Fish This: The 10 Hottest New Baits to Throw This Season

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The best! The newest! The hottest! The most innovative! There's no avoiding the superlatives. Each year, as fishing season heats up, we're bombarded with armfuls of new baits that, if you can believe the hype, are sure to become instant classics. Really? The lures here aren't all hot-off-the-press new, but we've tried to separate the wheat from the chaff and provide you with the inside buzz on some of the most effective lures on the water right now. Rapala Clackin' Rap This baby isn't brand-spanking-new, but the lipless Clackin' Rap's unique sound chamber and low-frequency vibration continues to gain fans. A single large BB creates a sound so loud it can be heard long before your retrieve ever gets back to the boat. How to Fish It: The Rap is simply launched and retrieved or stroked and yo-yoed. (rapala.com)

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Alabama Rig The fishing world has been in an uproar ever since Paul Elias tied on this castable umbrella rig and pummeled the competition at the FLW tournament on Lake Guntersville last fall. How to Fish It: The rig can be configured in several ways. The original rig features a head attached to five wires. A swivel, a hook, and jighead-rigged swimbaits follow. Its weight necessitates fishing heavy braid with a 7- to 7 ½-foot flipping rod. (thealabamarig.com)

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Sebile D&S Crank Innovative design and mind-blowing paint schemes continue to make Sebile USA the trend-setter in the lure industry. The triangular-shaped body features a moving wide-gap hook–the heart of Sebile's Gravity Snagless Hook System–and makes for weed-free fishing. How to Fish It: The D&S is nothing if not an adaptable crankbait, running 28 feet on the troll and down to 20 feet when cast and retrieved. (sebileusa.com)

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Yo Zuri Sashimi Circle hooks are beginning to figure prominently in the world of artificials, as evidenced by Yo Zuri's Circle Hook Series of baits. In all, three styles of lures are available. Each is rigged with two circle hooks–one midship, one aft. How to Fish It: Snook, trout, and redfish are the target species here: Pencil for pure topwater, Jerkbait for suspended fish, and Minnow for twitching. More than 12 different color combos are offered. (yo-zuri.com)

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Optimum Top of the Line (TOL) It's not one of the sexiest-looking baits on the market–sort of a hybrid between a tadpole and E.T.–but the Optimum Top of the Line's (TOL) rigging system (a treble is situated on the back of the bait, allowing for better snag-free fishing) has anglers swearing by the results. How to Fish It: Slow-roll it over grass or swim it fast in deep water. The treble releases on the strike. (optimumbaits.com)

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ABT King Dawg Sometimes inciting fish to inhale a walk-the-dog-type lure is as easy as it gets. There is, however, a learning curve associated with mastering baits like the old reliable Zara Spook or Finesse Walking Stick. Not so with the King Dawg. Its jointed sections and forked tail make it a cinch to work. How to Fish It: Slow and steady wins this race. Cast toward cover and work back with short twitches. Let the King Dawg do the work for you. (abtlures.com)

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**Havoc Soft-Plastics ** No soft-plastic bait line has had a more successful introduction than Berkley's Havoc line, which was designed by touring bass pros. The 2012 Juice Worm, Hawk Hawg, and Smash Tube will follow suit. How to Fish Them: Flip, pitch, or drag the Juice Worm through vegetation. The Hawk Hawg creature bait glides on the fall. The Smash Tube swims erratically through cover. (berkley-fishing.com)

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**Evolve Vibra Grub ** Some have described Evolve Baits as having a cult following, and if Derek Carr keeps coming out with products like the Vibra Grub, the cult is bound to grow even larger. What's cool about the Vibra Grub is its cuttlefish-like wings,which flutter and undulate. How to Fish It: Fish it Texas- or Carolina-style, on a skirtless jighead, a weighted swimbait hook, or a dropshot rig. (evolvebaits.com)

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**Booyah Pad Crasher ** We'd fish fake frogs all day, every day, if conditions allowed. They're just awesome to catch fish on. Booyah's entry into the already jam-packed frog category is the hollow-bellied Pad Crasher. Hooks are rigged up and close to the frog body for better results in weeds and pads. How to Fish It: The flow-through design of this frog drains water with every twitch and jerk. (booyahbaits.com)

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Sanddab Swimbaits Okay, we have yet to fish the 4-inch sanddab soft-plastics, but they look really cool. They're said to score big on any predatory fish that eats flounder, so snook, snapper, trout, and stripers are on the target list. How to Fish It: Add a jighead and the bait can be either slow-trolled or jigged. Its thin soft- plastic tail increases the realistic action of this bait . (realfishbaitcompany.com)