Lures for pike

SPRO Rat Wakebait: four rat sizes for fishing the wake

Real dimensions for all four sizes, an honest reading of the Class column, the stated hooks and the surface walking technique with the SPRO Rat Wakebait.

Megabass Big-M 2.0: 57 g of flat-sided crankbait for 1.8 m

Why a 12.7 cm crankbait weighs 2 oz while it only runs at 1.8 m, and how to use the Big-M 2.0's roll and flash along shallow edges.

6th Sense Swank 77X: the power crank that still runs flat

Why 21 g and an L-shaped bill make the Swank 77X a power-cranking tool, and what tackle you actually need to fish it all day without wearing out.

6th Sense Crush Squarebill 100X: the squarebill that goes through wood

2.75 in, 5/8 oz, floating — why the Crush Squarebill 100X is built to crash shallow cover and force reaction bites rather than convince fish.

Rapala BX Brat: balsa rebound inside a shell that takes the hits

What balsa under a moulded plastic shell changes about the way a squarebill rebounds off cover, and how to fish the BX Brat through timber and rock.

Evergreen Combat Rat: the jointed rat wake bait that finally hooks fish

Specs, joint system, sounds and tackle for the Evergreen Combat Rat, a jointed surface rat measuring 27.3 cm with its tail for 65 g.

Clutch Wake Gill Wakebait: the 18 cm bluegill imitation

Size, weight, buoyancy and three ways to work the Clutch Wake Gill, an 88 g jointed wakebait built for predators holding in very shallow water.

Snag Proof Zoo Wake: a buzzbait wake without the exposed hook

11.4 cm for 10.6 g, a paddle tail churning the surface and an integrated hook: how to fish the Zoo Wake over cover and at what speed it actually works.

Rapala Original Floater F11: the balsa lure that started it all

The Original Floater F11 descends from the lure Lauri Rapala carved in 1936. Swim, rigging and retrieve of this balsa minnow for pike and trout.

Savage Gear 3D Hybrid Pike: two tails for two fishing speeds

Savage Gear's 3D Hybrid Pike pairs a hard head with an interchangeable soft tail. Depth, rigging and retrieve for lure-caught pike and catfish.

Rapala DT20: the deep crankbait for bumping bottom without hanging up

Lip design, bottom contact and tuning for the Rapala DT20, the deep-diving crankbait for pike and night-trolled catfish.

Bomber Long A: the classic jerkbait that's still catching fish

Twitch, pause, casting or trolling depth: how to fish the Bomber Long A, the historic jerkbait for pike and bass that hasn't needed to change.

Jerkbait & minnow 34

Megabass Kanata: the 16 cm jerkbait that rises head-first on the pause

16.1 cm, 28.4 g, flat sides and a slow-floating class. Why this jerkbait moves more water while travelling less, and how to work it without wearing out.

Lunker City Slug-Go: the original soft jerkbait, 11.4 to 22.9 cm

Herb Reed's original soft jerkbait: how to work it for that disorderly glide, which size to pick, and what the maker does not publish about it.

Big Bite Baits Jerkbait: the fluke that darts just under the surface

A 12.7 cm soft jerkbait with a reinforced nose and forked tail: subsurface walking action, plus weightless, Texas and light jighead rigs explained.

Yo-Zuri Hardcore Minnow: one lure for the canal and the harbour

How to use the Hardcore Minnow's double nature, straight-retrieved for bank pike and twitched for harbour bass, and what sets it apart from the Duel.

Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow: the flash that cuts through churned water

Why the Crystal Minnow stays visible when the surface is broken up, how to fish it in the waves for sea bass and on a slow retrieve for pike.

Strike King KVD Jerkbait 300: set the pause by water temperature

The pause length on a jerkbait follows from water temperature. The scale, the jerk cadence, and the spots where the KVD 300 takes bass and pike.

Smithwick Rogue: the jerkbait you tune yourself

The Smithwick Rogue is a raw jerkbait you tune with lead tape to make it suspend at exactly the depth you want for pike and zander.

Smithwick Perfect 10 Rogue: a jerkbait that finally reaches 3 metres

The Perfect 10 Rogue runs deeper than a standard jerkbait and comes tuned from the factory. What that extra layer of water changes on zander.

Shimano Bantam Rip Flash: a flash that survives the pause

Shimano's Bantam Rip Flash keeps throwing light while it sits perfectly still. How to build a retrieve that exploits that motionless phase.

Sebile Koolie Minnow: depth you set with the handle

How Sebile's Koolie Minnow changes water layer according to retrieve speed, and how to use that to sweep a bay from the surface to the bottom.

Sebile Bonga Jerk: the jerkbait that stays upright in rough water

How the Bonga Jerk's deep belly line steadies its swim in chop and current, and how to take it from lake pike to shoreline bass.

Rapala Jointed: the minnow that still swims when everything is too slow

Why the Rapala Jointed's jointed balsa body keeps working at almost zero speed, and how to use that on pike in cold water.

Rapala Husky Jerk: the neutral jerkbait that forgives bad timing

Why the Husky Jerk stays effective even with a rough retrieve, how to fish it for pike and zander, and which size to pick.

Rapala Clackin Minnow: the jerkbait heard before it is seen

What a rattle ball changes on a jerkbait rather than a lipless, and how to fish the Clackin Minnow for pike in stained water or across big open water.

O.S.P Varuna: the jerkbait for the middle layer

Exactly where the Varuna sits between the surface Bent Minnow and the deeper Rudra, in depth and in rhythm, and how to work it properly.

O.S.P Rudra: the big jerkbait that holds a ten-second pause

Why the 130 mm suspending Rudra catches the big fish in cold water, how to time long pauses and what depth it really reaches.

Jackall Rerange: the jerkbait that never leaves its lane

A jerkbait with very tight darts, designed to stay inside a narrow swimming lane: uses in weed channels, under jetties and along drop-offs.

Gunki Otagiri: the jerkbait built for river pike

How to fish the Otagiri behind an obstruction, set the length of your pulls to the flow, and build a leader that does not choke its action.

Gunki Gigan: the minnow built to cast far into a headwind

Why the Gunki Gigan keeps its distance and its tight action when the wind gets up, and how to use it on pike and zander across big waters.

DUO Realis Fangbait 120: the minnow that holds in the waves

How DUO's Fangbait 120 keeps its action in chop and current where a classic minnow blows out, and how to fish it for sea bass and pike.

Cordell Red Fin: the V-wake, at the slowest speed you can manage

How to fish the Cordell Red Fin as a wake bait, back out of the water, to trigger sea bass and pike at night or in current, at minimum speed.

Bomber Suspending Pro Long A: the same minnow, minus the buoyancy

What the suspending version of the Long A really changes on the water, and how to choose between floating and neutral by spot, season and target species.

Berkley Stunna: tuning the buoyancy so the pause really works

With the Stunna, everything happens during the stop. How to tune its buoyancy to water temperature and meter your pauses for bass and pike.

Berkley Krej: the jerkbait that backs up on the pause

Why a jerkbait that slides backwards when you stop it converts followers, and how to set your pause length on the Berkley Krej according to water temperature.

Berkley DEX Bullet Jerk: the jerkbait with a wide glide

Why the Bullet Jerk breaks far out to the side on every jerk, and how to use it on winter zander and pike holding in big reservoirs.

X Zone Whiplash Shad: the soft jerkbait with a whipping tail

A 6 in soft jerkbait whose thread-thin tail whips on the jerk and quivers on a slack-line fall. Rigs, cadence, honest limits and colour choices.

Illex Arnaud 100: the jerkbait built for French rivers

Why the Illex Arnaud 100 swims high and answers short twitches, and how to use it on pike and sea bass in shallow rivers.

Lucky Craft Pointer 100: the jerkbait that made the long pause a standard

Why the Lucky Craft Pointer 100 sits perfectly still on the stop, and how to use that true suspension on bass and pike in cold water.

Rapala Shadow Rap: the jerkbait that rolls on the spot when you stop

Slow fall and a roll on its own axis during the pause: why the Shadow Rap triggers apathetic pike and bass where a classic suspending lure fails.

Salmo Slider: the glidebait that zigzags instead of rolling

S-shaped glide, floating or sinking, which size to pick: the guide to the Salmo Slider, the go-to glidebait for wary pike and bass.

Illex Squad Minnow 95SP: the small jerkbait that saves winter sessions

Illex Squad Minnow 95SP breakdown — compact size, depth, rigging and cadence to trigger zander and pike when nothing else is working.

DUO Realis Jerkbait 120SP: the fix for zander that follow but don't bite

DUO Realis Jerkbait 120SP breakdown — cadence, depth, rigging and colour choices to turn zander and pike follows into solid takes.

Yo-Zuri 3DB Jerkbait: the suspending jerkbait for wary predators

90 or 110mm, suspending with a multidirectional flash — how to work the Yo-Zuri 3DB Jerkbait for pike and bass in clear water, rigging and pause timing.

Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait 10: the jerkbait that rewrote the rules

Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait 10, 10 cm suspending jerkbait for pike and bass — depth, rigging, cadence and colours. The full breakdown.

Lipless & vibration 7

6th Sense Quake Thud: the one-knocker lipless that thuds instead of rattling

A single weight chamber in place of rattling balls, and the lipless changes its voice. Why it's also lighter, how to work it, and when it beats a classic lipless.

Lucky Craft LV 500: the dense lipless that reaches 4.6 m

7.6 cm for 21.3 g, sinking, front-weighted and fitted with brass and glass rattles: what that unusual density actually buys you, and how to fish it.

6th Sense Quake Lipless: the dual flat back that changes the vibration

Two flat surfaces on the back instead of a rounded one, and a lipless no longer thumps the same way. Sizes, yo-yo cadence, rigging and honest limits.

Rapala Clackin Rap: one single rattle, a sound that carries further

Why the single ball in the Clackin Rap produces a deep sound that cuts through stained water, and how to fish it on the yo-yo for zander and pike.

Z-Man Eye Strike Chatterbait: the bladed head you dress yourself

No skirt, no soft bait included: the Eye Strike Chatterbait is a jighead with a hex blade waiting for the swimbait of your choice. Rigging, retrieve and limits.

Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap: the sinking lipless that rips grass

Four sizes from 6.4 to 10.2 cm, every one of them sinking: how to set the Rat-L-Trap depth by countdown and rip it free of winter grass beds.

Bill Lewis Big Gizz: a big gizzard shad you fish like a blade bait

15.2 cm and 62 g, a dorsal snap and three line holes — how to fish the Big Gizz vertically, as a lipless or as a flutter spoon, and on what tackle.

Swimbait 46

Geecrack Bellows Gill Swimmer: the bluegill paddle tail that swims upright

Heavy ribbing on the back, a split belly and a recommended 5/0 weighted hook — what Geecrack actually publishes about the Bellows Gill Swimmer, and how to rig it.

SPRO Megalojohn: the soft swimbait with a magnet-held harness

Internal harness, hook keeper magnet, size 2 Gamakatsu treble: how this 15.2 cm soft swimbait solves the old hookset problem, and what it costs you in tackle.

Raid Japan G-Dash Swimbait: 13 cm of jointed body just under the surface

A triple-jointed hard swimbait, 13 cm for 39 g, rated Subsurface by Raid Japan, and everything its spec table actually tells you.

Z-Man Shadtron LT: the line-through swimbait with two sink rates

Four versions, two sink rates and a line-through rig that exits top or belly: how to pick and set up Z-Man's Shadtron LT without getting it wrong.

Strike King Final Copy Swimbait: the pre-rigged bait that drops fast

Three sizes from 10.2 to 15.2 cm, all listed as fast-sinking, a treble held by a magnet and a ball bearing swivel: how to get the most out of that harness.

Savage Gear Hard 4 Play 2.0: the jointed swimbait that sinks slowly

Three sizes, all slow sink: ABS body, PVC tail, triple jointed. The real numbers, the cadence that triggers bites and the trap in the retailer's table.

Owner Flashy Swimmer with CPS: a blade grafted onto your own swimbait

A #3 willow blade, a fixed keeling weight and a CPS centring spring: how this rigging platform turns a soft swimbait into a water-covering search bait.

Googan Fat Shaddy Swimbait: three joints and a slow-sinking density

11.4 or 17.8 cm, slow-sinking, triple-jointed and fitted with rotating hook hangers — how to get the most from the Googan Fat Shaddy, winding or twitching.

River2Sea D Walker: the paddle-tail that rigs on anything

Two sizes, 10.2 and 12.1 cm, with belly and dorsal hook slots — the D Walker rigs on a jighead, behind a spinnerbait or on a vibrating jig.

Huddleston 8 in Trout: four ROF ratings, four depths

20.3 cm for 113 to 145 g depending on ROF: how to choose between ROF 0, 5, 12 and 16, and what tackle it really takes to cast a swimbait of that mass.

Bucca Baby Bull Gill 3.75: the jointed swimbait that reads as a bluegill

Deep panfish body, four sections on double joints and a slow sink: how to fish Bucca Brand's Baby Bull Gill without specialist swimbait tackle.

Z-Man Swag LT Swimbait: the line-through with a wedge tail

5 and 6 in, an Over/Under line-through harness with two hook positions, ROF 9 — how to pick and work Z-Man's best-armed ElaZtech swimbait.

Gary Yamamoto Zako Swimbait: the forked-tail bladed jig trailer

Segmented body, split belly and a V tail — why Brett Hite's Zako is first and foremost a bladed jig trailer, and how to rig the 3 in and 4 in sizes.

Biwaa S'Trout: the segmented swimbait that fishes on the drop

Three sizes from 14 to 19 cm, 28 to 85 g, a quoted sink rate of 25 cm per second: how to work a sinking jointed swimbait without burning it.

Westin Ricky the Roach: pick the density before you pick the colour

The Ricky the Roach comes in several densities — how to choose the right one for the depth of water and how to work it for pike sitting in ambush.

Westin Percy the Perch: imitating a perch, not a silver baitfish

What a perch silhouette changes on a pike swimbait — the spots you target, retrieve speed, the hookset window and how to pick a size through the season.

Savage Gear Pulse Tail RTF: a ready-rigged lure, and what that implies

The Pulse Tail RTF arrives hooked and balanced. What you gain in simplicity, what you lose in adjustability, and how to work around the two limits of a ready-rigged lure.

Savage Gear 4Play Herring Liplure: the jointed swimbait that holds its depth

How the lip on the 4Play Herring Liplure locks a jointed swimbait into its running depth, which sizes to choose and how to work it for pike and sea bass.

Sakura Shad Jointed: the big jointed lure you fish on the handle alone

How to approach a jointed swimbait without any glide bait technique, count the sink to pick your layer, and set up your terminal tackle so you lose nothing.

Rapala Peto: the big profile you fish at snail pace

The Peto is a soft swimbait with a rubber tail that still swims when everything else goes dead. Settings, weighting, hooksets and use on lethargic pike.

Megabass Magdraft: the ready-rigged soft swimbait that never spins

Why the Magdraft's magnetic harness keeps the lure straight, how to fish it on a slow straight retrieve, and why it suits swimbait beginners.

Jackall Mikey: the big hard swimbait that rolls at low frequency

A large jointed hard swimbait with a slow, rolling action for autumn pike: the retrieve, the tackle it demands and the figure of eight at the bank.

Imakatsu Javallon: the soft swimbait that filters instead of searching

How to fish Imakatsu's jointed Javallon swimbait on a slow, steady retrieve, and why the hook setup decides everything on a big soft lure.

Illex Magallon: the jointed swimmer you fish on the handle alone

What moving up from the Tiny Magallon to the full size changes: swim amplitude, casting distance, access to pike, and the retrieve to use.

Illex Gigant Pike: showing a pike another pike

A swimbait that imitates not a baitfish but a rival pike. What that choice changes about cast placement, selectivity and the hookset.

Fox Rage Realistic Roach: the soft roach you rig your own way

Why the Fox Rage Realistic Roach comes bare rather than ready to fish, and how to pick the rigging that actually matches the pike spot in front of you.

Fox Rage Realistic Perch: playing the pike's taste for perch

Why imitating a small perch beats a silver baitfish for pike, and how to place the hooks on this lure to stop losing fish.

Abu Garcia Svartzonker McPerch: when pike eat their neighbours

Why a perch profile is fished differently from a long shad, and how to use the McPerch on pike sitting under shoals of small perch.

Westin Mike the Pike: the pike-imitating swimbait for targeting big fish

Why a lure shaped like a jack pike triggers the biggest fish, and how to fish the Westin Mike the Pike without oversized tackle or wasted casts.

Roman Made Negotiator: 3 oz of jointed swimbait that sinks slowly

17.8 cm, 85 g, slow sink class: what the Negotiator actually does underwater, the tackle it forces on you and why its price is not a typo.

Lunkerhunt Gambit Swimbait: a hollow swimbait that goes anywhere

Frog-style hollow body, a 5/0 single hook hidden inside and a segmented swim: why the Gambit reaches cover no swimbait can, and how to work it.

Huddleston 68 Hollow Body: the wedge tail goes hollow

15.2 cm for 51 g, an ROF 0 rating and an 8 in tail grafted onto a 6 in body: how to rig and work this hollow swimbait through shallow cover.

6th Sense Super Sweep: the swimbait that rolls as much as it kicks

What body roll adds to a boot-tail swimbait, and how to choose between an exposed jighead and a 7/0 weighted hook depending on depth.

Westin Platypus: the multi-jointed swimbait for wary pike

Why the Platypus swims an S with no jerking, how to fish it on a slow straight retrieve, and why it converts pike that refuse big swimbaits.

Mattlures Magnum Hardgill: a resin bluegill in three buoyancies

18.7 cm for about 113 g in floating, slow sink or medium sink: how to pick the right Magnum Hardgill version and how to work it without forcing it.

6th Sense Option Swimbait: two hook positions, two ways to fish

How the Option Swimbait's two hook hangers change the water you can fish, and how to pick between the 3.75, 5 and 7 inch sizes for bass or pike.

LiveTarget Sunfish Swimbait: the slow-sinking soft sunfish

Three sizes all rated medium-slow sink, a wide gap hook riding out of the back, a belly pin for an extra hook or a blade, and how to fish all of it.

Berkley CullShad: the shallow swimbait that holds speed

Pre-rigged harness, honeycomb body and nail weights — how to tune the CullShad's sink rate and run it through skinny water without blowing out.

6th Sense Trace 5: the jointed swimbait offered in three densities

Four-piece body, screw-lock interchangeable soft tail, floating, slow-sink and fast-sink versions — what actually changes between them on the Trace 5.

Optimum Boom Boom Weedless Swimbait: the 6-inch bait that stays upright

Wide body, stabilising fins and a ribbed boot tail: how to rig and retrieve this hand-poured 6-inch soft swimbait that ships without a hook.

Mattlures Hammer Tail Trout: 25 cm of soft trout on a single hook

Two densities for 25.4 cm and over 220 g: what the hammer tail really changes, how to work it, and the tackle it takes to cast a bait that size.

Jackall Gantarel: the jointed swimbait that mimics a bluegill

Three segments, 15.9 cm for 71 g, floating and running to 0.9 m: how to work Jackall's Gantarel and why its 180-degree turn converts followers.

Raid Japan Osakana Slide 170: the jointed swimbait that slides flat

Buoyant body, horizontal fall, line-thru rigging and a nail sinker pocket: what the Osakana Slide 170 actually does, and how to tune it.

13 Fishing BAMF Shad Swimbait: the big weedless shad built for a screw lock

A big paddle tail soft swimbait rigged weedless on a screw lock hook. Rigging, retrieve speed, target cover, honest limits and colour by water clarity.

6th Sense Whale Swimbaits: the bulky keel-bellied shad for bigger bites

Keel belly, 3D gill plates and moulded pectorals: how to rig and work 6th Sense's largest soft swimbait when you are hunting the bigger fish on the lake.

Sebile Magic Swimmer 128: the lipless swimbait driven by speed alone

No bill, three jointed segments, a swim controlled entirely by retrieve speed: how to fish the Magic Swimmer 128 for pike and bass.

Glidebait 23

Clutch Darter Glide Bait: the 18 cm glide you can burn

18.4 cm, 56.7 g, rated slow-sink: why the Clutch Darter is fished at speed where most glide baits force you to slow everything down.

Berkley Chop Block 10 in: the 119 g soft glide bait, in CA Hitch

25.4 cm, 119 g, slow-sinking and soft-bodied - how to work the 10 in Chop Block, and what its detaching stinger hook is actually for.

6th Sense Speed Glide 100: the 4 in glide bait that casts a mile

A sinking 4 in glide bait at 0.88 oz, worked on a smooth retrieve or on hard jerks: setup, limits and rigging for the Speed Glide 100.

Baitsanity Chimera Shad: the glide bait that weights itself as you fish

STS tuning, 22.4 cm for 79 g and only two retrieves: how the Chimera Shad shifts from slow sinking to near neutral, and how to turn that to account.

Westin Swim Lipless: the glidebait whose path you write yourself

What removing the lip changes on the Westin Swim, and where this glidebait sits between the self-swimming Swim and the Platypus for pike.

SPRO Iris Underdog: the short glide for tight spots

Why the one-piece body of the Iris Underdog produces a tight, sharp S, and how to use it along margins and canals where a wide glidebait will not fit.

Savage Gear 3D Roach Shine Glider: pick your density before your colour

Floating or sinking, the Shine Glider does not fish the same layer. Sink counting and settings for putting a glidebait on the right storey of the water column.

Savage Gear 3D Bleak Glide Swimmer: learning to steer a lure that skids

A glidebait is not retrieved, it is steered. Method for getting a wide, regular glide on pike, tackle settings, and the mistakes that kill the action.

Megabass i-Slide: the glidebait that pulls fish off their spot

How to use the i-Slide's wide S to convert followers, deal with big pike that turn away at the bank, and dial in the glide speed.

Deps Slide Swimmer 250: the glide bait that slides over a metre

Why the Slide Swimmer 250 drifts so far on every jerk, how to handle its weight, and why it converts pike that follow without biting.

Deps Slide Swimmer 175: the glide bait you can fish on a normal rod

What the 175 changes compared with the 250 in the Deps range: gear you already own, bass back in range, smaller spots and a different searching rhythm.

SPRO KGB Lil Guy 120: Chad Shad glide in a castable size

A 12 cm, 25.5 g glide bait rated moderate fast sink - glide, countdown, standard tackle and the real limits of the SPRO KGB Lil Guy 120 explained.

Shimano Gravitator 220 SS: the glide bait you can tune

22 cm, around 95 g, slow sinking: how the Gravitator's removable insert switches the action from a wide glide to a tighter swim, and when to pick each one.

Yo-Zuri Pro Series Glide Bait 180mm: the heavy, slow-sinking glide

A 18 cm / 7 in jointed glide bait at 74 g: how it traces its S-pattern, how to make it dart on a twitch, what gear it needs and which color families to pick.

SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180: the 68 g glide bait that swings wide

Rate of fall, retrieve cadences, the tackle it demands and the real limits of the SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180, a 17.8 cm glide bait built for big fish.

Googan Glizzy Glide: the 6-inch glide bait that asks little of the rod

A jointed 15.2 cm, 45 g slow-sinking glide bait: how the S-glide works, the cadence that triggers bites, the gear it needs and which colors to pick.

Berkley Powerbait Nessie: the soft glide bait that skips under docks

A soft-bodied glide bait on a reinforced joint, slow-sinking from 12.7 to 27.9 cm: S-swim, skipping, hook setup and rigging covered in detail.

Storm Arashi Glide: the 19 cm glide bait that sinks in slow motion

A jointed 19 cm / 88 g glide bait that falls at roughly 12 cm per second. Retrieve, counting the fall, tackle and honest limits, with no marketing.

River2Sea S-Waver: the S-swim of a jointed glide bait

Three sizes from 12 to 20 cm, all of them sinking: how to set the S-Waver's depth with rod position and get the most from its soft tail.

Clutch OG Glide Bait: the 20 cm glide that sinks slowly

Length, weight, sink rate and retrieve for the Clutch OG Glide Bait, and how to work an 85 g jointed glide on a slow slalom or chopped in place.

Molix Glide Bait 130: the jointed swimbait that mimics a wounded pike's S-swim

How to fish the Molix Glide Bait 130, a side-to-side glide swimbait for targeting big pike — rigging and the underwater "walk the dog" technique.

Gan Craft Jointed Claw: the cult glidebait that started a movement

Gan Craft Jointed Claw explained — origin, sizes, rigging and retrieve for the Japanese jointed glidebait that converted pike and bass anglers alike.

Westin Swim Glidebait: understanding and fishing a glidebait properly

Westin Swim Glidebait explained — sizes, weights, S-curve swim, rigging and retrieve to work big pike water without over-specialised gear.

Topwater stickbait 43

Strike King Rage Buzz Minnow: a soft plopper that clears weed

A cupped tail that plops on the surface on a body you rig weedless: published specs, frog-hook rigging, retrieve speed and colour choices.

Jackall Pompadour: the topwater with metal wings and a prop

7.6 cm for 21 g, wings that flare on impact, a rear prop blade and twin rattle chambers: how to work the Pompadour and what it actually does.

Strike King HC KVD Wakebait: the 2.5 body turned loose on the surface

6.4 cm, 14 g, a rattle chamber and a side-to-side surface track. How to retrieve this wakebait, at what speed, and why the bill is almost vertical.

Rapala PXR Jowler 127: the cupped-mouth stickbait that splashes as it walks

12.7 cm and 26.6 g of rattling walking bait: how the Jowler mixes a hard splash with a side-to-side walk, and the conditions where it takes over.

Googan Revolver: the prop topwater built to convert more strikes

A rotating fin at mid-body, a flattened anti-roll tail, two sizes at one weight: what the Googan Revolver actually changes against a standard plopper.

Westin Billy the Mallard: the duckling you fish in the June window

Why a duckling lure only works over a very short part of the year, and how to manage the wake and the legs of the Billy the Mallard on pike and catfish.

Savage Gear Hop Walker: walking the dog at sixty metres

A dense walking bait that reaches out and cuts a headwind, and the real difficulty that comes with it: keeping control of the walk at long range.

Savage Gear 3D Suicide Duck: the duckling that brings big pike out

How to work the Suicide Duck with its rotating feet, why you have to delay the hookset, and which summer spots it pulls big pike off.

Rapala X-Rap SubWalk: the walk the dog that happens underwater

Why a sinking stickbait that zigzags 30 cm below the film converts better than a topwater, and how to dial in its depth with a precise countdown.

Rapala Skitter Walk: the walking bait that forgives a clumsy hand

How to get a steady walk the dog with the Skitter Walk, which size to choose between sea bass and pike, and why it stays stable when the surface is choppy.

Rapala MaxRap Walker: the walking bait that reaches out

How the MaxRap Walker turns walking the dog into a searching tool, with long glides, very long casts and a cadence tuned to each species.

Kuusamo Professor: the spoon that still swims when everything else stalls

Why the Professor's surface-to-weight ratio lets it swim at almost zero speed, and how to use that over shallow weed flats for pike.

Illex Riser Bait: the fizz that replaces the big plop

Why the propeller on the Illex Riser Bait produces a surface signal very different from a rotating tail, and how to fish it straight or on twitches.

Illex Bonnie 128: walking the dog is a question of metronome

The Bonnie 128 sweeps the surface in a steady zigzag. Cadence method, slack line setting and the time slots where this stickbait takes sea bass and pike.

Deps BuzzJet: the prop bait you can stop dead mid-retrieve

Why the BuzzJet's two props let you break the rhythm on top, how to work it for bass and pike, and what separates it from a plopper.

Daiwa Morethan Crosswake: the V-wake that gives the lure away on the surface

What separates a wakebait from a stickbait and a popper, and how to retrieve Daiwa's Crosswake just under the film for night sea bass and pike on the flats.

Strike King Clickin Chickin: the plopper with a metal tail that clicks

Two sizes, 7.6 and 10.2 cm, a metal tail and a magnetic chamber that clicks: what this plopper actually adds to the familiar surface gurgle.

Megabass Giant Dog-X: the walking bait that shows the fish its flanks

9.8 cm, 14.2 g and a rolling walk that shows the side instead of the belly. Stated temperature and visibility windows, plus rod work and rigging in detail.

Ima Little Stik 135: the rear-weighted stickbait that walks effortlessly

14 cm, 28 g, an internal rattle chamber and a rear weight: why the Little Stik 135 starts walking on the first rod twitch and casts a very long way.

Imakatsu Aventa Crawler Dyvazelle: the winged crawler in casting size

A 10 cm topwater crawler whose wings fold on the cast: how it rolls, what retrieve speed it wants, and what separates it from the original Vazelle.

Baitsanity Antidote Broom Walker GT: 190 g of stickbait for the biggest fish

35 cm, a knocking internal weight, a hair tail and a bristle patch: how to fish this outsized walking bait without destroying your wrist in an hour.

LiveTarget Hollow Body Field Mouse: the hollow mouse for matted grass

Two sizes, 5.7 and 8.9 cm, a double hook lying flat on the back and a very soft hollow body — how to work the LiveTarget mouse and get the hookset right.

Deps Evoke Zero: the Japanese prop bait that plops on every turn

Tunable rear prop, bulbous body, swivelling quad hook: how to fish the Evoke Zero 120 and 150 on top, at what speed and over which kind of cover.

SPRO Creeper Topwater: the crawler with tunable metal wings

Two metal wings that fold on the cast and adjust on a screw. How to work this 8 cm crawler, at what speed, and what the manufacturer never actually states.

Berkley Cane Walker: the walking bait that spits and clicks

Cupped mouth, internal rattle and a tail-heavy body: how the Cane Walker walks itself, which size to pick between 110 and 125, and when it is simply too loud.

Z-Man Goat Toadz: the Elaztech toad that churns the surface

Why the Goat Toadz paddle feet leave a continuous bubble trail, and how to rig it Texas-style on an EWG or as a buzzbait trailer.

SPRO Zero Minnow Wakebait: a surface wake on a 12.7 cm body

SPRO's own spec table, three Gamakatsu trebles, retrieve speed and time windows for the Zero Minnow Wakebait, including what the maker never states.

Snag Proof Zoo Dog: walking a topwater bait right over the pads

A hollow-body walking bait with an integrated hook: action, cadences, rigging, hooksets and limits of the Snag Proof Zoo Dog 3/5 oz, specs included.

Ima Baby Stik 105: the walking bait that walks and spits at once

Why the Baby Stik 105 zigzags with no effort, what its cupped mouth adds to walking the dog, and how to work it when fish are chasing small bait.

Heddon Super Spook: the walking bait that casts the furthest

Why the Super Spook is still the benchmark for walk the dog on big water, how to get the steady zigzag and when to switch to the Jr version.

Evergreen Amazon Pencil: a 16 cm walking bait built for big predators

Real specs, walking amplitude, internal knocker, tackle and colours for the Evergreen Amazon Pencil, a 16 cm / 42.5 g topwater walking bait.

Rapala Claptail: the topwater that makes two sounds at once

Metal prop and trailing blade colliding, three sizes, hardware: what the Claptail really adds next to a popper or a walking bait.

Lunkerhunt Furenzy Mouse: the flocked mouse that walks the surface

Three sizes, a flocked skin that mimics real fur and a soft tail: how to work the Furenzy Mouse and why it sits apart from the usual hollow body frogs.

Arbogast Jitterbug: the night-time surface noisemaker you fish by ear

Double-cupped lip, two sizes, one rhythm: how to retrieve the Jitterbug without drowning it, and why it only works on water without a ripple.

6th Sense Speed Wake: the wakebait that holds speed

A 4 in wakebait built to be reeled fast without blowing out of the water: speed tuning, which spots to target and how to rig the Speed Wake 100.

LiveTarget Sunfish Hollow Body: the topwater built for the thick stuff

Why this hollow body copies a sunfish instead of a frog, how its 180-degree swing works, both sizes compared, and the hookset it demands in heavy cover.

River2Sea Pro Tuned Rover: a walking bait with a tungsten rattle

Two sizes, 9.8 and 12.7 cm, and a tungsten ball rattle inside: what the Pro Tuned Rover really brings to walking the dog, and how to work it.

Berkley Screamin' Choppo: the plopper that squeaks through chop

What the metal insert and resonance chamber really add to the Choppo, the two sizes 95 and 110, retrieve speed and the colours worth carrying.

6th Sense Scramble: the propbait you hear before you see it

Tail prop, internal knockers, three sizes from 3.15 to 4.96 in: how to pick and work the 6th Sense Scramble over surface schooling fish.

DUO Realis Pencil: the walking bait whose knock triggers the strike

Sizes 65 to 130, the double knock system, walking the dog step by step: the complete guide to the DUO Realis Pencil for pike and bass.

Whopper Plopper 130: the propeller topwater that works on three species

Pike, bass, catfish: how to adjust speed and timing on the River2Sea Whopper Plopper 130, the most versatile propeller topwater around.

Heddon Zara Spook: the lure that invented walk the dog in 1939

History, walk-the-dog technique and the right tackle for the Zara Spook, the classic topwater walking bait for bass and pike.

Savage Gear 3D Rad 30cm: the rat lure that fools pike and catfish

Surface or subsurface swim, which ring to clip, and the right gear for pike and catfish with Savage Gear's 30cm 3D Rad rat lure.

Popper 5

SPRO Iris Pop Eye: the popper that walks as much as it splashes

How to alternate popping and walking the dog on a single cast with the Iris Pop Eye, and why that converts fish which refuse a classic popper.

Arbogast Hula Popper: the lure that fishes while you do nothing

Why the Hula Popper's rubber skirt keeps working at a dead stop, and how to use that stillness on lily-covered ponds in summer.

Megabass Pop Max: six water intakes to stop a popper skipping

The Pop Max scales up the Pop-X and adds a water chamber that keeps it glued to the surface. Specs, how the gill system works, cadence and rigging.

6th Sense Splash Back: the popper that walks like a stickbait

Why the Splash Back's V-shaped keel lets it chug and then walk without a lure change, and how to work it for bass on slick water.