Surface lures work when bass are actively feeding on baitfish pushed to the surface in calm or low-light conditions.
Step by step
How to fish it
- Use a medium lure rod (9 to 10ft) with a 4000 reel and 20 lb braid, 20 lb fluorocarbon leader
- Use a surface walker or popper of 14 to 28g
- Cast parallel to the shore or across feeding fish
- Work a walker with a 'walk the dog' side-to-side action by twitching the rod tip down
- Poppers are worked with sharp upward rod twitches to create a splash
- Fish dawn and dusk in calm or light conditions
- Don't strike immediately, let the fish turn down before tightening
Tackle
Gear you need
- Rod: 9 to 10ft medium lure rod
- Reel: 4000 size with 20 lb braid
- Leader: 20 to 25 lb fluorocarbon
- Lures: 14 to 28g surface walkers or poppers, replace trebles with single inline hooks
Kit
Kit picks for surface lure fishing
Researched for Irish shore conditions on Wicklow marks. Where we have fished an item ourselves, we say so. Links go to Amazon.ie; skip anything you already carry.
Dr.Fish popper lure
A proven popper for dawn bass work along the rocky margins north of Greystones.
View on AmazonSurface walker 14 to 28g
A walk-the-dog pencil for calm first-light water in the Brittas gutters. Work it slow.
No live Amazon.ie listingSingle inline replacement hooks
Swap trebles for inline singles: better hook-ups on the turn and far kinder to released bass.
No live Amazon.ie listingPENN Squadron IV Travel Spin
Enough tip speed to walk a pencil and enough backbone to set a single past the lip.
View on AmazonSeaguar Blue Label fluorocarbon leader
20 to 25 lb fluoro. Surface takes are savage; do not let the leader be the weak point.
View on AmazonBuilding a full setup from scratch? See the complete gear guide.
Conditions
When to use it
Dawn and dusk in calm conditions from April through November (peak autumn Sep to Nov). Look for surface-feeding activity, bass chasing baitfish, terns diving. Shallow sandy beaches and rocky margins with baitfish present.
Local knowledge
On the Wicklow coast
The rocky margins north of Greystones and the shallow gutters at Brittas Bay are the best Wicklow surface lure marks. At first light on a calm June morning, a surface walker worked slowly along the gutter edge will produce savage takes.