Entries by Rod Reel

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Trout Fishing With Salmon Eggs

Salmon Eggs For Trout If you are looking for a natural trout bait then you need to have a fish with Salmon eggs. Pretty much every animal that lives in or on a Salmon river or stream will eat these juicy little eggs. They float downstream during the spawning season and trout love them. Rigging […]

December 4, 2018 /0 Comments/by
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Best Bass Lures (Updated)

Bass fishing techniques change all the time.

So do the lures used to catch these prize fish

Have you got the right kit in your tackle bag?

Well let's have a look...

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Like everything in life things change, modern technology and advances move in and help make things a little bit easier for all of us.

Bass lures are no exception and they have become so sophisticated and realistic that fish cannot resist them.

Does this take some of the fun out of fishing? You tell me.

But answer the question after you land an 8 pounder...

Lets take a look at the best Bass fishing lures that are catching prize fish today.

Strike King 10XD - Best DIVING Crankbait

One Bass lure that really hooks monsters is the Strike King 10XD. Used by Kevin VanDam at the Bassmaster Elite series in Toledo Bend in 2016 this lure attracts some monster fish.

To highlight the effectiveness of this lure KVD was sitting on 29lbs 5oz of Bass after only day 1, 5lbs ahead of the rest of the field.

Rose Kuli Hard Bass Lure - Best Hard Bodied Lure

The Rose Kuli Bass lure is one of the most realistic and effective lures on the market today. The hard bodied lure is so life-like it's as if you have a real live swim bait on your line.

This lure has great action in the water and can be fished at multiple depths.

Crank in the lure quickly and it tilts slightly in the water which mimics an injured fish

It is available in multiple patterns and colours. Great lure for Bass and other predatory fish.

Can be fished from the shore or from the deck of a boat.

There has been a lot of chatter and rave reviews about this lure, the majority of which are positive. The only fault we could find was with the quality of the treble hooks. You may want to switch them out to your preferred hooks before you fire this into the water.

Pros

Cons

  • Unbelievably realistic in the water
  • Great swimming action at multiple depths
  • Lure finish and overall quality
  • A few people have complained about the hook quality.

Bico Jig - Best All Year Round Bass Lure

If you are an all-year-rounder then you are going to want to get yourself a Bico Jig. These lures are super effective and will coax even the most nervous Bass out from it's hiding place any time of the year.

This lure comes equipped with top-quality OWNER hooks, giving you additional strength and durability which lead to secure hooksets.

The lead-free heads provide increased size which allows for a nice skipping action without the added weight.

The flat head design presents your bass lure in a nice upright position when it hits the river or lake bed.

Made in the USA.

While Jig fishing can be the most productive method of lure fishing for Bass it is one of the harder ways to fish. It takes a fair bit of practice to get everything right, but with a bit of practice you will be hauling in monster bass in no time at all. Great for fishing all types of water especially a river system with weeds as the lure simple skips over them.

We especially like the stiffened weed guard on this particular jig. When you first look at it you may think it's a bit 'too' stiff but the design of the hook allows for perfect hook sets every time a bass decides to take a lunge at this lure. 

    • This is our top choice for Bass Jigs so make sure you have one in your tackle bag...

Pros

Cons

  • Quality - Overall this is a superbly made lure
  • Action - Flat bottomed design makes for great action in the water
  • Utilised the awesome Owner hook range
  • Requires a bit of getting used to

If you are looking for more info on Jig Fishing for Bass then who better to explain to you all about them than Scott Martin. Check out his video below.

Rapala Rattlin 05 - Best Rattle Lure

The Rapala Rattlin 05 fishing lure sings the same tune as Bass... The rattle noise will draw out the monsters lurking in the deep dark corners of every river or lake.

Great swimming action at both fast and slow retrieval. 

The built-in rattle attracts even the most stubborn of fish.

Equipped with two razor sharp treble hooks to ensure a nice hook-up every time.

These long casting bass lures are superb in any fishing conditions. The rattle heightens curiosity in the fish and attracts even the most stubborn predators. Couple this 'rattle' with the legendary Rapala wobble and you have a lure the fish can't resist.

This crank-bait lure can be used by beginners as well as seasoned professionals. Most of the better fishermen will have on in their bag anyway... Just remember that when fishing this lure it will sink to the bottom as soon as you stop reeling it in so you may want to avoid very weedy areas.

    • Great build quality from Rapala that should last you through plenty of exciting fishing trips.

Pros

Cons

  • Action - Great at both slow and fast retrieval
  • Quality - Well built and long lasting lure
  • Awesome lure for catching Bass
  • Nothing to report

Check out the official Rapala video below to get a few insights and tips from the pro's

Strike King - Best Spinnerbait for Bass

The Strike King spinnerbait is the king of all spinnerbaits. -  Try saying that with a mouth full of chips...

The most popular spinner bait for light rods and tackle.

Works great on smaller fish and waters that have been fished all the time.

So easy to use even a beginner can master it in a very short time.

The Colorado provides great action and movement in the water. Great for drawing in the fish.

Can be used to catch largemouth, smallmouth, rock bass, as well as crappie and bluegill.

One of the best things about using spinnerbaits to catch bass is their versatility. Extremely easy to fish with and great for beginners and kids to get started with. Don't be put off by this if you are a seasoned fisherman as they will always perform no matter the conditions.

  • The dark lure shown here is superb for catching large bass. Another popular and effective pattern is the all white spinnerbait.

Pros

Cons

  • Usability - Perfect for even beginners
  • Action - Simple to cast and use in all conditions
  • Quality. Solid enough lure and well made
  • Nothing to report

Rapala Shad Rap

Another option for an excellent Bass lure is the Rapala Shad Rap. This lure is dynamite for Bass fishing.

Mimics a wounded baitfish which is irresistible to hungry Bass.

Excellent lure for casting or trolling behind your boat.

Can be reeled in lightning quick or a slow retrieve - doesn't matter as the fish will attack it anyway.

Nice action with this lure. Swims deep and well through the water. It can be fished with a slow retrieval or at a more rapid pace - depends on your fishing style really. May be a bit light for some fishermen due to it's balsa makeup. Well finished and deadly for Bass.

Pros

Cons

  • Bass love this lure and it works time and time again
  • Action - Swims deep and tracks well
  • Quality. Superb - It's a Rapala!
  • May be a bit light for long casters

There are any number of other ways to catch a prize Bass and a wide variety of lure designers out there. You could try fishing with a rubber worm or soft plastics like the yamamoto senko, using topwater frogs and flipping into the weeds, onto a lily pad or into thick cover to lure out a nice fish. Soft plastic lures can be deadly in the right conditions...

Catching big bass is not an easy pastime - you need to understand your lures and stick to one that will trigger strikes time and time again.

Conditions also play a big part on your lure selection. Are you fishing deep water and need a deep diving lure or a diving crankbait into cold water, are you fishing from boat docks or farm ponds and need a lure that is dragged across the bottom of the water column to tease out the bigger fish? Are you suspending jerkbaits or using a lure with a shaky head?

Are you trying to mimmick a dying baitfish? Something luke a redeye shad perhaps?

Somethimes a lure with plenty of flash and vibration is needed if you are fishing murky waters. Sometimes you need to enhance your existing lures and perhaps add in a curly tail or tail grubs to get the fish to bite.

On warmer days when the fish are surface feeding, in shallow water or a couple of feet deep you should be using topwater lures or maybe a lipless crankbait to catch fish.

We have a great infographic on another page that shows you how to setup a bass jig for carolina rigging, texas rig or how to configure a wacky rig and plenty of tips to catch largemouth bass and smallmouth fishing on bass lakes.

Whatever lure you settle on it's all about trying to trigger strikes and setting the hook. If you cant do that then enjoy the sunshine because the fishing ani't going to be up to much.

You also have to consider what type of fishing rod you use, the rod tip - is is stiff and firm for flipping big lures or are you looking for slow rolled presentation. 

Are you trying to walk the dog with a topwater green pumpkin lure or flip the strike king kvd lure far out into the swim? Have you a tackle box that can accommodate your bigger lures? Last thing you want is to be trying to remove treble hooks from your fishing pack when you should be fishing...

Your fishing gear, outside of just your lures is all critical to landing a trophy bass

We would love to hear your thoughts on this review. We picked our best bass lures from the hundreds of lures available. What lure can you not leave home without? Let us know in the comments below.

Tight lines.​

September 21, 2018 /4 Comments/by