What’s the best bass bait you’ve ever used?

I am going to have to say the crankbait. This is because they can be used in any depth of water. Whether you fish shallow or deep, you only need one. Now the bait itself, I would have to say the night crawler. I prefer the live ones to the plastic ones. I seem to have more luck with live bait than I do with artificial bait. Over the years, I have found that everyone has a different way to fish for bass. What one person loves, the next person cannot stand using. I guess telling you what I like the best is a way for others to start and develop their own style and technique as well as the bait used. Then again, every species of bass is going to require some thinking. Smallmouth bass and largemouth bass are going to want a different presentation. If you decide to fish for smallmouth, you might find a topwater lure, but with a largemouth, you might want to use a night crawler with a slow moving troll. It takes time to develop your own personal style and preference. It is nice to be able to give people advice, but even the best advice might not be right for everyone. I have found that many times, anglers starting out follow guides until they find their own style. So, for what it is worth, I use whatever is good at the time, which for me is usually a live night crawler, but I am not dead set on just one bait.