Recommended Lures for Fishing in Shallow waters
One of the problems with fishing with lures in the shallow waters of Israel's Mediterranean coastline is in choosing the right one[s].
An expensive mistake, as I and others have done, is to buy lures that folks on foreign fishing forums and fishing websites are saying are good; but the problem is that what might be good for their situation is not necessarily good for the shallow water and reefs that we have here in Israel.
So I have endeavored to put together a short list of lures that, from my own experience, work very well, will not easily get snagged on those shallow submerged reefs that we have, will cast a good distance and, most important of all, catch fish. Most of these lures are quite expensive but I'm sure the money you save on lures you might have bought and found to be pretty much useless will make the cost worthwhile.
All the lures below come with treble hooks but I have started to replace them with special single hooks for a number of reasons, most of all to lessen the damage that trebles do to the fish and to make the lures less likely to snag.
Lucky Craft G-Splash
The Lucky Craft G-Splash comes in two sizes: 65 (65mm, 7.5g) and 80 (80mm, 12g) and is, as are the other lures below, available in a variety of colors.
IMA Salt Skimmer
This is a silent walk-the-dog lure that casts great and has a unique action. Ideal for calmer conditions. It comes in just one size - 110mm and weighs 14g.
Xorus Patchinko II
Although expensive the Xorus Patchinko is one amazing lure. It will outcast any other lure in its class and you can make it zig-zag and splash across the surface of the water with the minimum of effort. You can even get it to 'dance' on the spot which is great when you don't want to take it away from an interested bass.
This version is 14cm in length and weighs 25.8g.
Xorus Patchinko 100
The Patchinko 100 is the little brother of the Patchinko II and also has a great walk-the-dog action like its older sibling.
Halco Roosta Popper 80
The Halco Roosta Popper is a very versatile lure. You can straight retrieve it and it will bubble just under the surface like a fleeing baitfish or you can rip it to create a huge splash of water and a stream of bubbles, or short jerks like you would a normal popper. Whichever method you choose it will be sure to get the fish's attention.
The smallest version, with a length of just 80mm and weighing in at 16g you can cast this lure a long way.
Luck Craft Gunfish 95
The Gunfish is already a classic sea bass lure. It is possible to work it even in the surf and it will still catch fish. Like the Patchinko, it too is a walk-the-dog lure that also spits and splashes attracting fish from a distance.
The Gunfish comes in four sizes: 75mm (6.5g), 95mm (12g) 115mm (19g) and 135mm (28g).
TackleHouse Feed Shallow 105
The TackleHouse Feed Shallow 105 is a great casting lure, is a proven fish catcher and swims at a maximum of 30cm which makes it great for working over the shallow reefs. You can still get it snagged though but if you swap the trebles for some single hooks then you have less chance of loosing it to the rocks (you actually get a better hookset with singles and less damage to the fish).
Rapala MaxRap 15
The Rapala MaxRap is the cheapest of my recommended lures and although the quality is not as good as the others (the split rings tend to rust and the paint has a tendency to peel) they are nonetheless good fish catchers. They also cast a fair distance and don't swim too deep.
Rapala are probably not having as much success with them as they anticipated and so they only offer two sizes now: the MaxRap-11 (13g) and the MaxRap-13 (15g). You can however still find the other sizes on eBay.
Like I said, these are my own recommendations based on my own personal experiences. There are of course a lot more similar lures on the market but I'll leave you with a word of advice: You only get what you pay for. If you want a long casting high performing lure that will catch fish then don't waste your money on cheap imitations.
Tight lines!
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