Mastering the Urchin Bait – Techniques, Rigging, and Tournament Strategy

Whether you’re curious about the latest Japanese finesse techniques or preparing for your next tournament, this episode delivers practical advice that anglers can immediately apply on the water. Episode Highlights The origin and rapid rise of the Urchin Bait. Why younger anglers are developing innovative techniques with the bait. Selecting the correct size for spotted bass versus largemouth bass. How bait weight affects fall rate and triggering strikes. Best colors to start with, including Green Pumpkin and Shad patterns. Fishing around grass, timber, rock, and suspended fish. Rigging options using single hooks, treble hooks, and weighted systems. Why fluorocarbon line generally outperforms braid for this presentation. Proper storage techniques for TPE soft plastics. Differences between Dice baits and Urchin baits. Creative modifications anglers are making to improve bait performance. Tournament preview for the BAM Super 60 on the Columbia River. Regional fishing insights from Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Gear & Technique Takeaways Match bait size to the species and conditions. Focus on achieving a slow, natural sink rate. The bait’s movement is more important than exact color selection. Strong, stiff tentacles create the best underwater action. Experiment with weighted hooks to fine-tune fall speed. Fluorocarbon helps maintain better bait control and hook-up percentages. Store TPE baits separately to prevent warping and damage. Don’t limit the bait to LiveScope fishing—it can be effective around nearly every type of cover. Tournament Talk The crew also previews upcoming BAM Trail events, discussing: Columbia River fishing conditions. Boardman versus Tri-Cities strategies. Local anglers expected to contend. Wind and current considerations. Catch expectations and what it may take to win. Rich Craft’s confidence heading into competition. Featured Sponsors Thanks to the companies that support BAM and tournament anglers across the West. BAM Trail Bass Angler Magazine BAM Super 60 Tournament sponsor partners discussed throughout the episode. Why You Should Listen If you’ve been hearing about Urchin Baits but weren’t sure how or when to fish them, this episode breaks everything down—from lure selection and rigging to real-world tournament applications. Joe Mariani and Ty Manarola share the techniques they’re using to consistently catch bass, while offering insights into one of the fastest-growing trends in modern bass fishing. Whether you fish clear reservoirs, grass lakes, or river systems, you’ll come away with practical tips that can help put more fish in the boat. About BAM Podcasts Bass Angler Magazine's is a bi-monthly podcast series its available free on Simple Cast, iTunes, Spotify, Google Play and Amazon. Stay tuned as we discuss the latest in bass fishing, lure trends, ways to catch fish, tournament wins and things of interest to bass anglers.BASS ANGLER MAGAZINE (BAM), a veteran owned quarterly print and digital magazine, designed, and printed in the U.S.A. Covering largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, Bass Angler was created specifically to help you become a better, more informed bass fisherman. As the industry’s most informative bass fishing magazine, we provide you in-depth exclusive new features with the world’s top anglers.Subscribe to Bass Angler Magazine print and or digital here