The Strange Spiny Lure Taking Over Bass Fishing and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

In case they slipped by you, following are the most read fishing stories of the week. The Strange Spiny Lure Taking Over Bass Fishing in 2026; The Brutal Reality of the Bassmaster Classic; Why San Diego Might Be the Best Fishing Destination in America.

1.) The Strange Spiny Lure Taking Over Bass Fishing in 2026

Coike soft plastic bait — The Coike, spiny ball, or urchin-bait is the hottest bass lure in the country right now. | Dave Rush, Outdoor Brand Team

The Coike, a dense elastomer ball covered in soft spines, looks more like a sea urchin than a bass lure. Over the past year it has become one of the most talked-about baits in professional bass fishing.

A little over a year ago, I attended a writer’s conference at Lake Hartwell, South Carolina. Among the various fishing brands present was a Japanese company called Hideup, which offered an assortment of odd-looking, spiny soft plastic baits called the Coike. They’d been popular in Japan for some time, but were just entering the US market.

While intrigued, I assumed the unusual baits were likely a passing novelty, stuffed them in my bag, and mostly forgot about them. But the following weekend I, and lots of other curious bass anglers, watched a professional from Japan hammering monster largemouth bass with a similar urchin-style bait during a BASSMASTER event on Lake Fork, Texas. Had I known the increased demand would make them so scarce in early 2026, I would’ve ordered a lot more when I had the chance.…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

2.) The Brutal Reality of the Bassmaster Classic

SILHOUETTE OF JUSTIN HAMNER SWINGING IN A TENNESSEE LARGEMOUTH DURING THE BASSMASTER CLASSIC — Justin Hamner swings a Tennessee River largemouth into the boat during Day 1 of the 2026 Bassmaster Classic near Knoxville. | Kurt Mazurek

When the sun finally peeked over the trees, the temps were in the low-30s, the wind was howling, and I was in Bassmaster Elite Pro Justin Hamner’s boat, racing down the twisting Tennessee River. It was the first day of competition for the 2026 Bassmaster Classic. 

We peeled away from the rest of the pack and Hamner’s boat came to rest on a big flat in a wide turn of the main river channel. He had located a mega school in practice. I could sense his excitement as he sent his jerk bait out to do work. “They were all big,” he assured me.

Very few anglers know firsthand what it takes to win this event. Hamner knows, having won the Bassmaster Classic just two years ago on Grand Lake in Oklahoma.

But today, things did not go as planned…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

3.) Why San Diego Might Be the Best Fishing Destination in America

Sunset on the Pacific Ocean while offshore fishing for tuna on the New Lo-An of San Diego, California — San Diego sunset. | Cory Hayashi

While tuna have been consistent visitors to the California waters, 2015 saw the return of large bluefin that hadn’t been seen in decades. While smaller than their Atlantic counterparts, it has become common to see Pacific bluefin between 100-250 pounds off of the California coast, with some rumored sightings up to 400 pounds!

In late 2026, I hopped aboard one of the best short-range (one to three-day trips) boats in the local fleet: the New Lo-An. Headquartered at Point Loma Sportfishing, the New Lo-An is a 65-foot vessel that rides low in the water, perfect for fishing and handling bumpy seas. After a quick speech by Captain Adam Williams, the boat was underway for an eleven-hour drive to the tuna grounds.

With the bluefin resurgence lasting over a decade, resourceful fisherman have adapted numerous techniques to land these previously elusive pelagics…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.