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The urchin bait has stolen the show in bass fishing. This bait—which looks more like a saltwater sea urchin than anything you’ll find in freshwater—has captivated anglers with its productivity and versatility. It seems that no matter how you rig it, how deep you fish it, or which size you use, bass eat urchins better than anything we’ve seen in a long time.
Urchin-style baits have been credited with helping pro anglers win countless tournaments over the last 18 months, and manufacturers took notice. ICAST 2026 was filled with urchin baits, plus terminal tackle and storage solutions for these crazy soft plastics. So, the editors thought it would be worthwhile for me to test as many urchins as I could get my hands on to find the best. Here are the results.
How We Tested the Best Urchin Baits
Over the course of a month, I took a dozen or so different brands and sizes of urchin baits on the water and rigged them in a variety of ways using innovative terminal tackle being developed daily for this new bait. I fished the urchins in a stocked pond where I knew I could get several bites quickly and on public water to prove that all bass will eat these baits.
A few things to note. You’ll hear or read “TPE” a lot when studying up on these baits. It stands for “Thermoplastic Elastomer,” which is a highly durable, super-stretchy, buoyant material that most urchin baits are made of. You’ll also notice that many of these baits are sized in millimeters, typically indicating the diameter of the spherical core of the bait instead of the overall size of the lure from one tentacle tip to the other. However, some brands, like Berkley, have opted for a more U.S. friendly standard sizing, measuring in inches from tip to tip across the bait. I evaluated the baits on effectiveness, rigging ability, versatility, durability, and value.
Specs
- Material: TPE
- Colors: 14
- Sizes: 13mm, 17mm, 23mm (Fullcast)
- Price: $20.49
Pros
- Durable
- Three sizes
- Several colors
Cons
The Hideup Coike is the bait that started it all. Invented two decades ago in Japan by Hideo Yoshida, the Coike didn’t become popular in the States until the last year or so. The bait spread like wildfire when tournament pros began winning $100,000 checks with it in the spring of 2026. Since then, these $20 baits have been reselling for hundreds of dollars each on the secondary market. The Hideup Coikes spurred the urchin craze, and for good reason—these baits work. If you can find one, be ready to shell out some serious cash.
Specs
- Material: TPE
- Colors: 15
- Sizes: 9.9mm, 19mm, 25mm
- Price: $7.99, $11.99 (25mm)
Pros
- Affordable
- Good quality
- Great color selection
- Comes in many sizes
Cons
For the money, it’s hard to beat the Hag’s Prickly Pear. Hag’s was one of the earliest adopters of the cokie-style bait and had significant stock on hand before demand for urchins skyrocketed in early 2026. Built with TPE, this bait is tough and durable. I caught a 4-pounder with the Prickly Pear while twitching and letting it fall on forward-facing sonar. When it nearly touched a piece of wood on the bottom, the bass smoked it. I was sold. The Prickly Pear is available in the popular 19mm size, as well as a smaller 9.9mm and oversized 25mm. And with 19mm bait priced at only $7.99, this urchin is a steal compared to baits that retail for twice or three times as much.
Specs
- Material: PowerBait MaxScent
- Colors: 6
- Sizes: 3.5 inch, 4.5 inch
- Price: $14.99
Pros
Cons
- Less durable than TPE baits
- Color fades
- Limited colors and sizes
The Berkley Moeba is made of a durable material with infused scent that disperses into the water, thanks to Berkley’s PowerBait and MaxScent technologies. The Moeba material sinks naturally, unlike the TPE material used in other urchins. This means you can fish the bait effectively without adding weight, which simplifies things. The drawback is that the material color fades fast, but the added scent makes it worth fishing. Given the subtle fall and regular stall of this bait, that scent dispersion may be the difference between a trailing bass and a bass willing to commit.
Specs
- Material: TPE
- Colors: 4
- Sizes: 17mm, 20mm
- Price: $13.99-$14.99
Pros
- Durable
- Larger rigging hole
- Two to a pack
Cons
- Not readily available
- Limited colors and sizes
I’ve fished with both sizes of the Highroller and caught fish with them. The baits have a larger hole, which makes rigging much easier when using double frog hooks or adding weight, compared to the closed-off bodies of other urchins. Many TPE baits are basically solid and hard to penetrate with bulkier rigging. Not the Highroller, though. Better yet, both sizes come in a two-pack, and they aren’t overly expensive. If you’re someone looking for rigging versatility with urchins, the Highroller is worth considering.
Specs
- Material: TPE
- Colors: 6
- Sizes: 12mm, 18mm, 24mm
- Price: $14.99
Pros
Cons
The 6th Sense Abstract was another urchin to hit the market early on and has become a popular bait. The Abstract has several unique design features. For starters, the body is barrel-shaped, as opposed to a sphere like most urchins. The 6th Sense team says this increases body mass and water displacement, giving it a unique action. I’m not fully convinced it makes that big of a difference, but it does help with rigging options. The appendages are ribbon-like with teardrop-shaped tips, which is also supposed to affect action and help the bait tumble differently than other urchins.
Specs
- Material: TPE
- Colors: 10
- Sizes: 13mm
- Price: $14.99
Pros
- Comes with good packaging/storage
- Durable
Cons
The Yamamoto Uni is a TPE urchin that’s very durable and comes in a wide range of colors. The biggest drawback, for now, is the limited size offering. Yamamoto introduced three new sizes in the UNI at ICAST 2026: the Uni HD (16mm), the Uni Mas (19mm), and the Uni Max (24mm). While these additional sizes haven’t fully hit the market yet, the expanded size offerings bode well for the Uni’s future. The well-designed packaging is the best in the urchin space so far, ensuring your bait arrives intact and giving you a storage method to keep it in good shape between uses.
Specs
- Material: TPE and silicone skirt strands
- Colors: 6
- Sizes: 13 mm, 22mm
- Price: $12.99, $14.99
Pros
Cons
The Fish or Die Anomaly is a unique urchin that incorporates aspects of a fuzzy dice bait with those of a standard urchin. Combining the silicone skirt strands that we’re used to seeing on dice baits and the spherical body and appendages made of TPE that have become synonymous with most urchins, the Anomaly is a true cross between the two styles. I caught a nice bass while fishing this bait during a mayfly hatch, so I know it works.
Specs
- Material: TPE
- Colors: 6
- Sizes: 10mm, 20mm, 25mm
- Price: $8.99 (10 and 20mm), $13.99 (25mm)
Pros
- Affordable
- Readily available
- Durable
Cons
One of the more readily available urchins, the Arsenal Morning Star proved to be the epitome of a standard urchin on the water. The 20mm size I tested was durable and performed on par with other urchins. But its price sets it apart. Aside from the Hag’s Prickly Pear, I haven’t found a cheaper urchin that’s of better quality than the Morning Star at $8.99. It’s a great bait to get started with in the urchin game.
Specs
- Material: TPE
- Colors: 7
- Sizes: 8mm, 15mm, 20mm, 25mm
- Price: $11.99 (2-pack 8mm), $14.99 (2-pack 15mm), $19.99 (2-pack 20mm), $15.99 (1-pack 25mm)
Pros
- Readily available
- Wide size selection
- Most sizes are two to a pack
- Price
Cons
The Queens Tackle Porcupine Ball is a reliable and effective urchin abit for a reasonable price. It comes in four different sizes, but the three smaller versions come with two per pack. That adds to about $10 per urchin, which is pretty good given the demand of these baits right now. Like most urchins, the Porcupine Ball is made of durable TPE material. Meaning you’ll wear the fish out before they wear the bait out.
Why Trust Us
For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase.
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