My Top 10 Bass Lures

Here is my Top 10 Bass lures i use for my fishing. Varying depths and styles to combat whatever weather and sea conditions are in front of me. There are a few lures i have only recently got hold and will also be giving a good amount of water time this season coming.


10. Yo Zuri Mag Popper 105 (10.5cm, 18g)

  The Mag Popper 105 is a classic surface lure, a great bait fish profile and cast well too due to its internal weight system. The action of the lure is great also as it walks the dog and splashes simultaneously to imitate an injured bait fish. Unfortunately the 105 model of this lure has been discontinued but larger models are available.

 9. Megabass Super Xlayer AYU (11cm)

  The Megabass Super Xlayer is a very versatile soft plastic lure, it can be rigged weedless, weightless or with a jighead to great effect. I use this lure either bumping around in the flow of an estuary or slowly hopping it back from rock marks. The tail of the lure has a internal rattle for added sound in the water. A favorite amongst many bass anglers.














8. Tackle House Feed Shallow 128 Chartreuse Back (12.8cm, 18.5g)

The Tackle House Feed Shallow is a shallow diving hard lure with an enticing rolling action. Its not the best casting lure but bass can feed very close to shore so this is not much of a problem, if caught right on the cast however, it can fly out. A steady straight retrieve will keep the lure a few inches under the surface, the perfect strike zone for bass.














7. Megabass Zonk Gataride 120 Katakutchi (12cm, 20g)

   The Megabass Zonk Gataride 120 is an excellent casting lure and dives a little deeper than the other hard lures in this top 10 at 1 metre +. The action of this lure is very erratic, great for use when a swell has built up on the rocks. The lure can also be very effective on surf beaches as it is very stable in choppy conditions, one of my best catchers for a number of years.













6. Xorus Patchinko II Sandeel (14cm, 25g)

  The Xorus Patchinko II is a modern classic amongst bass anglers, a surface lure, very long casting and easy to work. This lure has accounted for countless bass in the UK off the surface since its introductions. Can be fished slow with a lazy walk the dog action or with faster twitches the lure will spit water in front of it creating commotion. It has also been known to wake this lure very slowly in the dark which creates a V on the surface that the bass home in on.















5. Savage Gear Sandeel, Sandeel (12.5cm, 23g)

   A perfect sandeel imitation, the Savage Gear Sandeel. The paddle tail creates a supernatural sandeel swimming action which bass cant resist. It can also be cast a long way due to the lead head. Either hopping the lure of rocks, sink and draw in deep water or drifting through a current, the savage gear sandeel is a must for any bass angler.

















4. Fiiish Black Minnow 90 Khaki (9cm, 5g)

  The Fiiish Black Minnow has been a revelation in soft plastics for bass recently. The innovative design means the lure is fished weedless which means less catching on snags which, in turn, means you can cast this lure almost anywhere. Can be fished in many ways, bumping along the bottom, sink and draw, straight retrieve or drifting in a current. This lure is a big favourate of mine and it the first soft plastic i clip on from my box.












3. Daiwa Shoreline Shiner R50+SSR Laser Sardine (12cm, 15.5g)

   The Daiwa Shoreline Shiner R50+SSR is a shallow diving hard lure with a very lifelike action. The lure can be cast a mile and the depth at which the lure runs is perfect for shallow, rough ground bassing. I used this lure in the Irish Bass Festival 2012 and caught the bass in the picture you see to the left, saved me from a blank trip that year, the first lure out of the box in daylight for under surface work.











2. IMA Komomo II JFP (11cm, 15g)

  The IMA Komomo JFP (Joker Flashing Plate) has some sort of enigma amongst many bass anglers who swear by it. For me its the first lure i clip on when i fish at night for bass. The colour of the lure stand out in the dark believe it or not, the black bottom creates a clearer silhouette in the dark. The lure is a super shallow diver (20cm Max) ans cast like a bullet. If fished slow the lure can be used as a surface lure wiggled across the top but i tend to fish it with a medium retrieve to just keep it sub-surface. The lure, unfortunately, is almost impossible to get hold of in this colour but other colours are readily available and are well worth a go.








1. Xorus Patchinko 100 500G (10cm, 11g)

   My most effective lure of recent times, the Patchinko 100 500G, a smaller model of the Patchinko II at only 10cm which creates a perfect juvenile sandeel profile. Still a very long casting surface lure for its size and the same enticing splashing action. The Patchinko 100 has a slightly subtler splash though which may prevent those wary fish from spooking and instead stay around for a closer look. Can be fished in many conditions but i prefer to fish this lure in calm to slightly choppy conditions so that it doesn't get lost in the sea. I just love using surface lures for my bass fishing and a fish off the top, for me, is worth more than a sub-surface caught fish just for the visual aspect. If i get to a mark and the conditions are right, this is the first lure i will clip on.











Here are a list of 5 lures i'm excited to start fishing with this season:

1. Super Strike Super N Fish (14cm, 28g)

  Needlefish lures are not a favorate amongst UK anglers but in the states they are the 'Go To' lure for there saltwater bass, Stripers. I can't wait to give these superstrike needlefish a go this season. Very long casting and can be fished in many different styles; Straight retrieve slow to fast, drifted in a current or the sink and draw method.



2. Megabass Dot Crawler 5.8" (14.7cm, 15g)

  I received these lures to the back end of last season so never had a proper chance to use them. The Megabass Dot Crawlers are a very long casting soft plastic lure that can be fished weedless and weightless, i think this lure will be excellent for me this year as i can fish it anywhere.















3. Fish Arrow Flash-J Minnow 5" (12.7cm)

  Again another soft plastic lure that can be fished weedless and weightless so anywhere is fishable. These Flash-J 5" minnows have a lazy slalom action just under the surface which i know is going to entice a bass or 2.














4. Daiwa Morethan Cross Wake 111 SSR F (11.1cm, 18g)

  The Daiwa Morethan Cross Wake 110 is a very shallow diver with an excellent, wide, rolling action. A slow retrieve will fish the lure wiggling on the surface so this lure is much like a few of my favorates and i can't wait to try it at a few marks i have in mind.










5. IMA Salt Skimmer 110F (11cm, 14g)

  The IMA Salt Skimmer 110F is already a classic surface lure for Bass in the UK however i have only just recently managed to get my hands on a few. The slender profile and long casting is perfect for my surface fishing. The subtle action will be deadly on those warm, windless dusks and dawns to which the surface lures play a major part for me.







Thanks for reading, Sam Johnson