Lures for zander

Yo-Zuri Hardcore Shad: the crank that holds its action when you speed up

Why the Yo-Zuri Hardcore Shad keeps swimming true at speed where a balsa crank blows out, and how to use it to search a gravel flat for zander.

Strike King 10XD: the crankbait that reaches 7 metres with no added weight

How to cast and retrieve an extreme-depth 10XD, why it is so tiring, and when it reaches fish nothing else can.

SPRO Fat Papa: the round crankbait you fish by casting distance

Why a deep crankbait only reaches its rated depth late in the retrieve, and how to use the Fat Papa's wide roll on gravel flats.

Sakura Naja: the short crankbait that rises the moment you stop

How to use the buoyancy of the Sakura Naja crankbait to fish sunken wood and rock for perch and zander without leaving the lure behind.

Rapala Shad Dancer: the little crank that fishes by scraping the bottom

How to use the long lip of the Rapala Shad Dancer to keep permanent contact with the bottom and trigger zander and perch on the deflections.

Rapala Scatter Rap Shad: an unpredictable path with nothing to work

How the bent lip of the Scatter Rap Shad produces random darts on a straight retrieve, and why that unlocks the zander that follow without biting.

Rapala DT16: reaching 5 metres and keeping contact

What the DT16's extra depth really changes compared with the DT6 and DT10: casting distance, line diameter, rod choice and reading the bottom.

Rapala DT10: the crankbait that reaches its depth in three turns of the handle

How to use the DT10's fast descent, what line holds the 3 metre mark, and why bottom contact decides most of the bites.

Megabass Deep-X 300: three metres from a very small body

How a compact crankbait reaches 3 to 4 m, why its tight vibration gets past educated fish, and how to fish it in contact with the bottom without snagging.

Manns Stretch 25+: deep trolling set by the line you let out

The Manns Stretch 25+ runs very deep on the troll. How to set the line let out, the boat speed and the bottom contact for catfish.

Caperlan Wixom: what a cheap crankbait does just as well as any other

What you gain and what you give up with an entry-level crankbait, and how to learn bottom contact on perch and zander without fearing snags.

Bomber Fat Free Shad: the deep crank with a bait-fish profile

Why the Fat Free Shad rolls less than a fat-bodied deep crank, and how to use its tall, narrow profile on bass and zander in clear water.

Berkley DEX Trencher: the crankbait that ploughs the bottom for zander

How to use the DEX Trencher in permanent contact with the bottom, trigger deflections off the rocks, and convert the dead-stop bites of zander.

Strike King Pro Model 8XD: the deep crankbait that tires you less

A claimed 20 feet, 5.5 in and 1.3 oz: why the 8XD sits between the 6XD and the 10XD, and how to fish it without wrecking your shoulder.

Strike King 5XD: the crankbait that has to hit bottom to catch

Why the 5XD reaches 4.5 m without special tackle, why bottom contact is what triggers the takes, and how to set up your rig.

Bomber Next Gen Fat Free Fingerling: the compact 8-10 ft crankbait

6 cm, 10.6 g, a tight wiggle and a rounded bill — how this small Bomber crankbait covers the 8-10 ft band most lures simply skip over.

River2Sea Tactical DD Crankbait: diving down to 5.5 metres

7.6 cm for 21.3 g, floating, a stated 0 to 5.5 m range: how to keep this deep diver digging the bottom, in summer heat and in cold water alike.

6th Sense Unit 24: the jointed crankbait that reaches 8 metres

20 cm, 94 g, a reinforced bill and a segmented body running 6.7 to 7.9 m — how and where to fish this outsized deep-diving crankbait.

6th Sense PD10 Pressure Series: the flat-sided crankbait that reaches 10 ft

Why a flat-sided body behind a deep bill gives a tight wobble at 8-10 ft, and how to fish the PD10 Pressure on fish that have already seen everything.

Rapala OG Slim 06: the flat-sided balsa crankbait for cold water

Flat sides, a paper-thin circuit board lip, 7 cm for 14 g: why the OG Slim 06 draws bites when a round-bodied crank has stopped producing.

DUO Crankbait G87 20A: reaching 6 m without fighting your rod

A 35 g deep crank rated 5.8-6.4 m, neodymium weight transfer and very long casts: what you need to know before committing it to a breakline.

Bandit 300 Series: the small body that reaches 3.7 m

A 5 cm crankbait that dives 2.4 to 3.7 m on an extended bill: real running depth, speed, rigging and the limits of the Bandit 300 Series.

Norman DD22: the crankbait that reaches fish at 5 metres

7.6 cm, 17.7 g and a stated 4.6-5.5 m: how to cast, crank and free the Norman DD22 along deep ledges and submerged brush piles.

DUO Realis Shad 62DR: the tiny Japanese crankbait that casts a mile

Weight transfer system, running depth and rigging for the DUO Realis Shad 62DR, the finesse crankbait for zander, bass and perch.

Strike King 6XD: the deep crankbait that gets down without special tackle

Long lip, compact body and positive buoyancy: how the 6XD reaches 5 metres on the cast, and why you need to make it hit the bottom.

Megabass Deep-Six: the crankbait that reaches past the six-metre mark

An 8 cm crankbait rated beyond 6 m, with a three-position moving balancer. What it actually changes on a deep breakline, and where it stops being useful.

Storm Wiggle Wart: the crankbait that goes off-kilter on purpose

Irregular action, unstable roll and sharp deflection on contact: why the Wiggle Wart catches fish where a perfectly tuned crankbait gets nothing.

Berkley Flicker Shad: the crankbait whose model number tells you the depth

Sizes, running depth and long-line trolling with the Berkley Flicker Shad, the suspending crankbait born from American walleye fishing.

Rapala Shad Rap: the crankbait that never went out of style

SR05, SR07, SR09 — the Shad Rap has fooled zander and bass since 1982. Sizes, running depth, tying knot and colors, no marketing fluff.

Jerkbait & minnow 24

Yum FF Sonar Minnow: the soft minnow built for live sonar

Solid body, blunt nose, tiny forked tail: how Yum's FF Sonar Minnow is designed for forward-facing sonar fishing, and how to work it properly.

Rapala PXR Mavrik 110: the suspending jerkbait that stops nose down

11 cm, 14 g, rated suspending at 1.5-1.8 m: how to use the Mavrik 110 nose-down pause and why its weight transfer changes the cast.

Northland Smeltinator Elite: the jighead shaped like a slender baitfish

3.5 to 28.3 g, a Gamakatsu hook, a ribbed cone keeper: what a minnow-profile head actually does and how to pair it with a slender soft shad.

G-Ratt The Rocker: the soft jerkbait that rolls on the spot

Three sizes from 10.2 to 15.2 cm, a very soft TPE and a rocking action built for jighead minnow and hover strolling. Rigs, cadences and honest limits.

Berkley Powerbait Power Switch: the bait built for forward-facing sonar

A weight-forward soft minnow from 4.4 to 12.7 cm, designed to hover in front of a marked fish: sizes, weights, the hover technique and the Damiki rig.

ZipBaits Rigge 70: the size that opens up zander without losing the perch

What 14 millimetres more change compared with the Rigge 56 — casting distance, depth, species within reach — and how to work it.

SPRO Iris Twitchy: the jerkbait you fish without pauses

Why the Iris Twitchy calls for a fast cadence rather than dead stops, and how to use it on feeding perch and shallow margin zander.

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.

Sakura Majikara Minnow: the minnow that lets the current do the work

How to fish the Majikara Minnow across the current for river zander and perch, and why its tight action holds where a wide-swimming minnow rolls over.

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.

Gunki Whiff: the margin jerkbait for the quiet hours

Why a small slim jerkbait catches zander and perch right in the margins at dusk, and how to fish it along quay walls and canals.

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.

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.

Bill Lewis Scope-Stik 100 SP: the jerkbait drawn for the sonar

Flattened sides to show up on forward-facing sonar, a hard side-to-side dart and a clean suspend — what a 3.8 in jerkbait built around the scope changes.

Berkley Lab Series Minnow: the layered soft bait built for strolling

A coating that turns to slime, an internal air chamber, a forked tail — what the Lab Series Minnow actually does and how to rig it on forward-facing sonar.

Damiki Abyss 90: the suspending jerkbait that works at 2.4 m

Why the Abyss 90 gets down to 2.4 m fast and hangs dead level on the pause, and how to work it in the cold water of late winter and early spring.

Berkley Finisher 5 FFS: the small sinking bait built for forward sonar

A 5 cm, 9.5 g glide-and-jerk hybrid that sinks: how to work it on a located fish, vertically or on the cast, and what it simply cannot do.

Booyah Flash Point Jerkbait: the bladed jerkbait built for live sonar

10.8 cm, 14 g, suspending at 1.2-1.8 m and a blade on its back that lights up on live sonar. What that really changes, and what it costs you.

Berkley Powerbait Pro Twitchtail Minnow: the soft minnow built for drop shot

A 7.6 cm soft minnow with a hair-thin tail, designed around drop shotting and infused with the PowerBait formula. Rigs, cadence, colors and honest limits.

Strike King KVD 200 Jerkbait: the all-round size that reaches two metres

11.4 cm / 4.5 in, about 10.5 g, 1.20-2.10 m / 4-7 ft and a suspending class: specs, cadence, tackle and the real limits of this weight-transfer jerkbait.

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.

Lipless & vibration 31

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.

Bill Lewis Hammer Trap: the lipless with a three-tone sound chamber

Two sinking sizes, 6.4 cm / 10.6 g and 7.6 cm / 17.7 g. Tri-tone chamber, erratic flutter on the pause and the yo-yo retrieve that catches on 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.

Ima Suspending Vibration: the lipless crank that stops without sinking

A 7 cm, 10.5 g lipless that suspends between 0.9 and 1.2 m: what that pause, impossible on a conventional vibrating bait, is actually good for.

SPRO Aruku Shad: the lipless with a deep knock instead of a rattle

Why the low-frequency knock of the Aruku Shad still works where high-pitched rattling lipless baits have stopped producing, and how to yo-yo it over dying weed.

Sebile Flatt Shad: the lipless that glides, from river to sea

Why the Flatt Shad's flat body glides on the drop, how to yo-yo it for zander and for bass, and what to change for saltwater use.

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.

Molix Lover Vibration: the lipless you yo-yo, not wind straight back

Why the Lover Vibration's tall, thin profile gives it a usable gliding fall, and how to yo-yo it along drop-offs for zander and bass.

Lucky Craft Bevy Vibration: the small lipless you fish on a straight retrieve

Why a compact lipless fishes better on a grazing straight retrieve than on a yo-yo, and how to use snagging the weed as your trigger.

Jackall TN 70: the compact lipless that lifts off the bottom effortlessly

Why the TN 70 rises instantly on the smallest pull, how to use it in cold water and which version to choose for the depth you are fishing.

Illex Dunkle: the compact lipless for working the bottom on the yo-yo

How to use the Dunkle's small profile and flat fall to fish zander and perch on the yo-yo over hard bottoms, without oversizing the signal.

Gunki Tipsy: the lipless you fish downwards, for zander

How to work the Gunki Tipsy lipless in vertical lifts and a saw-tooth retrieve close to the bottom to trigger zander, instead of cranking it straight back.

Gunki Chocho: the compact lipless you fish vertically

Why the Chocho's small size lets you yo-yo a lipless under the boat, and how to use it on zander and perch in cold water.

DUO Realis Vibration 62: find the fish, then make them bite

A compact lipless does two opposite jobs: covering water fast to locate fish, then yo-yoing over the zone you found. The full method for zander and perch.

Damiki Vault: the blade bait with three line-tie holes

42 to 65 mm, 7 to 21 g, all sinking - how to pick the right tie hole on the Damiki Vault to tune its vibration and fish the bottom in cold water.

Cordell Spot: counting the fall to fish a drop-off for zander

The Cordell Spot is a compact lipless fished on the yo-yo. Counting method, how to read a drop-off, and the real differences with the Super Spot.

Bassday Range Vib: covering distance when the wind rules out everything else

How to use the Range Vib to reach a current seam sixty metres out for bass, and why this saltwater lipless is fished without ever pausing.

6th Sense Snatch 70X: the high-pitch lipless that shimmies down

High-frequency rattle, calibrated weighting and long casts into wind: how to fish the 6th Sense Snatch 70X in grass, over rock and on schooling fish.

Savage Gear Fat Vibes: the lipless that searches fastest

How to fish the Fat Vibes on a yo-yo to trigger zander, which weight to choose for the depth, and why it excels in cold water.

6th Sense Slice: the blade bait with three line ties

Three line ties for three different swimming actions: how to set up and work the 6th Sense Slice blade bait vertically, on the retrieve or deep.

Berkley Thin Fisher: the blade bait with three tow points

Three eyes, three vibrations: how to pick the tow point, the size and the rhythm of the Thin Fisher blade for perch and zander in cold water.

Berkley Jack 8: the tungsten lipless built for a fast fall

28 g in 7.6 cm, tungsten weighting and a knife-blade back — why the Jack 8 drops so fast and how to work it on suspended fish.

DUO Apex Vibe: the lipless that thumps low instead of buzzing fast

Four sizes from 62 to 100 mm, all sinking: low-frequency vibration, an upright rest on the bottom, and the horizontal and vertical retrieves that suit it.

6th Sense Duke: the compact lipless heavy enough to rip grass

Duke 55 and Duke 65 real weights, running depth, ripping speed, rigging and hooks on a compact rattle-chamber lipless crankbait built for bass over submerged grass.

Cotton Cordell Super Spot: the vintage lipless crank that still holds up

Sizes, signature fall and retrieve for the Cotton Cordell Super Spot, one of the very first lipless crankbaits, still effective on zander and bass.

Rapala Rippin' Rap: the lipless crank that casts far and sounds deep fast

Sizes, yo-yo technique and rigging for the Rapala Rippin' Rap, the lipless crankbait that casts long and covers depth fast for zander and perch.

Strike King Red Eyed Shad: the vib that rips through grass clean

How to fish the Strike King Red Eyed Shad, the lipless vibration bait built for ripping through weed and drop-offs, for zander and bass.

Heddon Sonar: three tie-holes, three lures in one

The Heddon Sonar blade bait changes its swim depending on which tie-hole you use. How to work all three settings for zander and perch.

Sebile Vibrato: the vibration bait built by an engineer, not a marketer

A compressed body and a through-wire core — why Patrick Sebile's Vibrato vibrates at any speed, and how to fish it for zander.

Illex Chubby Vib 40: the mini vibration bait for tough zander and perch

40mm, 4.7g, sinking — how to fish the Illex Chubby Vib 40 finesse-style for zander and perch, direct rigging and the lift-and-fall retrieve.

Swimbait 8

Megabass Dark Sleeper: the weighted goby that crawls without snagging

A soft fin moulded around the hook, a low weight and a bottom-hugging swim: how to fish the Dark Sleeper, and what the maker never states about its sizes.

Strike King Homing Minnow: the small pre-rigged swimbait built for scoping

Flat sides, a 90-degree line tie, a single hook already rigged: why this swimbait is designed for forward-facing sonar, and how to work it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Z-Man Gobius Swimbait: the pre-rigged goby that sits tail-up

A pre-rigged Elaztech goby in three head weights with a built-in brush guard: posture, retrieves and real use on zander, perch and bass.

Gambler EZ Swimmer: the 4.25 in segmented paddle tail for bass

What the Gambler EZ Swimmer really does: the segmented body, belly-weighted and screw-in rigging, retrieve speeds and the colours that earn their place.

Chatterbait 1

Chatterbait

Z-Man Chatterbait WillowVibe: the narrow blade that vibrates tighter

A willow leaf blade on an aspirin head, sold in twos and bare: why this high-frequency vibration stands in for an underspin around schooling fish.

Inline spinner 7

DUO Spin: the compact tail spinner that drops fast and flashes

Three sizes from 3.5 to 4.1 cm, 7.1 to 14.2 g, all sinking: rear Colorado blade, a fast drop and the vertical retrieves that suit perch and bass.

Molix Trago Spin Tail: the compact tail spinner for cold months

Four versions from 7 to 21.3 g, a Colorado blade on a ball bearing swivel, a zinc alloy body: steady retrieve, yo-yo or vertical, the full working manual.

Savage Gear Fat Tail Spin: the blade that keeps spinning on the drop

How to fish the Savage Gear Fat Tail Spin tail spinner on a short yo-yo for perch and zander glued to the bottom, and why the lift length decides everything.

Mepps Lusox: the inline spinner whose weight you swap to match the hole

How the Lusox's interchangeable weighted shaft lets you fish an inline spinner right on the bottom, and how to work it in a sawtooth pattern for pike and zander.

Illex Deracoup: the blade that spins all the way down

Why a tail spinner mostly fishes on the drop, how to work the Deracoup on the yo-yo for perch and zander, and which weight to pick for each water layer.

Damiki Axe Blade: the tail spinner with a double hook for short bites

Four sizes from 7 to 28 g, all sinking, and a double hook under the blade to pin the swipes you miss: how to count it down and fish suspended fish.