Hardbaits

Hard lures at Charlie's Fishing: glidebaits, jerkbaits, crankbaits and surface lures for every predator

Hard lures, or hardbaits, have a rigid body of plastic, wood or balsa, and their action comes from the shape, the lip and the weighting rather than from a soft tail. That makes them easy to fish at a set depth: a crankbait dives to its depth on a steady retrieve, a glidebait swings from side to side at the speed you choose, and a surface lure stays on top. This page brings all our hard lures together: glidebaits and jointed swimbaits, jerkbaits and big baits, crankbaits and twitchbaits, surface lures, lipless crankbaits and metal jigs, bucktails and mouse lures, chatterbaits and spinnerbaits. It is for anyone fishing for pike, zander, perch or sea bass, from polders and canals to big lakes, rivers and the coast. Below we explain which hard lure to choose for each situation, with the models we stock from brands such as Rapala, Savage Gear, BlueBlue, VMC, BIM Tackle and Swimbait Republic.

Glidebaits and swimbaits: big profiles for big fish

Glidebaits and jointed swimbaits imitate a large baitfish and are the hard lures for big pike and, in smaller sizes, for zander. The Swimbait Republic Glideway 176 (17.6 cm, 80 g) glides slowly and settles in a natural position on the pause, which is where most takes come. It is slow floating out of the box, and weight stickers make it suspending or slow sinking, down to about 3.7 m. Read our Glideway 176 test and review. The Rapala Super Shadow Rap Glide 11 (14 cm with tail, 45 g including a 5 g screw-in weight) comes ready to fish with a spare tail; without the weight it runs 0.5 to 1 m, ideal for polders and shallow drains. Our own colour of this lure is the Rapala x Charlie's Fishing Limited Edition, a perch pattern with VMC UV Orange hooks and two tails, red for clear water and orange for coloured water; read the story in Rapala x Charlie's Fishing Limited Edition Super Shadow Rap Glide. The Savage Gear Wide Glide Scandal 20 cm (107 g, slow sinking, 0.5 to 2 m) has a hard body inside a scented silicone skin and throws a long way to the side on every twitch; see Savage Gear Wide Glide Scandal: two sizes, three retrieves. For smaller waters and lighter rods, the Illex Freddy 130 CW Noisy (13 cm, 20.9 g) is a sinking two-section glidebait with extra noise for low light and coloured water. Prefer a lure that swims on a plain slow retrieve? Pick the ULM Lures Easy Swim 17 cm (about 67 g), a two-piece jointed swimbait from Sweden with BKK trebles, or the SPRO KGB Chad Shad 180 (18 cm, 67 g), whose hinge gives a wide rolling kick at any speed. More in Swimbaits & Glidebaits, Zander Glidebaits and Pike Hardbaits.

Jerkbaits and big baits for pike

A jerkbait is a big pike lure without a diving lip that you work with sweeps or jerks of the rod, so it darts or glides from side to side and hangs on the pause. The Savage Gear Low Glider Jerk 17 cm (112 g, slow sinking, about 1.5 to 2 m) has through-wire construction and a loud rattle, a strong choice in autumn and in coloured water; read our Savage Gear Low Glider review. The Strike Pro Guppie (22 cm total, 120 g, sinking, 1.5 to 3 m) has a compact body that rolls and flashes, and a tail you can swap for another type. The Kaesu OHIRA (16.5 cm, 42 to 49 g) is a Japanese flat-sided joint bait that you can crank like a crankbait; its Reload Weight System sets it from high floating for 0 to 1 m to cranking down to about 2.8 m. Read Kaesu Ohira: five ways to fish Japan's cranking joint bait. Lures of this weight need a rod built for big baits, and for pike always a wire or titanium trace. See all Jerkbaits and Lines and Leaders.

Crankbaits and twitchbaits for perch, zander and pike

A crankbait has a diving lip that takes it to a set depth on a steady retrieve; a twitchbait is a slim minnow that you work with short twitches and pauses. Both cover water quickly and are the hard lures for searching for active perch, zander and pike. The Rapala X-Rap 10 cm (10 cm, 13 g, 1.2 to 1.8 m) can be fished as an aggressive slashbait or with a classic wobble. The Rapala DT10 Dives-To Crankbait (7 cm, 9 g, floating) dives to about 3 m and holds that depth, so it suits drop-offs and channel edges, cast from the bank or trolled from a boat. The Rapala Shadow Rap Shad Deep Twitchbait (9 cm, 7 g, slow sinking, to about 2.4 m) darts sharply on a twitch and sinks level on the pause, good for pressured perch and zander in clear water. The Toppies Primos (7.5 cm, 9 g, suspending, 0.5 to 1 m) stays stable at speed, hangs perfectly still on the pause and comes with BKK hooks, a twitchbait made for perch. More in Crankbaits & Twitchbaits, and read Rapala: which baits to use and when.

Surface lures: poppers and walk the dog pencils

Surface lures give the most exciting takes of all, from warm summer mornings over shallow weed for pike and perch to sea bass on the coast. The Rapala Skitter Pop Elite (7.5 cm, 10 g) is a balsa popper with loud, deep pops and a feathered tail hook, designed for big perch, asp and pike. The Rapala Precision X-Treme Pencil 87 (8.7 cm, 12 g) is a through-wired pencil that walks the dog; its internal weight helps it cast far and knocks with a high and a low tone, and we like it for sea bass too. See all Topwaters.

Lipless crankbaits, blade baits and metal jigs

Lipless crankbaits and blade baits sink quickly and send out a hard vibration, so you can cast them far, count them down and fish them deep, on a steady retrieve or with a lift and drop of the rod. The Nays LPR comes in 5.5 cm (9.9 g) and 7.5 cm (20.6 g) with BKK hooks, and swims smoothly even at low speed; the rattle version adds sound, the silent version is the subtle choice. The Fiiish Power Tail Evo 40 (4 cm, 5 g) is a compact vibration hardbait with a tight, high-frequency action for perch, trout and asp, cast or jigged. For long casts at sea and in current, the BlueBlue Fallten is a slim, fast-sinking metal jig in 20, 30 and 40 g, rigged with a treble and an extra inline hook. More in Vibration Baits and Metal Jigs and Spoons.

Bucktails and mouse lures

Bucktails and mouse lures push a big, pulsing profile that keeps working at low speed, which is why they shine over weed beds, along reed beds and in coloured water. The VMC Mustache Shallow (22 g, about 35 g wet) is a lead-free bucktail head of wood with a zinc keel that runs to about 1 m; fit a soft tail and a VMC Pike Chain Rig as the stinger, as shown in VMC Mustache Rig: four steps to rig this pike bucktail. The VMC Sharpshooter (13 cm with the hair, 38 g, slow sinking, 3/0 hook) is the lead-free ABS member of the Mustache series and stays stable in current and wind; see VMC Sharpshooter explained. The Frapp Rowdy Head (24 cm, 70 g) has noise slits in its silicone head and a Frapp Tricky Tail 8" as the trailer, and runs about 1 m deep on a slow retrieve. The Savage Gear Mutant Rat 24 cm (68 g, 0.5 to 1.5 m) comes fully rigged and crawls over the weed at walking pace. More in Mouse & Bucktail Lures.

Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits

Blades add flash and vibration, and a single upturned hook comes through weed better than a lure with trebles. The PXS Copper Head Blade (8.5 cm, 10.5 or 12 g, 5/0 hook) is a chatterbait with a high-pitch blade, a hand-tied silicone skirt and Teflon-coated hooks. The BIM Tackle ChaCha Bait (28 cm, 50 g, sinks about 3 s/m) combines a chatter blade with a hand-tied bucktail for 1 to 5 m of water, for pike and zander. The BIM Tackle Tiger Pike Spinnerbait (32 g) has a reinforced frame with a willow and a Colorado blade for slow, deep work between weed beds. More in Chatterbaits & Spinnerbaits.

Hard lures for sea bass

On the coast, sea bass hunt baitfish in the surf, in tidal current and around harbours, and hard lures that cast far into the wind are the core of the kit. The BlueBlue Blooowin! 125F (12.5 cm, floating, three trebles) is a minnow with an internal weight system that swims just under the surface over shallow structure, with a wide rolling action. The BlueBlue Snecon 150S (15 cm, 40 g, sinking) swims in wide, irregular S-curves on a straight retrieve, which works in current and also for pike and zander on big open water. The BlueBlue Narage 65 (6.5 cm, 18 g) is a vibration bait with a lip that casts far and stays close to the bottom, even on a light rod. Read BlueBlue Fishing Japan: four lures we tested in Dutch waters, and see Seabass Hardbaits and Seabass.

Which hard lure for which situation

• Shallow polders and weed with pike: Super Shadow Rap Glide 11 without the weight, Mustache Shallow, Rowdy Head or Mutant Rat 24 cm.
• Pike that follow but will not commit: Glideway 176, Wide Glide Scandal 20 cm or Freddy 130 CW Noisy, with long pauses.
• Autumn and big pike: Low Glider Jerk 17 cm, Strike Pro Guppie, Easy Swim 17 cm or KGB Chad Shad 180.
• Drop-offs and deeper water: DT10, Kaesu OHIRA with its weights, Shadow Rap Shad Deep or the ChaCha Bait.
• Perch and zander in clear, pressured water: Shadow Rap Shad Deep, Toppies Primos, Nays LPR or Power Tail Evo 40.
• Summer mornings on the surface: Skitter Pop Elite or Precision X-Treme Pencil 87.
• Heavy weed: Tiger Pike Spinnerbait, Copper Head Blade or Sharpshooter.
• Sea bass on the coast: Blooowin! 125F, Snecon 150S, Narage 65 or Fallten. See also Pike, Zander, Perch and Softbaits.

Why buy hard lures at Charlie's Fishing

We pick hard lures from brands such as Rapala, Savage Gear Lures, BlueBlue Fishing, VMC, BIM Tackle, Swimbait Republic, SPRO, Nays, Kaesu, PXS Pitch and Strike, Frapp, Illex and ULM Lures, including our own Rapala x Charlie's Fishing colour. Everything ships from our stock in the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and we are happy to help you choose the right lure, size and running depth for your water.

What is the difference between a hardbait and a softbait?

A hardbait has a rigid body, and its lip, shape and weighting give it its action and running depth, usually with treble hooks. A softbait is made of soft plastic and is mostly fished on a jig head or weight. Hard lures are great for covering water at a set depth; softbaits are often the better choice close to the bottom.

Which hard lure is best for pike?

For big pike, a glidebait, jerkbait or jointed swimbait of 15 to 20 cm is a strong start. Over weed, a bucktail, mouse lure or spinnerbait works better, and a crankbait helps you search a set depth. Always fish a wire or titanium trace for pike.

What do floating, suspending and sinking mean?

A floating lure rises on the pause, so it stays above weed and snags. A suspending lure hangs still at its depth, which gives hesitant fish time to take. A sinking lure keeps going down, so you can count it down to the depth you want and fish deeper water.