The best bass lures.

[slippery]

I am mad on lure fishing and have my choices set but would like to know what works for you.....
i use the terminator/tormenter (small one big one is not so good),
maria angel kiss (veals),
and a couple of rapalas,
bubble float n delta eel,
all to great affect but I have not yet cracked out a double on one, biggest 7lb12oz,(beach) on the terminator,
my angling goal this year is a 10lb+ on a lure n 8lb line.

[stevieboy]

J11 for close in work and the trusty Dexter wedge when I'm fishing at Brook and need to blast it out a bit (and the water is clear *and* the sun is out).

My aim is to catch *any* bass on a surface popper. I have a chug-bug that I'm gagging to use!

Spinning is my favourite type of fishing, I had some great times down Hamstead/Brook/Alum Bay in the summer last year. Funny you should mention 8lb line, that's what I use, going light also helps you get those extra few yards with light lures too. Going to get rid of the crappy OmniFlex stuff though, very flaky.

I'd also like to take the nippers down the beach and get a few mackerel on the wedge and light line, just for the barbie. So much more rewarding that slinging out feathers on 40lb mono.

Summer feels a long way away at the moment though...

Steve.

[reelbargains]

Great to know there's some fellow lurists on the site!

Steve, nice lure fishing in the sun does seem to feel a VERY long way away at the moment doesn't it

I'll go through my lure box when I get home and see what I can recommend - have got a particular Shimano one that I bought thinking it resembled a sandeel and to my amazement actually did the business last summer - can't remember the name though - will have a look later

Adam

[Pete B]

I expect it's the obvious reponse but the Rapala J-13 is my 1st choice!.
I have had bass from shore & boat with this lure.
Interestingly I fished a very still quiet mark from the boat that suited the depth of a J-11 which I selected & used. With it trotting along perfectly a foot from the bottom nothing came at all. I switched to the J-13 & was into bass from the first cast even with the lure clattering along the bottom because of its deeper dive range - maybe it was the bottom being stirred by the lure.
Certainly the size of the lure dosent put anything off, Ive had bass only a little bit bigger than the J-13 itself.

[reelbargains]

Yeah, deffo Pete - that technique has even got a name in Oz (and I assume the US). But their lures are so much cheaper i suppose they can afford to lose a few in danger territory!

[RichardB]

I've had success with the Tormentor from the beach. The Rapala X-rap is good too - browny/goldy colour - dives fairly deep and looks a bit like a small wrasse.
I plan to try some surface poppers this year - I know they have been very successfull at a certain well known sea wall near me - early mornings, low water

[eccles]

I am not saying this is best but a few years ago when living in Devon I decided to try rubber eels from the shore after experiencing some vary successful bass hunting with one over a wreck: I used a light uptider (9' 6") and a 4 " rubber eel on an 18" trace with about a 1/2 oz drilled bullet in front of that, in order to get it out there. I could cast this set up about 50 yds in the right conditions. I used it in fairly deep water at the end of the Exe estuary at low water because I knew that bass hung around there when the tide dried out most of the estuary. First time I tried it - a 4lber and a 3 lber. After that I repeated the performance several times before moving to Hampshire. I have tried the same at Langstone Harbour entrance a couple of times but only yeilded a couple of small pollack and a few schoolies. Must try again I suppose - early morning as Richard suggests.

[Lavy]

Got to agree with petes comments ,we use storm deep thundersticks and seem to get a lot of takes when they are bouncing off the bottom. get ours in bulk off e bay from the usa usualy find if we contact the sellers direct they will do a deal,last lot came out at £2.35 each delivered.

[reelbargains]

eccles said:

I am not saying this is best but a few years ago when living in Devon I decided to try rubber eels from the shore after experiencing some vary successful bass hunting with one over a wreck: I used a light uptider (9' 6") and a 4 " rubber eel on an 18" trace with about a 1/2 oz drilled bullet in front of that, in order to get it out there. I could cast this set up about 50 yds in the right conditions. I used it in fairly deep water at the end of the Exe estuary at low water because I knew that bass hung around there when the tide dried out most of the estuary. First time I tried it - a 4lber and a 3 lber. After that I repeated the performance several times before moving to Hampshire. I have tried the same at Langstone Harbour entrance a couple of times but only yeilded a couple of small pollack and a few schoolies. Must try again I suppose - early morning as Richard suggests.

This reminds me of a very similar technique I chanced upon quite a few years back (I'd forgotten about it actually so thanks for bringing it up). The same thing works at Victoria Pier down Old Portsmouth when the tide is running IN to Portsmouth harbour. I only ever had Pollack there, but up to 3lb which I think is incredible for this area and is still my shore PB Pollack to this date!

Adam

[darenw]

Thats interesting Adam. Just prior to our eldest being born we were living down that end and I used to walk the Clarence - hot-walls section. Behind the coach park at the fairground there during one bitterely cold January-in the "moat" were literally dozens of pollack around that size (a few bigger) and some very large flatfish,all dead.As the ice in there melted you could see them.Dont know how they got in there as the inlet isnt much to speak of and had never seen them in there before.Makes you wonder!!!!!

[reelbargains]

That moat is legendary! PeteB will be along in a minute with some stories of how we used to fish in there as kids. There's some cracking eels in there too... hush hush though!

[reelbargains]

Right, lure pics...



From top left to right and down: Cultiva Tango Dancer (smaller size) surface lure for 'walking the dog' kind of action, casts like a bullet - - Unknown Shimano lure that I bought as I thought it looked a bit sandeelish, deep diver, needs quite a bit of water, good from the boat - - Cultiva Crank'N Shad, nice size, good caster, can get it down to about 6ft with thin line and it suspends in the water (very slow float), also has a low rumbley rattle - - Rapala X-Rap in mackerel colour, unused as yet but so attractive to me its gotta work! - - River 2 Sea Unknown, nice small mackerel design, I quite like using small lures just to catch whatevers there, its all fun on lures - - Rapala Sliver, again unused as yet but it was made as a garfish replica (needlefish) so it's got to work, most probably limited to the boat though - - and ye olde favorite the jointed rapala, I prefer this blue/silver colour but I also have hideous bright colours for if the water is cloudy.

[Pete B]

Aah Yeh!....As Ad said we had a fair few fish out of there as kids. Southsea Angling Club junior section would host a 24 hr rover & it would quite often be won from that moat!
We would float fish, you could clearly see the bottom (3ft max) & it would appear that there was nothing there, then all of a sudden the float would be under! We took wrasse, pollack, flounder, plaice & plenty more. I remember the rover being won once with a good plaice from there of over 3lb!

[darenw]

Well I'm *uggered !!!!!!!!

[reelbargains]

All hail the moat of plenty!