Best Florida Bass Lures for Grass Lakes, Pads and Ponds

Our verdict

Florida Bass Lure Top Picks

The state’s fish and wildlife agency says Florida bass “are found in almost every body of freshwater in Florida,” and every Florida source we read fishes them in grass: hydrilla, eelgrass, lily pads, Kissimmee grass and reeds. This guide picks ten lures that a named Florida source recommends for that water: Major League Fishing’s Florida tackle list, a Lake Toho guide, a Lake Okeechobee lure guide and a Florida thread on r/bassfishing. Each is linked at an exact size and colour, with the maker’s figures. For rods, reels and line, browse our fishing gear guides.

Picks: Zoom Magnum UltraVibe Speed Worm, Yamamoto Senko 5 in, Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer, Strike King Hack Attack Swim Jig, Strike King Rage Bug, Zoom Super Fluke, Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap, Megabass Vision 110, Smithwick Devil’s Horse, SPRO Bronzeye Pop 60

Compare the picks

Compare the 10 Florida Bass Lures

Figures are each maker’s own; “not published” means the maker’s page we read gives none. Soft plastics are sold without hooks.

How We Picked Lures for Florida Bass

What each lure had to show

• A Florida recommendation by name from a named source; general bass lists did not count.
• A lure type Florida sources fish in grass and cover. Our types of fishing lures guide explains each type.
• Length, weight, depth and hook from the maker, checked against the Amazon listing; “not published” where the maker gives none.
• An exact Amazon listing, in stock on the day of writing, with its seller named.

Florida sources, and what r/bassfishing says

Florida sources, and what r/bassfishing says

Major League Fishing’s “Best baits for wintertime bass fishing in Florida”, by Jody White, is a winter Florida tackle list, not a test; it names eight of these ten lures or their series. Orlando Bass Guide’s “The 7 best Florida bass lures”, by Lake Toho guide Capt. AJ, ranks lure types and links some models at Bass Pro Shops. FishUSA’s Lake Okeechobee lure guide names models for the Big O; FishUSA sells them, so we label it a retailer.

In the r/bassfishing thread “Best lure to throw in Florida lakes”, one poster writes: “Throw a Texas rigged senko-style worm or fluke, both weightless, in the grass holes and give it small pops now and then.” The same poster adds a caveat for treble hooks: “Unfortunately these ponds are usually so thick with snot grass you’re limited on treble hooked lures, but might get away with top water poppers or walking baits now and then.” Seven of our ten picks carry no treble hooks.

Florida Bass Lures: Detailed Reviews

Zoom Magnum UltraVibe Speed Worm, Swimming Worm

Evidence: Independently reviewed, exact model. Major League Fishing, Best baits for wintertime bass fishing in Florida: Magnum UltraVibe Speed Worm (one size).

MLF: “For a swimming worms, the Zoom Magnum UltraVibe Speed Worm is the gold standard.” Capt. AJ of Orlando Bass Guide goes further for the speed worm as a type: “A speed worm is 100% without a doubt the most popular and the most versatile lure for Florida bass fishing.” On colour, Capt. AJ: “As far as color, if you’re fishing dirtier water stick with a darker color like junebug, and if the water is clearer use a more natural color like watermelon red.” We link Watermelon Red. The listing says 7.5 in; we use Zoom’s 7 in. Sold by Tackle Shack Outdoors on Amazon at the time of writing, above Zoom’s own list price. Our bass baits for ponds guide also picks this Magnum Speed Worm, in Junebug.

Specs (linked: Watermelon Red, 8-pack)

• Length: 7 in (Zoom); weight not published
• Rigging: buzzed, swum, Texas or Carolina rig (Zoom); no hook included
• Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Yamamoto Senko 5 in, Weightless Stick Worm

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. Major League Fishing, Best baits for wintertime bass fishing in Florida: Senko, size not stated.

MLF: “As far as the actual worm goes, you can’t beat the Yamamoto Senko – it’s stayed on top for a reason.” We link Green Pumpkin with Large Black Flake; green pumpkin is one of MLF’s three Florida stick-worm colours. Capt. AJ: “Where a senko excels is when it is weightless.” The original poster in the r/bassfishing Florida thread came back to write: “I tried the weightless senko texas rig and crushed it this morning!” A different poster’s caveat: “Weightless seem to never sink for me.” MLF does not name a size; we link the 5 in. Sold by Amazon.com at the time of writing.

This same Senko listing is a pick in our bass baits for ponds and bass fishing worms guides, and our worm colours for bass guide compares Senko colours. Against the Speed Worm (#1): Capt. AJ lets the Senko sink to a target and reels the speed worm steadily, so the Senko works one spot and the Speed Worm covers water.

Specs (linked: Green Pumpkin w/ Large Black Flake, 5 in, 10-pack)

• Length: 5 in (Yamamoto); weight not published
• Count: 10 per bag (Yamamoto)
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer 1/2 oz, Bladed Jig for Grass

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. Major League Fishing, Best baits for wintertime bass fishing in Florida: JackHammer, weight not stated.

MLF on bladed jigs in Florida: “Maybe the best bait in Florida, if you could only take one, is a vibrating jig.” And on this model: “The top of the heap is the Z-Man Evergreen ChatterBait JackHammer – its been the best for a while and is really worth the price tag.” MLF says a vibrating jig covers “grass flats” and can be cast “along reed lines, the edges of mats, under docks.” FishUSA (a retailer) says, “It is a first pick when the water is stained or the wind pushes bait against reeds.” MLF names no weight; we link the 1/2 oz in Green Pumpkin, one of MLF’s Florida colours. Sold by DepartureOutdoors on Amazon at the time of writing. Our river smallmouth lures guide also picks the JackHammer.

Specs (linked: Green Pumpkin, 1/2 oz)

• Weight: 1/2 oz (Z-Man; also 3/8, 3/4 and 1.25 oz)
• Hook: Gamakatsu heavy wire flipping hook; double wire trailer keeper (Z-Man)
• Price tier: $$$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig 3/8 oz, Heavy-Cover Swim Jig

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. Major League Fishing, Best baits for wintertime bass fishing in Florida: Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig, weight not stated.

MLF calls swim jigs a Florida “staple” and names this one: “Other similarly good jigs include the 6th Sense Divine Braid Swim Jig, the Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig and the well-priced Beast Coast Gorilla Swim Jig.” Capt. AJ: “Swim jigs work best in the hydrilla and other types of submerged vegetation.” He throws white most often; we link White. Strike King designed it “for fishing around the heaviest of shallow cover.” MLF does not name a weight; we link the 3/8 oz. Sold by Amazon.com at the time of writing. Our hard swimbaits for bass guide covers hard-bodied swimbaits; it shares no picks with this list.

Against the JackHammer (#3): both are reeled through grass. The Hack Attack is the budget swim jig with the heavy weed guard Strike King builds for the heaviest cover; the JackHammer is the premium bladed jig MLF casts on grass flats and reed lines.

Specs (linked: White, 3/8 oz)

• Weight: 3/8 oz (Strike King; a 1/2 oz is also listed)
• Hook: exclusive Gamakatsu extra-strong Siwash hook; size not published (Strike King)
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Strike King Rage Bug 4 in, Flipping Creature Bait

Evidence: Retailer review (sells it), not independent. FishUSA, Lake Okeechobee Bass Lures: Rage Bug, size not stated.

MLF on punching: “Flipping a big weight and some sort of creature bait is a time-honored way to win tournaments in Florida.” Its Florida recommendation is from FishUSA’s Okeechobee guide, a retailer that sells it: “Strike King Rage Bug — Compact creature with fast kicking action. Flip it into pennywort and eelgrass pockets on a pegged tungsten weight.” Strike King makes the 4 in Rage Bug in “Okeechobee Craw,” which we link; the Amazon listing is a 7-pack. Sold by Amazon.com at the time of writing.

Specs (linked: Okeechobee Craw, 4 in, 7-pack)

• Length: 4 in (Strike King; also 3, 3.5 and 4.5 in)
• Count: 7 per pack (listing; not on the maker page we read)
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Zoom Super Fluke 5 1/4 in, Weightless Soft Jerkbait

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. r/bassfishing, Best lure to throw in Florida lakes: Zoom fluke, model and colour not stated.

Capt. AJ ranks the fluke with jerkbaits as his top Florida fish catcher: “A Texas rigged weightless fluke is completely weedless so it can go where a jerkbait cannot.” In the r/bassfishing Florida thread, a poster names a Zoom fluke without giving the model or size: “When the fish are not biting I wouid [sic] switch to a zoom fluke or a lipless crank.” Zoom says it “skitters across the surface like an injured shad” when rigged weightless. Capt. AJ prefers watermelon colours for flukes; we link Sungill. Sold by NightGalaxy on Amazon at the time of writing, at about twice Zoom’s own list price. Our river smallmouth lures guide picks the same Super Fluke in another colour.

Related guide: Best Fall Lures for Bass: Baits for Schooling Shad and Cooling Water

Against the Senko (#2): both are fished weightless. Zoom says the Fluke will “dart, glide and knuckleball”; Yamamoto says the Senko shimmies as it falls.

Specs (linked: Sungill, 5 1/4 in, 10-pack)

• Length: 5.25 in (Zoom); weight not published
• Count: 10 per pack (Zoom)
• Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap 1/2 oz, Lipless Crankbait

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. Major League Fishing, Best baits for wintertime bass fishing in Florida: Rat-L-Trap, size not stated.

MLF: “For covering submerged grass or shell beds or targeting schooling fish, jerkbaits and lipless baits get a lot of use, even without forward-facing sonar technology.” On the model: “The Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap is, of course, excellent, and the Strike King Red Eye Shad is a dandy.” Capt. AJ yo-yos a rattletrap over sparse hydrilla. Bill Lewis’s page did not open for us; its figures below are from the maker page as search-indexed. Sold by Amazon.com at the time of writing.

Our early spring bass lures and bass lures for winter guides also pick the 1/2 oz Rat-L-Trap, in other colours.

Specs (linked: Chrome Blue Back, 1/2 oz)

• Length and weight: 3 in, 1/2 oz (Bill Lewis)
• Depth: sinking (Bill Lewis)
• Hooks: Mustad trebles, size not published (Bill Lewis)
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Megabass Vision 110, Suspending Jerkbait

Evidence: Independently reviewed, exact model. Major League Fishing, Best baits for wintertime bass fishing in Florida: Vision 110 (one size).

MLF: “For jerkbaits, the Megabass Vision 110 is probably the most popular.” Capt. AJ’s favourite jerkbait is a Megabass (model not named): “Jerkbaits excel in any kind of submerged vegetation that is beneath the water. Like hydrilla or eel grass.” Megabass says the Vision Oneten “excels when water temps are between 38 to 70 degrees” and fishes it “above submerged grass beds,” among other spots. Megabass lists 6 ft; line changes it, “running nearly 7 ft. deep on 6lb. test, to around 4 ft. on 15lb. test.” MLF names no colour; we link GP Pro Blue. Sold by BypassBait&Tackle LLC on Amazon at the time of writing, at Megabass’s list price.

Against the Rat-L-Trap (#7): both work over submerged grass. The Vision 110 suspends, and Megabass rates it for water from 38 to 70 degrees; the Rat-L-Trap sinks and is ripped or reeled to cover water, at a budget tier.

Specs (linked: GP Pro Blue)

• Length and weight: 4-1/3 in, 1/2 oz (Megabass)
• Type and depth: suspending, 6 ft (Megabass)
• Hooks: three Katsuage out-barb trebles, #6 (Megabass)
• Price tier: $$$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Smithwick Devil’s Horse 3/8 oz, Double-Prop Topwater

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. Major League Fishing, Best baits for wintertime bass fishing in Florida: Devil’s Horse, size not stated.

MLF: “The most “Florida” topwater is a prop bait, with the Smithwick Devil’s Horse being the standby.” It adds when: “During the winter months in Florida, the topwater bite is most often centered around the bass spawn and fishing methodically.” MLF names no size; we link the 3/8 oz in Silver Shiner. Sold by Amazon.com at the time of writing, slightly above Smithwick’s list price. Our bass topwater lures guide does not pick the Devil’s Horse.

Specs (linked: Silver Shiner, 3/8 oz)

• Length and weight: 4 1/2 in, 3/8 oz (Smithwick, model AF1; a 1/2 oz is also listed)
• Hooks: #5 (Smithwick)
• Price tier: $ (live Amazon price in the table above)

SPRO Bronzeye Pop 60, Hollow Popping Frog

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. Major League Fishing, Best baits for wintertime bass fishing in Florida: Bronzeye frog, model not stated.

MLF: “Another topwater that can reach heavy cover and be fished suitably slowly is a frog, and the SPRO Bronzeye leads the way in this case.” MLF does not name the model; FishUSA’s Okeechobee guide (a retailer) names this one: “The SPRO Bronzeye Pop Frog 60 pops over pads and reeds and walks in place in tight holes.” Capt. AJ: “Frogs work best around matted out vegetation.” He adds a caveat about catching what bites: “You tend to lose a lot of fish on frogs, it’s just part of frog fishing.” We link Tunnel Rat. Sold by Atlantic Coast Promotional on Amazon at the time of writing, slightly above SPRO’s list price. Our guide on how to fish topwater lures covers the retrieve.

Against the Devil’s Horse (#9): both fish on top. The Bronzeye is a hollow frog with a double hook that SPRO built for “the thickest cover”; the Devil’s Horse is a prop bait with exposed #5 trebles that MLF fishes slowly around the spawn.

Specs (linked: Tunnel Rat)

• Length and weight: 60 mm, 1/2 oz (SPRO)
• Hook: Gamakatsu #3/0 NSB EWG double hook (SPRO)
• Price tier: $$ (live Amazon price in the table above)

Matching Lures to Florida Seasons, Water Temperature and Depth

FishUSA’s Okeechobee guide sorts the best bass lures for Florida by fishing season, and MLF’s list is for winter. Our guide to choosing a bass lure by water temperature covers the general rules; here is what the Florida sources add.

Winter and pre-spawn

FishUSA’s Okeechobee guide: “January through March is peak season on Okeechobee. Water temps in the mid-60s push big females to shallow flats to stage before moving to the reeds.” Its winter and pre-spawn plan is a lipless bait, a jerkbait and a swim jig, the same types as our Rat-L-Trap, Vision 110 and Hack Attack. Megabass rates the Vision 110 for water “between 38 to 70 degrees.” For winter bass outside Florida, see our bass lures for winter.

The spawn: shallow beds at 65-70°F

UF/IFAS: “Reproduction in Florida bass begins with male bass forming nests in water 1–2 feet deep as water temperatures warm to 65–70°F during the spring (Warren 2009).” It adds that “Florida bass may spawn between December and May.” In that shallow water, MLF’s spawn-time picks are slow topwaters such as the Devil’s Horse and the Bronzeye frog, and FishUSA flips creature baits like the Rage Bug and fishes a Speed Worm near beds.

Summer heat and matted grass

FishUSA’s summer plan: the frog “at dawn/dusk,” the bladed jig “mid-day,” and finesse worms on wind. FishUSA’s frog setup is 50-65 lb braid on a heavy-action rod: see our baitcasting rods for bass and fishing lines for bass.

Depth and the kind of grass

Capt. AJ splits Florida cover in two. Over submerged hydrilla and eelgrass he rips jerkbaits and rattletraps and reels speed worms and swim jigs: here the Vision 110 (suspending, 6 ft per Megabass), the sinking Rat-L-Trap, the Speed Worm and the Hack Attack. In lily pads and Kissimmee grass he uses weedless baits such as the fluke and Senko, and frogs on matted vegetation; FishUSA flips the Rage Bug in reeds and pennywort.

Frequently Asked Questions

Florida sources agree on soft plastics first. MLF: “There’s probably not a wormier state than Florida.” Its must-haves add swim jigs, vibrating jigs, punch baits, topwaters and a few hard baits. Capt. AJ’s seven add a jerkbait or fluke, frog, rattletrap and spinnerbait.

For ponds thick with grass, the r/bassfishing poster’s advice is a weightless Senko-style worm or a fluke “in the grass holes,” then chatterbaits and swim jigs. Here, that is the Senko, Super Fluke, JackHammer and Hack Attack. For more pond picks, see our bass baits for ponds.

No source we read names one lure for every water. For Florida, MLF picks a vibrating jig “if you could only take one,” and Capt. AJ picks a speed worm. For a starter set, see our bass lures for beginners.

The bottom line

Final Verdict

Soft plastics for Florida grass: the Zoom Magnum UltraVibe Speed Worm (check price) to reel through it, the Yamamoto Senko 5 in (check price) and Zoom Super Fluke (check price) weightless in the holes, and the Strike King Rage Bug (check price) to flip reeds. Jigs to cover water: the premium Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammer (check price) and the budget Strike King Hack Attack Heavy Cover Swim Jig (check price). Over submerged grass in cool water: the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap (check price) and Megabass Vision 110 (check price). On top: the Smithwick Devil’s Horse (check price) around the spawn and the SPRO Bronzeye Pop 60 (check price) over mats.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.