How to Fish Lures for Bass: Retrieve, Light and Tide

Why lures for Irish bass?

Bass lure fishing has become the dominant method for serious anglers on the Irish coast over the past decade, and for good reason. Lures cover ground, trigger reaction strikes, and in the flat, clear conditions that regularly occur on the east coast, they consistently outperform bait. A bass that ignores a static ragworm in calm, clear water will often smash a soft plastic worked slowly through its field of vision.

Lure fishing also produces more active, satisfying fishing, you are constantly casting, retrieving and reading the water rather than watching a static rod tip. And in a catch-and-release context, lures are easier to unhook cleanly and allow fish to be returned in better condition than swallowed bait hooks.

The two main lure categories for Irish bass

Bass lures broadly divide into soft plastics and surface lures. Understanding when to use each is more important than brand selection, matching the lure type to the conditions produces fish far more reliably than chasing specific models.

Best lure colours for Ireland

Colour selection matters more in clear water than in coloured surf, where contrast and movement are more important than exact shade. As a general guide for Irish conditions:

The right setup for Irish bass lure fishing

A dedicated bass lure rod of 9 to 10ft, medium action, rated 10 to 40g casting weight is the foundation. Pair with a 4000 size reel loaded with 20lb braid. Braid gives much better lure sensitivity than mono, you feel every knock and variation in retrieve through the rod tip. A 3 to 4 foot fluorocarbon leader of 20 to 25lb ties to the lure via a small snap link for easy lure changes.

Jig head weight for soft plastics depends on depth and current. On open beaches in surf, 12 to 15g is the standard for working through the gullies. In deeper pier marks, 15 to 20g gets the lure down through the water column. In very shallow water, under 1.5m, drop to 8 to 10g to keep the lure working slowly in the strike zone rather than bouncing along the bottom.

This page is about which lures to fish and how to work them. If you want the specific models, sizes and prices, the bass lure buying guide compares the soft plastics, metals and surface lures worth stocking for the east coast.

Where to lure fish for bass in Wicklow

Bass lure retrieves, the key techniques

• 1Sink and draw, cast, let the lure sink to the bottom, two slow turns of the reel, pause and let it fall again. Repeat all the way back. This is the most effective retrieve for beach bass in surf conditions.
• 2Slow steady retrieve, cast at an angle across the gutter, retrieve at walking pace. Effective in calm conditions when bass are hunting actively and following the lure.
• 3Walk the dog, for surface lures, hold the rod low and make rhythmic downward twitches of the rod tip while slowly winding. The lure walks side to side across the surface. Keep it slow.
• 4Jig and pause, for pier and rock mark fishing, jig the rod tip upward and let the lure fall freely. Bass often take on the fall, watch for the line to stop falling or for a sharp knock.
• 5Burn and kill, in cold water when bass are lethargic, a fast retrieve followed by a sudden stop can trigger a reaction strike from a fish following but not committing.