10 Weird Lures You Should Try

Megabass Grand Siglett
Take your bug game to the next level with this crawling topwater cicada imitator. Specially-designed wings hold tightly to the body for aerodynamic casts, then open with the first tug on the line for effortless action. With wings open wide to the left and right, it crawls with a lifelike splashing and bubbling action at slow and medium retrieve speeds. A hard-plastic exoskeleton doubles as a rattle chamber, generating a frequency which is precision-tuned to mimic the cicada's fading cry. In dense cover, set the hooks upward to keep hook points alongside the body and out of the way. When targeting open water or short-bite situations, set the hook points so they face away from the body. Tie one on for bluegill, crappie, bass and most any shoreline prowling predator.

$16.99 at basspro.com.

Megabass Dark Sleeper
This is the go-to-choice when the screen of your electronic graph lights up with prized gamefish hugging the bottom. A low center of gravity imparts a stealthy, lifelike presentation as a dying or wounded baitfish that signals an easy meal. And that weird looking soft fin material molded around the head? That adds to the strike appeal and it also collapses when a fish strikes for solid hooksets. The fin guarded hook also allows the Dark Sleeper to penetrate through gnarly cover and deflect potential snags. What else makes it weird worthy is a very natural kicking action, even at slow retrieves. What else makes it cool? The one-of-kind airbrushed paint jobs in 10 colors. Choose from Biwako Yoshinobori, Donko, Hanahaze and more.

$5.99-7.99 at basspro.com.

Teckel USA Sprinker Frog
There are frogs, and then there is this version that sets it apart from the rest. It’s designed by famed Japanese lure maker and tournament angler, Hidecki Maeda, a self-professed frog addict. Built around his iconic hollow-body, this frog combines the weedless features of a frog with the auditory agitation and splash of a prop bait. So, you get the better of two worlds that are proven topwater baits for bass. Available at Bass Pro Shops stores. 

Lindy Glow Streak
Think of fluorescent, glow-in-the-dark lures as “as seen on TV” gimmicks? Truth is, lures that light up really work in murky waters when fish have difficulty spotting prey. The Lindy Glow Streak is a proven example. It comes pre-equipped to hold the included luminous light stick for ultimate visibility in low-light conditions. Designed for vertical jigging, this lighted lure darts erratically to the side on the upstroke, then glides back to center as it settles.

$7.49 at cabelas.com. 

VMC Tokyo Rig
The Tokyo Rig is the latest rage among the pros as a deadly option to the drop hot technique. The Tokyo rig takes a conventional rolling swivel, adds a wide gap hook to it, and then also extends a wire out from it. Some come with a weight already on that wire and the end bent to keep it from coming off. The VMC premade version comes without a weight—you add it according to the wind and depth conditions. A soft plastic trailer is added to complete the rig.

Guess again if you think a dropshot is more effective. Sometimes the changeup is just what the fish ordered. The rig is at its best in submerged vegetation, like milfoil. All it takes is flipping the Tokyo Rig into the vegetation, let it rest and give it a shake.

$4.49 for a pack of two rigs at basspro.com. 

Bass Pro Shops XTS Mini Dad Crankbait
Have you ever seen a crawdad with eyeballs like this? That’s the fish-catching appeal of this floating/diving craw. The diminutive size makes it the ideal choice for ponds and small waters. Panfish, crappie and bass find the action irresistible.

$2.99 at basspro.com.

Berkley PowerBait Floating Mouse Tails
Bass are known to devour mice and rats unintentionally landing in their lair. But mouse tails as an appetizer? Not really. These fake appendages combine shapes of two popular trout meals, salmon egg and trout worm. If casting a dry fly isn’t your idea of fun, this is the go-to when trout are feeding on top. Offering a lively action and lifelike presentation, the Floating Mouse Tails sport different head and tail colors which present an appealing contrast in the water column. Best of all, this entrée of choice for trout is loaded with Berkley's fish-attracting PowerBait scent formula.

$4.99 for a jar of 13 tails at basspro.com.

Yamamoto Lures Flappin’ Hog
What the heck is this thing? It’s not some prehistoric creature that emerged from the bottom. The different appendages—four in all—each impart a different action that drives bass crazy. Appendages are positioned close to the body so the lure can still get in and out of tight cover with ease. A hollow section close to the tail allows for easy hook penetration and rigging. When you are trophy hunting for bigger fish when flipping and pitching, this is your go-to bait.

$7.29 for a package of 7 at basspro.com.

Heddon Crazy Crawler
Introduced in 1940, the Crazy Crawler was a takeoff of the classic Fred Arbogast Jitterbug. If you want a throwback bait that still works, this is it. The unique shape and metal wings were the early definition of weird lures back in the day. Designed with two free-swinging metal wings that flap as they catch the water's surface, creating a half-swimming, half-crawling major disturbance. Fish see and strike the Crazy Crawler as an injured bird.

$7.99 at basspro.com.

Berkley PowerBait Bearded Crazy Legs Chigger Craw
Of all the soft plastic lures categorically defined as “creature baits,” this one gets a score of 10. Just the name is a mouthful and at first glance it’s hard to tell which is the front or back of the bait. Add it all up and this weird one imparts a tantalizing action that can be irresistible to bass when other creatures fail. The bearded body provides more surface area, increasing scent dispersion and overall attraction. Great on a football head or a swing-head jig.

$4.00 for a package of 5 at basspro.com.