This is a loaded question as many lures/ colors will work at any time. I like to use Jerk baits, Spinnerbaits, Rattle traps, Cranks in the spring. The summer as most of my close friends will tell you, I start using sometimes the wrong lures due to having favorites. I like any topwater early morning or cloudy, stinko,spinnerbaits, dropshot, carolina rigs ps did I say topwater (favorite).

I always have a couple jig tied on and will use them depending on the location.

This is why I thought the swap was a good idea as many guys favorite change from year to year due to the success of the day. No matter what one person uses as has success you could be fishing side by side and catch them on something totaly different. I use the lures as a guide as give them a 1/2 hour before changing out.

I hope this gives you a good starting point.

Thanks  

     I must concur with Dan on this. It is very important not to have a "favorite" bait if you can help it. You can have a go to bait, but this differs very much from a favorite bait. Contrasting conditions in so many ways dictate lure selection. There are no set choices to make this decision any easier for you especially when one looks at all four seasons. Instead of generalizing seasons lets break it down a different way. Remember that almost every bait on the market can work in every season with a few exceptions.

     By far the number one factor on the water is wind. Many anglers dislike wind which is truly unfortunate. Try to remember that a lake has an ecosystem, and within it is a revolving circle of life. It starts with phytoplankton which live in the well lit surface areas of bodies of water. These in turn a food for plankton which are food for bait fish. When the wind blows it tends to congregate these food sources onto windblown shorelines. This in turn bring the bait fish to these shorelines to feed and of course they bring the bass with them. This works especially well on sunny days as phytoplankton rely heavily on sunlight to survive, causing them to be very close to the surface and thus more vulnerable to the current generated by wind. So wind is the best ally a bass angler has. On windy days moving baits are the mainstay. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits (including lipless) swimbaits and jerkbaits all work well in these conditions. You will have to experiment with color depending on water clarity but a good rule of thumb is darker for murky, lighter for clearer water. By far the most important aspect here is action, not color so experiment with your baits actions until you find what they prefer.

     Sunny windless days are normally a struggle. Bass in general don't like bright sunlight. They will seek shelter in weed beds, under docks, logs or shaded areas and by going deep. You will generally need to slow your presentation down on these days opting for soft plastics, jigs, dropshotting and slow rolling hard baits. You must find cover of some kind or deeper water to locate fish.

     Cloudy days invoke a different response from bass. They wil often wonder more to locate food and generally will go shallow to do so. Top waters are a great way to catch bass on these days especially right before a cold front. But you can also use hard baits to cover water to locate bass along with just about any other bait you can think of. All bets are off on cloudy days as anything can work.

     Remember that the colder the water the more sluggish the bass may be. This isn't always the case but it's a good general term to follow. You can use the above descriptions as a basis to follow during any season. Always remember that you can always find bass both shallow and deep regardless of water temp, color or weather conditions. I know this is general, but its a start. As you find success you will begin to understand what to look for on the water with more experience. There is no substitute for time on the water and that is what separate most anglers from the elite anglers, time put in.

Henry Fristik