fairly affordable, at least by swimbait standards, so you can have a couple on deck. With two treble hooks connected to the bottom of the jointed design, you are in for a fun time catching white bass.
14. Jigheads (⅛ to ¼ ounce)
Finally, we have simpel old jigheads. Now, jigheads are some of the most important lures when it comes to white bass fishing. In fact, some of the options above include these in the overall design. But, at the core level, you need some extras in your arsenal.
Jigheads need to have action added to them, but if you stick to ⅛ or ¼ ounce jigheads you can add any soft plastic you want to the design.
Tips for catching white bass
Target schools
As we have already stated, white bass love to move and feed in schools. When you find one, you can probably find many more. So, find the schools and fish really hard.
The best way to do this is by using sonar and fish finding technology to seek them out. Obviously, it is not feasible for everyone, but if you can do it, do it.
Play the spawn
Every spring, white bass move to the shallows to spawn. Like with other areas of bass fishing, this is a prime time to target them. Because they love to stay deep and move through structure, the spawn is a time where they are more accessible and aggressively feeding.
In most areas, March, April and May are great times to target white bass. The weather is a bit cooler and white bass are feeding heavily before and after the spawn.
Downsize your hook
As we have said a few times throughout, you really need to downsize when targeting white bass. Now, this does depend on your location and sizes. If your white bass are more on the hybrid side of things in terms of size, you may want to bring the size up.
For the traditional white bass that is smaller than a largemouth and feeds in a different way, you need to downsize your presentation. This means using smaller hooks and more subtle presentations. This is so the fish is not deterred from taking a bite.
What line to use for white bass fishing
There are three main types of line in the fishing world: Fluorocarbon, monofilament, and braid. To be honest, you can use any of these lines if you really want to. It all comes down to your budget and how you present those lines.
First, there is braid. This is probably the least used line of the three for white bass as the price and strength are overkill. If you do use braid, be sure to use a fluorocarbon leader to still present the lure in a clear way.
Monofilament and fluorocarbon are probably going to be your top two options with mono winning out because of price. Fluorocarbon is excellent, but it can be very expensive. So, keep it simple and use 4-8 pound monofilament to get the job done.
Closing Thoughts
Fishing for white bass is super fun and can fill the freezer if you would like to legally and ethically harvest your catch. Even if it is just for sport, white bass are aggressive, feed in schools, and can provide some really excellent fishing opportunities.
Happy Fishing!
Hello! My name is Tim and I’ve been fishing for over 30 years. I’ve learned a lot about fishing during that time and I love sharing that knowledge with others. I’m also a member of the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). Thanks for checking out the site!
