Starting setups for the common ways to fish for bass, before you pick a bait. Adjust for your water, cover and presentation in the Setup Builder.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Recommended bass setups by technique
Technique
Rod
Reel
Main line
Leader
Hook
Spinning
6'–6'6" Medium power · Fast action
2500–3000 Spinning reel
15–25 lb Braided line
8–15 lb Fluorocarbon
1/0–3/0 Offset worm hook
Baitcasting
7'–7'6" Medium Heavy power · Fast action
150–200 Baitcasting reel
12–20 lb Fluorocarbon
Not required Optional
2/0–4/0 Offset worm hook
Jigging
6'–6'6" Medium power · Fast action
2500–3000 Spinning reel
15–25 lb Braided line
8–15 lb Fluorocarbon
1/0–3/0 Jig hook (leadhead)
Bass rigs: Texas rig, drop shot, Ned rig and crankbait
Four common ways to rig the end of the line for bass. Size the hook to the rig and to the length of the plastic; the hook column in the table is only a general range for each technique.
Texas rig
A worm, creature bait or craw threaded onto a worm hook with the point buried in the plastic, behind a sliding bullet weight. Because the point is hidden, it comes through weeds and other cover without snagging.
Hook
Offset or wide-gap worm hook sized to the plastic: about #1 for a 6-inch worm, 2/0–3/0 for 7- to 8-inch worms, 5/0 for 10-inch worms
Weight
1/16–1/8 oz bullet weight in 1 to 5 feet of water; 1/4 oz and heavier from about 10 feet. Weightless works in very shallow water.
Reel down until the line is tight before you set the hook.
Drop shot
The hook is tied partway up the line and the weight hangs below it on the tag end, so a small plastic hovers above the bottom. It suits suspended fish and deeper water, especially in summer and fall.
Hook
#1–#2 drop-shot hook, tied with a Palomar knot, point up
Weight
1/4 oz in shallower water up to 3/4 oz in deep water, about a foot below the hook; change the tag length to change the bait's height
Line
6–10 lb fluorocarbon
Bait
Small minnow or shad plastics in big lakes, creature and craw shapes in rivers; a 5-inch straight worm is a simple start
Ned rig
A short soft plastic on a light mushroom-head jig: a finesse option for fall and winter, when bass are sluggish.
Jig
1/16 oz mushroom head on a #1 or #2 light-wire hook; heads are sold from about 1/20 to 1/5 oz, and a heavier one reaches bottom faster in deeper water
Bait
About a 3-inch stick or craw plastic
Line
About 6 feet of 8 lb fluorocarbon leader, joined with a double uni knot
Crankbait
A lipped hard bait that dives as you reel and imitates a baitfish or crayfish. The bill sets the depth: the longer it is, the deeper the bait runs.
Depth
Pick one rated to reach the bottom or the cover you are fishing
Where
Around wood and rock, at their best in about 10 to 20 feet of water
Retrieve
A straight, steady retrieve is usually enough
Where to find bass
Largemouth bass hold near cover in warm, slow water: weed edges, laydowns, docks, and the first drop off a flat. Smallmouth prefer cooler, clearer water with rock, current seams and gravel. Both are present in most of the lower 48.
How they feed
Ambush feeders that position against cover or a current break and take a bait moving past them. They inhale rather than bite, which is why bite detection matters more than hookset strength on most presentations.
Typical size
Most bass caught are 1 to 3 pounds and 12 to 18 inches. Four pounds is a good fish in most of the country; the fish that stretch tackle are the 6-plus pounders that show up around the spawn.
Through the year
Shallow and aggressive in spring around the spawn, deeper and structure-oriented through summer heat, shallow again in fall as bait moves in, and slow and deep in winter. Presentation speed should follow water temperature more than the calendar.
A largemouth bass; this guide also covers smallmouth and spotted bass.
A 2/0 worm hook buried in a thick creature bait often does not have enough clearance to reach the fish's jaw. If you are getting bites and not hooking up, go up a size or to an EWG.
Braid straight to the bait in clear water
Braid is highly visible. On clear reservoirs and smallmouth water, a fluorocarbon leader is usually worth the extra knot.
A fast rod on a crankbait
A fast action plus treble hooks means fish tear off on head shakes. Crankbaits want a moderate action that lets the fish load the rod.
Take Me Fishing — Bass fishing rigsHow Texas, Carolina, drop-shot and Ned rigs are built; the Ned rig as a 3-inch plastic on a 1/16 oz mushroom head with a #1 or #2 hook, on 6 feet of 8 lb fluorocarbon leader, for lethargic fall and winter bass.
Take Me Fishing — Fishing hook sizesBass hooks of #1, 1/0 and 2/0: the smaller size for worms around 6 inches, the larger for 8-inch worms or 6-inch lizards. Read through the Internet Archive's copy of May 19, 2026, because the live page did not respond. Checked October 6, 2026.
Gamakatsu — Key worm hook stylesManufacturer sizing: a 3/0 round-bend worm hook for a 7-inch worm and a 5/0 for 10-inch worms; extra wide gap styles for bulkier plastics.
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission — BassCrayfish and minnows on a jig head or light-wire hook for smallmouth; large minnows and crayfish on the bottom or under a bobber for largemouth.
Sources were checked on October 5, 2026, except where a note gives its own date.
Fishing for bass from a kayak
A kayak puts you inside the laydowns and dock rows a bass boat idles past, but casting room is tight and a fish that runs under the hull is a real problem. A stable hull you can stand in makes pitching and flipping workable; a 7-foot rod does not. If you are choosing a boat for this, start with the Fishing Kayak Finder, which weighs capacity, standing room and transport before it suggests anything.
Regulations
Bass seasons, size limits and catch-and-release rules vary widely by state and often by individual water body. Check the current regulations from your state fish and wildlife agency before you fish.
Build a complete bass setup
Answer five short questions and get a complete setup: rod length, power and action, reel size, main line, leader and hook, each with the reasoning behind it.
