Surf Fishing with Lucky Craft Hardbaits

There is no question Lucky Craft hard baits are well designed and extremely effective in the surf. These fantastic works of art have caught everything from large halibut, striped bass, barred surf perch, white sea bass, calico bass, sand bass, corbina, yellowfin croaker, leopard shark and even coho salmon!

There is an overwhelming number of Lucky Craft lures on the market today and selecting a proper lure for a certain fish or location can be intimidating. Many of these lures were designed for bass fishermen and created to be “worked” a certain way. In this article, I will discuss methods you can utilize to tailor these freshwater lures in the surf.

Flash Minnow type lures are often referred to as “rip baits, jerk baits and stick baits.” Bass fishermen primarily use these lures by twitching and pausing these lures until they develop a cadence that is appealing to fish. A good rule of thumb is to pause longer in colder water and “rip” faster in warmer water as bass become lethargic and less aggressive in cooler water. With every twitch, the lure will dart side-to-side. To widen the side-to-side action, simply twitch with slack line (more slack line, the wider the twitch) and end with slack line with your rod tip facing down. For this reason, many “rip bait” bass pros prefer fishing with shorter rods.

In the surf, I’ve found a slow and steady retrieve will catch just about every species of fish (especially halibut). However, there are times when fish such as calico bass and sand bass are not in the feeding mode and the only way to get a bite is to draw out a “reaction bite” by twitching and pausing (suspending) a jerk bait.

The Flash Minnow is available in three sizes:

Flash Minnow 95MR
Flash Minnow 110SP
Flash Minnow 130MR

Flash Minnow 95MR

• Length: 3.75″
• Weight: 3/8oz.
• Class: Suspending
• Hooks: (2) Size #4 Treble
• Line Weight: 6-12#
• Depth: 1-2′

The 95MR is small in profile and is often difficult to cast with traditional surf cranking set-ups (the use of crank bait set-ups is far more effective in hooking and landing a surf fish versus traditional freshwater jerk bait set-ups)

I prefer to use a medium action 7′ spinning rod with a line rating of 6-12# test with a 1000 sized (Shimano) spinning reel loaded with 15# braided line (with no leader). Because of its shallow diving depth, I especially like using the 95MR when I am targeting fish in troughs that are in close casting range (especially halibut and barred surf perch).

As stated, the profile of this lure is quite small and when I am in a situation where bait fish in the surrounding area is on the smaller side, I “match the hatch” by scaling down to the 95MR.

During a slow to medium retrieve, the 95MR has a tight kick (reminiscent of a vibration bait).

If you are noticing a lot of short bites and you feel there are a lot of surf perch or other smaller species of fish, I would consider changing out the stock #4 trebles hooks with a #6 or even a #8.

Flash Minnow 110

• Length: 4.5″
• Weight:5/8oz.
• Class: Suspending
• Hooks: (3) Size #6 Treble
• Line Weight: 10-15#
• Depth:2-3′

If I had to choose a single lure to fish in the surf, I would not hesitate to pick the Flash Minnow 110! This lure has accounted for the bulk of my larger catch and arguably the largest halibut ever caught from shore with an artificial lure! Although the Flash Minnow 110 are available in a freshwater and saltwater version, I did not notice much difference between the action and more importantly the catch. They both work well and it is simply a matter of choosing a color pattern.

With the Flash Minnow 110, I strongly advise using a SLOW & STEADY retrieve. I’ve tried all different types of retrieves and day in and day out, a slow and steady retrieve works best.

I primarily use this lure when working areas that has a volume of 3-5′ of water. You can control the depth range by several methods: choice of line (braid and mono lines float and will cause your lure to “ride” slightly higher where as fluorocarbon line sinks and in return will assist in diving depth. Another method that can be used is the positioning of your rod. If you feel the lure “dragging” on the bottom, raise your rod tip until you find the desired depth in which the fish is willing to strike.

Flash Minnow 130MR

• Length: 5.25″
• Weight:3/4oz.
• Class: Suspending
• Hooks:(2) #1 Treble
• Line Weight:12-20#
• Depth: 2′

Although Lucky Craft states it dives down to 2′ during a traditional twitch and pause type retrieve, I’ve found the 130MR actually dives slightly deeper than the Flash Minnow 110SP during a slow and steady retrieve. For this reason, I prefer using this lure when fish are holding in slightly deeper water and looking for a larger meal.

The stocked hooks on the 130MR are a bit too large and during a slow retrieve, I believe it slightly hinders the action and would recommend using a #2 size hook.

The 130MR has a slightly wider kick than the Flash Minnow 110. When large fish are more active, I’ve found a lure such as a 130MR will trigger better results.

I use the same surf crank bait set-up when fishing the 130MR but will increase my line size to 15# fluorocarbon or mono and/or 40-50# braid.

The 130MR casts a little further than the Flash Minnow 110SP, and an angler can benefit from this feature when targeting fish that are holding further away from shore such as calico bass, white sea bass and striped bass.

Lucky Craft Slender Pointers are also considered jerk baits and designed to be used similarly to the Flash Minnow line. However, they were primarily geared towards smallmouth bass fishermen who wanted a lure that suspended perfectly no matter how long it was paused and a lure that was more “slender” than the original Pointer series.

In the surf, I’ve found the Slender Pointers to be quite useful when fish wanted more of an erratic “wiggle.” I prefer working the Slender Pointers in the same fashion as the Flash Minnows when I am fishing from the sand but prefer to twitch and pause these jerk baits when fishing from rocky areas that is surrounded by deeper water and fish such as calico bass, sand bass and white sea bass are commonly found. Due to its slim profile, longer/thinner lip design, these jerk baits will “call” out wary fish.

The Slender Pointers are available in three sizes:

Slender Pointer 97MR
Slender Pointer 112 MR
Slender Pointer 127MR

Slender Pointer 97MR

• Length: 4″
• Weight: 3/8oz.
• Class: Suspending
• Hooks: (2) #6 Treble
• Line Weight: 10-14#
• Depth:3-4′

The 97MR has a smaller profile and is effective when bait fish in the area is smaller than usual. If you are fishing from the sand and need a smaller profile bait that dives down deeper than the Flash Minnow 95MR, the 97MR is your ticket!

Slender Pointer 112MR

• Length: 4.5″
• Weight: 1/2oz.
• Class: Suspending
• Hooks: (3) #5 Trebles
• Line Weight: 10-14#
• Depth: 3-4′

Prior to the release of my articles to the public in which I discussed the effectiveness of hard baits in the surf, I first mentioned this style of surf fishing to my closest friends. In doing so, I first suggested they purchase the Flash Minnow 110SP and with time, many of them decided they wanted to try a different profile as fishing conditions changed. I’ve heard nothing but positive feed back about the 112MR.

The 112MR is deadly on halibut from the beach and can be worked equally as effective from a jetty by working this lure in the 5-8′ range casting parallel to the beach.

Slender Pointer 127MR

• Length: 5″
• Weight: 3/4oz.
• Class: Suspending
• Hooks: (3) #4 Treble
• Line Weight: 10-14#
• Depth: 3-4′

Similarly to the Flash Minnow 130MR, when larger fish are in the area but holding in areas the Flash Minnow 130MR can’t reach, the use of the Slender Pointer 127MR just might be the difference between catching and fishing.

I especially like this bait when targeting calico bass when fishing jetties that are lined with kelp.

The Pointer 110SP and 128SP were two of the first hard baits I began using in the surf and catching fish did not take long. Although they may not cast as well in windy conditions such as a Flash Minnow, the Pointers certainly has a place in every surf fisherman’s tackle box.

Although the Pointers are available in 65, 78, 100 and 128 sizes, I will leave mentioning of the 65 size model as I feel it is simply too light and small to be used effectively in the turbulent surf.

Pointer 78SP

• Length: 3″
• Weight: 3/8oz.
• Class: Suspending
• Hooks: (2) #6 Treble
• Line Weight: 10-12#
• Depth: 4-5′

This is truly a finesse hard bait for the surf and should use utilized with 6-8# fluorocarbon/mono or 10# braid. The same set-up you would use for drop shotting in the surf would be ideal.

During the early spring spawning months, barred surf perch will release 1.5 - 3″ live young. Fish such as halibut will gorge themselves on these tiny perch. Although I prefer fishing with larger hard baits, there are times when predatory fish such as halibut will be so keyed in on smaller fish that larger hard baits will be ineffective. Moreover, perch have a rounder body in comparison to bait fish such as smelt and anchovy. With that said, the profile of the Pointers does a great job at imitating perch.

Pointer 100SP

• Length:4″
• Weight:5/8oz.
• Class: Suspending
• Hooks: (2) #5 Treble
• Line Weight: 10-12#
• Depth: 4-5′

The Pointer 10OSP has a rounder profile, kicks wider (during a slow retrieve) than slimmer profiled jerk baits and can be used both the sand and rocky areas.

Because of the lip design, it has a tendency to dive deeper than the Flash Minnows and Slender Pointers and should be fished during high tidal movements and/or from rocky ares such as a jetty.

Pointer 128SP

• Length: 5″
• Weight: 1oz.
• Class: Suspending
• Hooks: (3) #4 Treble
• Line Weight: 15-20#
• Depth: 4-5′

Raymond Tak from Fishing 25 turned me onto this bait when I came back from serving in the Navy (Norfolk). Although I was first skeptical of the 128SP because I simply wasn’t catching as many fish as the Flash Minnow 110SP, I quickly understood why this was Raymond’s favorite bait. It catches BIG fish! There are other 5″ jerk baits on the market today, but few have the profile the 128SP possesses. It is slender on its sides but has an overall round shape to it which will make it appear larger to fish.

Queen fish, often referred to as “brown bait” is a favorite meal of predators such as halibut, sand bass and calico bass. Queen fish has the same coloration as white croaker (”tom cod”) but unlike the white croaker it is slim on its side; much like a dorado. Queen fish are very weak and lazily move in the water column making them an ideal target for predators.

The Pointer 128SP impressively imitates the queen fish during a slow retrieve and if large fish are in the area, watch out!

The Pointer 128SP is stocked with (3) #4 hooks and because it is so effective on large fish such, I would encourage removing the stocked hooks and attaching (2) #2 hooks (leave the middle hook bare).

Wander 80 & 95

“Among the Lucky Craft lures, this jigging minnow-aptly named the “Wander” offers an unusual feature. Developed through a process of high-level research, this plug can move in ways that heretofore only a worm could. In situations where the pass is deep, such as in a reservoir, its falling action is highly effective as the lure drops and sways downward along the wharf. Simply by pulling on it, the lure also makes a movement that prompts a reactive bite, just the way a bait fish does. Thanks to a range of movement that no other plug can reproduce–such as dropping down, pulling, twitching and jerking–this lure can cover any strike zone by its characteristic actions, which we call “wandering falls.” It’s no exaggeration to say this is one revolutionary lure. But of course, it’s a Lucky Craft” - Lucky Craft U.S.A.

As stated, this lure was designed to catch fish suspended in deeper water with its enticing wobbling/falling action. Unlike presentations such as a lead head with a plastic body, the Wander falls horizontally; perfectly parallel with the bottom and not head first. As it falls, it will enticingly “call out” fish.

So how can you utilize a Wander in the surf? As you can see by now, I use traditional freshwater lures “untraditionally” in the surf and the Wander is no exception. I present the Wander by casting further out into deeper water and allow it to flutter down. I will give it a twitch or two and begin slowly winding it back and allowing it flutter down and twitching it occasionally. That simple. This lure is quite effective along beaches where north and south currents poses a challenge. It is also very effective along beaches that are steep and heavily pounded by the surf’s break.

The Wander 80 is 3″ in length and weighs 2/5oz. and should be fished with medium light spinning tackle.

The Wander 95 is 3.75″ in length and weighs 3/4oz. and is fished well with freshwater crank bait set-ups.

They are both sinking models and when lures such as spoons and swim baits are ineffective, the Wander just may produce when virtually nothing else will.