If you’ve ever caught largemouth bass in cover with a jig, spinner bait, or crankbait, chances are good that bass thought he was after a tasty bluegill. Bluegill play a major role in the freshwater food chain and make up a substantial portion of the largemouth diet. If you want to catch bass, choosing lures that mimic their favorite food source is the way to go.
Many lures that flash and vibrate through the underwater zone where bass and bluegill swim will trigger a reflexive strike. However, more and more lure manufacturers are beginning to capitalize on the largemouth’s taste for bluegill. They understand not all largemouth are fooled by flash and vibration alone. With attention to intricate detail and realistic swimming action, the crankbaits that are hitting sporting goods shelves are so realistic that they’ll fool even the most discerning bass.
The Best Bluegill Lures for Bass
Rapala Shad Rap 07 Fishing Lures
Rapala crankbaits are well-known bass magnets. With a plastic lip that produces the legendary Rapala wounded minnow action, these lures are hand-tuned and tank-tested to ensure convincing lifelike swimming action. While the Shad Rap comes in a variety of baitfish patters, the bluegill model is the most convincing model.
Excellent for casting or trolling, these bluegill crankbaits can be fished super fast. Or you can fish them at ultra slow retrieval speeds. And, best of all they perform well anywhere in between without sacrificing action. It can run either deep or shallow to swim right where the fish are, and the dangling treble hooks set easy and hang on. These lures aren’t easy for even the most acrobatic largemouth bass to toss.
BlitzBite 3″ Multi-Jointed Crazy Panfish Series
With a realistic scale pattern, 3D eyes, and aggressive, slow-sinking action, this bluegill lure is so convincing it will even fool the bluegill. Fish this with a steady straight retrieval, or give it random quick jerks to mimic the behaviors of a panicked fish. It’s hard for bass to resist the darting lateral movements this jerking retrieval creates. It even causes the lure to look like a bluegill displaying its side and spiked dorsal fin like a real bluegill would present to a predator.
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Strike King Square Bill Bluegill Crankbait
The square bill design of this convincing bluegill crankbait helps deflect the lure off underwater cover to entice strikes from reluctant bass. It also creates a unique erratic wandering action that largemouth find hard to resist.
Strike King is known for producing quality lures and this crankbait is no exception. The paint and rich color detail hold up well, strike after aggressive strike. The treble hooks are sharp and secure and seem to reach out and grab the fish that want to swirl at the bait without committing to a bite.
Rapala Dives-to 3/8 Oz Bluegill Fishing Lure
Designed by crankbait expert, David Fritts, Rapala Dives-to series crankbaits dive faster to stay in the strike zone longer allowing you to ultimately catch more fish. Rapala uses only the top 7 percent of balsa in the construction of these crankbaits to keep their lures perfectly consistent. Every one of these crankbaits is guaranteed to perform consistently so you can catch more bass.
It casts like a bullet, and with perfectly placed internal weights, a tapered aerodynamic body, and thin tail create, this lure has the type of wobble and shimmy that attract hard-hitting strikes. The fish don’t play around with this one. When they bite, they bite hard.
Jackall Gantarel Bluegill Crankbait
Don’t be scared off by the high price tag on the Jackall Gantarel. It is loaded with features. Like a multi-jointed body that lets it swim in a true-action S motion. There’s also a bearing swivel line tie to keep line from twisting during casting. And, there’s even a tail tip eye that allows you to attach a trailing stinger hook. It even has pectoral fins that enhance stability. Finally, its feathered hooks work to keep them slightly suspended for better hooking.
This is truly the luxury car of the crankbait world. It is slow-floating which helps keep you from getting snagged. This may be the best feature of all, once you’ve fished with this lure, you’ll realize what a tragedy it would be to lose it.
Yo-Zuri 3DB Vibe Prism Bluegill Sinking Lure
The patterns, colors, and lifelike shape of this sinking lure combine with multiple interior BBs to create irresistible appearance and vibration. It also features a patented ribbed underbelly that creates distinctive wave motions as it moves through the water. Game fish can detect vibrations with their lateral lines from a long distance. This helps them to hone in on your lure convinced it is an injured bait fish.
Yo-Zuri has given great attention to detail. With realistic gills, fins, scales, and even the bright red eyes of an injured fish it will deceive even the most discerning largemouth. Thus making him think this lure is something he’d like to have for lunch.
Berkley Pit Bull 5.5 Natural Bluegill Fishing Bait
This floating crankbait naturally deflects off underwater structure. And, as it swims it produces the type of flash and tail wag largemouth bass find appealing. This really is a dream bait, combining the graceful action of an artfully hand-crafted wood lure with the precision and durability of that only a synthetic bait can deliver.
With the detail, durability, and performance of the Berkley Pit Bull, you won’t believe how affordable it is. Bounce it off the bottom, pull it through underwater structure, or crank it along the surface. It doesn’t matter how you fish this bass assassin.
Storm Twitch Stick 8 Bluegill Fishing Lure
This suspension jerkbait has a thick baitfish profile and the aggressive action that drives bass crazy. It is hyper responsive to even the most subtle twitch-style retrieve. With an added wobble on the pause, it creates the erratic darting motion that bluegill use to evade big predators. With the added vibration and sound of multiple internal ball bearings and the detailed markings and holographic eyes, this is one convincing lure.
Add a few of these lures to your tackle box before you next fishing trip. Chances are that big bass share those waters with bluegill. Just be ready for some serious action. Any one of them will convince those monster largemouths it’s actually a tasty bluegill snack. Bluegill lures for bass are a great way to land a monster fish.
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