Treble Hook Lures for Bass Fishing

Treble hook lures are hard body lures with treble hooks.

Why are Treble Hook Lures Important?

Treble Hook Lures are important as they are:

Pre-Packaged – No Soft plastics: Treble hook lures are ready to go out of the package as no soft plastics are added to the lure.
Light Wire Treble Hooks: Generally, treble hook lures have small (light wire) hooks.
Pull/Sweep Hook Sets: Generally, treble hook lures have the lighter powered pull/sweep hook sets partially due in part to the light wire hooks.
With Sink Classification: Many treble hook lures, and only treble hook lures, come with manufactures’ sink classification to provide insight to how the lure descends in the water column. This is important as the lure’s weight helps determine rod and line selection but does not provide insight into lure’s fall rate.

Treble Hook Lure Options

Surface Contact - Treble Hook Lures

Walking Baits are surface contact lures known for their side to side walking lure action. Walking Baits are also known for covering water.

Popper

Poppers are surface contact lures known for surge of water, “the splash”, lure action produced with a top water pop retrieve. Poppers are also known for fishing slow (for a surface contact lure) when targeting near cover.

Wake Bait

Wake Baits are surface contact lures, albeit some consider them sub-surface lures, known for subtle surface wobble rolling lure action. Wake Baits are also known for a rattle sound, for fishing slow or fast are as one of the best lures for producing the v-shaped wake.

Plopper

Ploppers are surface contact lures known for continuous plopping noise, splashing action and bubbling wake lure action produced by it spinning tail.

Twitch Bait

Twitch Baits are typically surface contact lures, and just under the surface, and a sinking versions that are still fished at a visual depth. Twitch Baits are known for their subtle zig zag, darting, erratic motion lure action similar to a hard jerkbait but near surface and they are typically fished with a jerk retrieve or a more subtle twitch retrieve. It is also known as a salt water top water lure.

Prop Bait

Prop Baits are surface contact lures known for producing short bursts of erratic bubbling commotion and buzzing sound lure action. Action is compelled by using the top water popping retrieve and some suggest the pause is important as it will trigger a reaction bite.

Minimal Contact - Treble Hook Lures

Hard Jerkbait

Hard Jerkbait Lures are minimal contact lures known as an all season lure with erratic lure action when the jerk retrieve is used which mimics an injured or spooked bait fish.

Lipless Crankbait

Lipless Crankbaits are minimal contact lures known for their wobble vibration lure action. Lipless Crankbaits are also known for their rattle noise, flash when chrome/silver color, and a treble hook lures that can be presented in lighter submerged grass cover scenarios which is sometimes referred to as “ripping a crankbait”.

Glide Bait

Glide Baits are minimal contact lures known for their S-Shaped sweeping side to side natural looking lure action and also known as a larger profile lure. Some suggest glide baits are best suited to target larger bass.

Hard Swimbait

Hard Swimbaits are minimal contact lures known for their natural swim-like lure action as they are hard baits with multiple sections that come in a wide variety of sizes, weights and sink classifications. Some refer to hard swimbaits as a smaller version of a glide bait albeit with less pronounced lure action.

Cover Contact - Treble Hook Lures

Lipped Crankbait

Lipped Crankbaits, generally just called a crankbaits, a cousin to the lipless crankbait, are cover contact lures primarily known for its wobble based vibration lure action and as the only treble hooked lure designed to contact hard cover and hard bottom. Lipped crankbaits are also known for their manufactured maximum depths which can range from a few feet up to around 25 feet.

Blade Bait

Blade Bates are cover contact lures known for shimming, vibrating lure action that is hopped in cold water temperature. Blade Baits don’t technically have a blade but are shaped somewhat like a blade with a weighted nose resulting in a vibration like a blade. Since blade baits are relatively heavy in relation to their size, they cast far distances when fished horizontally plus they can be jigged vertically. Lure design allows the lure to get deep quickly while fishing slow. Also known for being a heavy but small lure.

Bottom Contact - Treble Hook Lures

Flutter Spoon

Flutter Spoons are bottom contact lures known for producing a dying bait fish, flashing, fluttering, falling lure action typically produced with a shiny large spoon lure as it flutters (falling action) to the bottom. Flutter Spoons are also known for their large profile and their somewhat unique ability to fish fast with several slack line vertical drops per presentation.

Additional Considerations

Hard Body Lure Common Characteristics:
- Pre Packaged: Generally, hard body lures come with hooks and are ready to be rigged and presented.
- Treble Hook: All have treble hooks.
General Lure Decisions: Once the lure type is decided, then the lure selection options include:
- Body Shape: The body shape helps create the lure action.
- Sink Classification: Many treble hook lures, and only treble hook lures, come with manufactures’ sink classification as the weight of the lure will help determine rod and line selection but does not provide insight into the lure’s fall rate.
- Weight: Most hard body lures come with weight which influences rod and line selection.
- Rattle: Some hard body lures include a rattle that provides noise typically resulting in these lures chosen in low lure visibility scenarios.
- Color: All lure types follow the standard color considerations.
Common Rigging Decisions: Generally, the rod, the line, the leader and the knot but there are in some cases options to add weight, blades (or change blades).
Common Materials: Generally, treble hook lures are made of metal, rigid plastic or in more rare cases wood.
Not for Targeting Cover: Generally, with the treble hook, not targeting cover, or at least contacting cover, and thus fished open water or no cover situations.
Fishing Speed: Generally, a horizontal presentation with most have continuously retrieves, and thus considered lures for fishing fast except the Jigging Rap and the Twitch Bait.

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