What the bass are feeding on, or what the forage base is, dictates what lures they will hit.
On the smaller bodies of water I fish, where bluegill are the main forage, watermelon seed trickworms are "THE" thing.
On a couple of bigger lakes I fish, gizzard shad are the preferred forage, therefore shad imitating lures like cranks and spinnerbaits work best.
Imitate what the bass are feeding on and you have solved the puzzle.