SURFACE LURES
How much do you love seeing bass coming up and smashing lures off the top? Here are some of the surface lures that I might take bass fishing.
XORUS PATCHINKO II (140MM, 27G)
This thing casts like a bullet and fishes like a dream. Bass love them!! You have to use this to see how far you can cast a lure, seriously, and this extra distance and ability to cast very accurately allows you to cover more ground.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
All Xorus Patchinko lures: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com or Lurefishingforbass.co.uk
Savage Gear Surf Walker 2.0 (various sizes)
A reworked and much better version of the Sandeel Surf Walker, the new Savage Gear Surf Walker 2.0 in the three different sizes are just awesome (12.5cm, 15.5cm, 18cm). Long range missiles (they all cast very well), floating and sinking versions which allow for different styles of retrieve, you can cover so much water with these surface lures, and it’s up to you how much noise and splash you want to make with them - from very subtle to splashy as hell, these are the real deal now. Review and loads more info here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Surf Walker 2.0 12.5cm F9.5g (floating): Veals Mail Order
Surf Walker 2.0 15.5cm F17g (floating): Veals Mail Order
Surf Walker 2.0 15.5cm S26.5g (sinking): Veals Mail Order
Surf Walker 2.0 18cm F29g (floating): Veals Mail Order
Surf Walker 2.0 18cm S42g (sinking): Veals Mail Order
All Surf Walker 2.0 lures: Veals Mail Order
Various Surf Walker 2.0 lures: FishingMegastore.com
Savage Gear Slap Walker (various sizes)
Three different sizes/weights (10cm/10g, 12.5cm/20g, 13.5cm/26g) and some stunning colours, the Slap Walker is really growing on me. They were designed for topwater fishing in the more southern parts of Europe in generally calm to choppy conditions, but I have fished them just fine in some pretty lively conditions here in the UK. They have this fairly aggressive sort of walk/spit action which you can exaggerate with more speed, or fish more subtly with a slower retrieve. All of them cast really well, with the 12.5cm/20g being a bit of a freak with how much water it can cover.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
12.5cm/20g: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
13.5cm/26g: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
10cm/10g: FishingMegastore.com
SAVAGE GEAR POP WALKER 2.0 (VARIOUS SIZES)
A reworked and far better version of the original Pop Walker, these 2.0 versions are starting to work well for me. The most useful two sizes of Pop Walker 2.0 surface lures for me and how I go bass fishing are the 11.5cm/20.5g and the 9cm/11g ones. All of them cast really well, the 11.5cm version especially reminds me a bit of the Lucky Craft Gunfish, and for some reason the 9cm version seems to attract the attention of bigger bass in estuaries especially.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
9cm/11g: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
11.5cm/20.5g: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
Savage Gear Bullet Mullet (various sizes)
Very long casting and nice and subtle, I really like the Bullet Mullet surface lures in calmer conditions. I tend to work them fairly slowly with a bit of a lazy walk the dog action, and the lure turns right over on its side to present the colours on the flanks to the hungry bass below! A small internal rattle gives off just the right amount of noise as well. Stunning range of colours.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
10cm/17.3g: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
11.2cm/23.5g: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com
Xorus Patchinko 125
The Xorus Patchinko 125 (125mm, 18g) sits right in the middle between two proven bass catchers. It casts as well as I hoped it would and it smashes bass, end of. Plenty more thoughts on this lure here.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
All Xorus Patchinko lures: Veals Mail Order or FishingMegastore.com or Lurefishingforbass.co.uk
Lurenzo Espetit 95mm
A stunning little surface lure, this new Lurenzo Espetit (95mm, 10.5g) is perfect for calmer conditions like you might find in estuaries and bays and so on. Casts great for its size, remarkably stable when you walk it, and I had some bass early on with this lure when they slashed at it and I stopped it dead - bang!
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Seadra Surface LaunceR
Holy cow this 165mm long, 19g Seadra Surface LaunceR absolutely flies, and I have had a few occasions now when this good looking surface lure has sorted a few bass out when other lures have failed. So easy to cast and work.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
IMA Salt Skimmer
I do not know of another surface lure of this size or weight that casts like this thing. It is only 110mm long and weighs a mere 14g, but believe me it just flies on the right kind of rod. The Salt Skimmer is incredibly easy to walk back and forth across the surface, and I like the slim, subtle profile that lands nice and softly as well. Read a blog post about this lure here. Very hard to get hold of now.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
IMA Chappy 100
Initially this IMA Chappy 100 (100mm, 18g) reminded me of the lethal Whiplash Factory Spittin’ Wire, but it “walks” with a somewhat different action and also makes a very different (loud) sound. Catch it right and this IMA Chappy 100 goes out really well, and I am starting to like how it almost seems to annoy bass into smashing it.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Tackle House Vulture 120
I want my surface lures to cast like arrows and cover plenty of water if needs be - this Tackle House Vulture 120 (120mm, 20g) flies, and it catches bass. I wanted a surface lure somewhere between the IMA Salt Skimmer and the big Xorus Patchinko, and this Vulture is a great fit.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Whiplash Factory Spittin’ Wire
Not cheap, but some Spanish bass anglers urged me to give the Whiplash Factory Spittin’ Wire (95mm, 15.5g) a go - and I am rather glad I did. Long-casting, easy to work, and frigging lethal. My second biggest ever shore caught bass came on this lure.
Affiliate links (my sincere thanks if you choose to buy via these):
Lucky Craft Gun Fish 115
A classic amongst bass freaks, I know some anglers who swear that this is the only surface lure you will ever need. Works really well when the conditions are that bit too choppy for the Lucky Craft Sammy. The Gun Fish 115 creates a stunning wake/spitting action when you “walk” it.
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