Seabass

Sea bass lures at Charlie's Fishing: long-casting hardbaits, weedless soft lures and surface lures

This page collects our sea bass lures: everything we stock for bass fishing from the beach, the rocks, harbour walls, piers and estuaries, and from the boat. Bass hunt where waves, current and structure push baitfish together, so a good bass lure has to cast far into the wind, swim stable in the surf and hold its depth in the tide. You find long-casting minnows and sinking pencils from BlueBlue and Rapala, the weedless Fiiish Black Minnow for rocks and weed, surface lures for calm mornings, metal jigs for deep water and current, plus the snaps and jig heads that go with them. Below we explain which lure does what, so you can pick the right one for your mark and the conditions.

Sinking pencils and S-curve lures for current and tide

In tidal water a sinking pencil is often the first lure to tie on. The BlueBlue Snecon 90S (9 cm, 15 g) swims in wide S-curves on nothing more than a straight retrieve, and free-moving weight balls make it break left or right at a moment the fish cannot predict. The stronger the current or the further out the lure, the wider the S-curve. The BlueBlue Snecon 150S (15 cm, 40 g) is the same idea on a through-wire frame, for big bass in strong tide and long casts from the rocks. The BlueBlue Ballist 90S (9 cm, 21 g) is a compact, heavy sinking minnow that stays stable in wind, current and rough water and lets you control the depth along harbour edges and current lines. Read how we got on with them in BlueBlue Fishing Japan: four lures we tested in Dutch waters, and see the whole range at BlueBlue Fishing.

Minnows and jerkbaits that cast into the wind

On an open beach or a windy jetty, casting distance decides how much water you cover. The BlueBlue Blooowin! has an internal tungsten weight and a shifting centre of gravity, so it flies straight into a headwind without tumbling, and swims with a tight wobble and an S-shaped slide that turns erratic when you jerk it. The BlueBlue Blooowin! 80S (8 cm, 8 g) and the BlueBlue Blooowin! 110S (11 cm, 14 g) both run to about 1 m, while the floating BlueBlue Blooowin! 125F (12.5 cm) works just under the surface over shallow flats and structure, at dawn and dusk. From Rapala we stock the Rapala X-Rap 10 cm (10 cm, 13 g, 1.2 to 1.8 m), a classic slashbait for bass, the long-casting Rapala Max Rap 11 (11 cm, 13 g) that suspends on the pause, and the Rapala Air Boss Salt Water (10 cm, 15.5 g, 1.5 to 1.8 m), a suspending twitchbait with MaxCast tungsten weights and VMC Ti hooks. More in Seabass Hardbaits, Jerkbaits and Rapala.

Surface lures for calm water and feeding bass

When bass are chasing baitfish on top, usually early and late in the day and in calm conditions, a surface lure gives the most exciting takes. The BlueBlue Gachipen 130 (13 cm, 30 g) is a through-wire pencil to walk the dog with light twitches, at its best in calm water and under fishing pressure. The Rapala Skitter Pop Elite (7.5 cm, 10 g) is a long-casting balsa popper with a loud, deep pop, and the Stucki Fishing Bubble 55 (5.5 cm, 7.7 g) is a small popper for the moment bass start hunting fry at the surface. See all Topwaters.

Fiiish Black Minnow: the weedless soft lure for rocks and weed

The Fiiish Black Minnow is one of the most popular soft lures for sea bass. It is a paddle tail body on a jig head with the hook point hidden in a slot along the back, so you can fish it right through rocks, kelp and harbour walls. The heads set the depth: Shore for shallow, calm water, Search to cover water at medium depth, Off Shore for depth and current. The Fiiish Black Minnow 90 N2 Shore Combo 5g is the light one for shallow coasts and estuaries, the Fiiish Black Minnow 105 N2.5 Combo Search 12g the all-round shore size, the Fiiish Black Minnow 120 N3 Combo Shore 12g the 12 cm profile for bigger bass in shallow water, and the Fiiish Black Minnow 120 N3 Combo Off Shore 25g gets down fast in strong tide or from the boat. Every combo comes with a spare body, and refills like the Fiiish Black Minnow 120 Spare Bodies N3 keep you fishing. Read our Fiiish Black Minnow guide and see the whole system in Fiiish Black Minnow and Fiiish.

More soft lures for bass: shads, pintails and crabs

Soft lures fished slowly with lifts and pauses stay in the strike zone longer and look like an injured baitfish. The Fish Arrow Flash Jerk Spin 4" SW (10 cm, 3 per pack) is from Fish Arrow's saltwater line: an elastomer body with a foil insert and an Indiana blade that adds flash and vibration, on a 3/0 jig head such as the BKK Hyperlatch Round Jig Hooks. The Rapala CrushCity The Stingman is a salted pintail from 7.5 to 12.5 cm that sits naturally in the water, weightless on an offset hook or on a light jig head for a slow, subtle presentation. The DRT Cramp Shad (11 cm, 10 g, 5 per pack) combines a small V-tail with a very high-frequency paddle tail, for a natural swim on a light jig head or a weighted offset hook in calm harbours. And because bass love crabs, the Chasebaits Smash Crab JNR (7.5 cm, 19 g) is a pre-rigged swimming crab with a 2/0 hook that always lands on its belly, with legs and claws that vibrate on the drop. See all Seabass Softbaits, Fish Arrow, Chasebaits and DRT.

Metal jigs, blade baits and bucktails for depth and distance

When bass feed deeper, far out or in strong current, a compact metal lure reaches them fastest. The BlueBlue SeaRide Mini 15 g casts far in the wind, falls slowly and horizontally and darts on short lifts, for bass and mackerel. The BlueBlue Fallten in 20, 30 and 40 g is a slim, fast sinking jig for deep water, current and drop-offs, cast or fished vertically. The Savage Gear 3D Jig Minnow 20 g casts a long way and holds its depth at speed. The BlueBlue Shalldus 14 (6 cm, 14 g) is a blade vibration lure with a willow leaf tail that keeps a tight vibration even at low speed in harbours and calm water. For something different, the BIM Tackle Crazy Rabbit JNR is a 21 cm bucktail with a blade and an interchangeable head, at home on perch, zander and sea bass. More in Metal Jigs and Spoons, Vibration Baits, Mouse & Bucktail Lures, Savage Gear Lures and BIM Tackle.

Snaps, jig heads and leaders for bass fishing

Salt water, rocks and mussel beds are hard on tackle. The Fiiish Snaps are compact stainless steel snaps that let the nose of a light lure swing freely, so a minnow or pencil keeps its action, and you change lures in seconds. For soft lures you find jig heads in Jigheads and BKK hooks at BKK Hooks. Bass do not bite through line, so a fluorocarbon leader between braid and lure is the usual choice: it adds abrasion resistance against rocks and is hard for fish to see. See Lines and Leaders and Small fishing tackle.

Which sea bass lure for which situation

• Current and tidal water: Snecon 90S or 150S, Ballist 90S.
• Long casts into the wind from the beach: Blooowin! 80S or 110S, Max Rap 11, Air Boss Salt Water, SeaRide Mini.
• Shallow flats at dawn and dusk: Blooowin! 125F.
• Bass hunting on the surface in calm water: Gachipen 130, Skitter Pop Elite, Bubble 55.
• Rocks, kelp and harbour walls: Fiiish Black Minnow with a Shore or Search head.
• Deep water, strong tide and fishing from the boat: Black Minnow 120 Off Shore 25g, Fallten, 3D Jig Minnow.
• Slow, subtle presentation for wary fish: Stingman, Cramp Shad or Flash Jerk Spin 4" SW.
• Bass feeding on crabs: Smash Crab JNR. See Seabass Hardbaits and Seabass Softbaits.

Why buy sea bass lures at Charlie's Fishing

We are based on the Dutch coast and pick our bass lures for the conditions there: wind, waves, current and rough ground. Our range goes deep in the brands that matter for bass, with the Black Minnow in all three sizes and many BlueBlue models. Every lure ships from our own stock in the Netherlands with fast delivery across Europe, and we are happy to tell you which lure and which weight fit your mark. For a night session on the Dutch coast, read Night fishing for seabass in the Netherlands.

What is the best lure for sea bass?

There is no single best lure, but two types catch in most conditions: a long-casting sinking minnow or pencil such as the Blooowin! 110S or Snecon 90S for open water and current, and a weedless soft lure such as the Fiiish Black Minnow for rocks and weed. Add a surface lure for calm mornings and evenings.

When is the best time to fish for sea bass?

Bass usually come closer to the coast from spring and stay until late autumn, with the busiest months often from May to October. Within a day, dawn, dusk and the hours around a turning tide tend to be the most productive. Always check the local rules on minimum size, bag limits and closed periods before you go.

Which size lure for sea bass?

Match the baitfish. Lures of 8 to 12 cm cover most situations, such as the Blooowin! 80S or 110S, the Black Minnow 105 and the X-Rap 10 cm. Go bigger, 15 cm and up, when bass feed on larger prey or in heavy surf, for example with the Snecon 150S.