The Year of the Coike Bass Lure and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

These 3 stories captured our Sports Illustrated fishing reader’s attention on Fishing on SI this past week.

Is this the Year of the Coike? The Strange Japanese Bait is Silencing Its Doubters ; Randy Moss Has a 25-Year Bass Fishing Obsession Most Fans Never Knew About; The Strange Spiny Lure Taking Over Bass Fishing in 2026 | B.A.S.S. | Chasing 10 | Dave Rush, Outdoor Brand Team

In case they slipped by you, following are the most read fishing stories of the week. Is this the Year of the Coike? The Strange Japanese Bait is Silencing Its Doubters ; Randy Moss Has a 25-Year Bass Fishing Obsession Most Fans Never Knew About; The Strange Spiny Lure Taking Over Bass Fishing in 2026

1.) Is this the Year of the Coike? The Strange Japanese Bait is Silencing Its Doubters

Chris Johnston worked a dock pattern at Santee Cooper, skipping a Coike for four straight days, and took home his second Elite Series title. | B.A.S.S. | Shane Durrance

Two months ago, during my Media Day interviews at the Bassmaster Classic, I asked the anglers if there was a trend in bass fishing they thought was overhyped. The crazy, spiky, Hideup Coike, urchin-style baits came up a lot. But Chris Johnston offered a realistic, level-headed take on the hottest bait in bass fishing. In hindsight, we all should have known what was coming.

Johnston said, “There’s hype for it, but there’s a reason for it. So, I think it’s justified.”



I followed up my question with, “Do you think that trend will stick around?”

“No, I think it's going to be good for about two years," he said of the Coike. “Right now, most fish have never seen that bait, which is why they’re so curious. But once they see it I think they’re going to catch on pretty quick.”

He wasn't wrong on the first part of his answer. In fact, he just won Santee Cooper Elite Event on one…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

2.) Randy Moss Has a 25-Year Bass Fishing Obsession Most Fans Never Knew About

Randy Moss gets excited about every bass he catches—part of a 25-year passion he says became his “therapy” after football. | Chasing10

Randy Moss has remained in the football spotlight since his retirement. But when he needs to get away from it, he goes bass fishing.

"Did I need a therapist after retiring from football? Maybe," Moss told me in a recent interview. "But I use bass fishing and mother nature as my therapist. My wife lets me get out two to three times a week."

That's not a celebrity endorsement talking. That’s a guy who genuinely loves the sport of bass fishing the same as you and I…GET THE REST OF THE STORY HERE.

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

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.