In reality a Bass will eat anything smaller than the opening of his mouth - anything. If it swims or floats near the Bass and it will fit in his mouth, it's food. So it's hard to determine which lure or bait is the best. The favorite food of a Bass is a Perch or Shad. (Perch in clear water, Shad in green or brown murky water.) If you can find a lure that has Perch or Shad markings, you increase the possibility of a catch. Of course this all depends upon the conditions in which you find the Bass. You can't cast a floating lure past a fish in deep water. So there you'll need a jig or a weighted lure. Because a Bass is an eater based on opportunity, the combinations and choices are endless. Look at your tackle box, decide what looks right to you, and give it a try. If it was as easy as just doing what someone told you to do, what fun would it be? Part of the intrigue of fishing is learning the habits and tastes of your target and adapting to fit the situation. The larger the fish the larger the bait he can swallow. So if you target a big fish, use big bait. If you don't want to keep taking babies off of your hook, then don't use tiny hooks with small bait. The frequency of a catch will decrease, but at least when you do catch one it will be a big one. The size of the lure will determine the size of the catch. I have caught little tiny fish on monster lures, and I always admire the macho of the little guy, but that's usually just a fluke when that happens. Big lure - big hook - big Bass.

Good luck and good fishing (catching)