Among all of the available bass lures, there are only a handful that deliver consistent results every time. Much of the market is filled with hype. New designs that make special claims about bass attraction and bites constantly emerge. In reality, only a few of these lures make it to the top and into the hands of professional fisherman.

The pros make selections depending on water temperature, clarity, region, and season. The best bass lures, however, never leave their tackle box. We took a look at what the pros are using: what they switch in and out depending on the season, weather, and water conditions, and what you can consistently find in their tackle box all the time.

Walking down the bait aisle presents hundreds of options. Don’t think for one minute that you need more than a handful of effective lures to be a good angler. You only need a selection of the top lures out there. Here’s a list of 8 proven lures that are affordable and guaranteed to catch bass.

1. Jackall Boil Trigger

This pencil popper body and mouth design incorporates a joint halfway through that creates a flopping motion. As you walk it back, it creates an erratic zig-zag flop that imitates a dying baitfish. The Jackall Boil Trigger is one of the best bass lures available and definitely the best popper we’ve recently seen. It works brilliantly at various speeds, creating a variety of different actions that most poppers can’t imitate. When you pause the lure, it stops with the tail down, creating a perfect hook angle for grabbing the crushing blow of a bass that is enticed by the realistic baitfish motion.

2. Rapala Ultra Light Crank

Don’t let the classic look, simple crankbait body style, and low price fool you. The Rapala Ultra Light is an exceptional bass lure. Sometimes you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a quality lure that gets the job done every time. At 1.5 inches, the body is small enough to get into the dark corners where only jigs usually fit. It will go down to 8 feet, which is definitely enough to entice bass that are looking for small baitfish. This bass lure is up there with the best of them. It consistently finds its way into the best bass fishing kits. Getting the good action out of the Ultra Light Crank does take some skill and tension adjustment. It’s very sensitive to speed.

3. Lucky Craft Blade Cross

The Blade Cross is the best bass lure for fishing over grassbeds. It combines a twitchbait profile with a spinnerbait arm. The design looks strange, but it’s surprisingly effective. It’s hard to beat the Blade Cross for straight tracking and blade movement consistency. Even more impressive is that the Blade Cross doesn’t get hung up. If you want a unique minnow-like action that’s perfect on lakes in the spring or summer, then this is a sure bet.

4. Mann’s Bait Company Alabama Rig

The Alabama Rig is perfect if you want something different. Bassmaster named this lure the “most influential” bass fishing lure out there in 2011. It’s designed to drag 5 individual lures and in action it creates the look of a school of fish. You have to create your own “school” of bait fish since it doesn’t come with the lures. If you can use this type of rig in your state (check because you can’t everywhere) and you can pick the right lures to create a realistic baitfish school, then the Alabama Rig can produce excellent results.

5. Jackall Soul Shad

The Jackall Soul Shad is the best bass lure for fall fishing. Once fish start to school up, it’s very difficult to find a lure that will get bites. The Soul Shad presents a realistic shad presentation that combines jerkbait and crankbait technique. It has an innovative magnetic weight moving system that allows for increased cast distances. The weights are aligned for optimal casting. When the lure hits the water, the ball weight moves to the center to create a perfect balance. A variety of colors are available to match local fishing needs. It doesn’t get much better than the Soul Shad. This is one of the primary lures Cliff Pace used to win the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake.

6. Rapala Husky Jerk

Jerkbaits are frequently neglected in shallow water bass fishing. If you want something a little different that will stand out, or if the weather is making your top-water baits useless, then the Husky Jerk can deliver. It takes some practice to get the jerk fishing rhythm down. But it’s fine if you don’t master the pattern, because the Husky Jerk runs true at a variety of speeds. Once you master the pattern, however, the Husky Jerk is deadly. It creates distinct sound waves that catch the attention of nearby bass. The suspending action it makes is irresistible.

7. Strike King Flutter Spoon

Hands down, the Strike King Flutter Spoon is the top choice for slack line-style fishing. Kelly Jordon made this lure famous on the television show Ultimate Match Fishing. Hundreds of tournament fishermen rely on it in competitive tournaments. Tried and true, it’s hard for bass to resist the realistic reflection and dying baitfish flutter pattern of the Strike King Flutter Spoon. This is one lure that should never leave a bass fishermen’s tackle box.

8. Booyah Buzzbait

Lures don’t have to look good to be effective. This Booyah Buzzbait is ugly (it looks like an egg beater) but you can’t take more than two looks around at a big bass fishing tournament without seeing an angler who uses buzzbait. The Booyah is the top choice for fishing in stained shallow water. It works well if you vary your speed and frequently change direction. Booyah makes the best buzzbaits in the business, their long tradition of excellence has created lures that consistently reel in the largest catches at tournaments everywhere.