I’ve seen a lot of new product introductions over the years, but I can’t remember being this excited about the lures that Strike King has rolled out for 2026.
There are definitely some power-fishing items that will fit in my wheelhouse, but we’ve also got baits and jigheads designed to show up much better on forward-facing sonar (FFS).
Sure, I’m a power fisherman, but I also know I need to roll with the times that are a-changin’.
Here’s the deal; we fish fewer tournaments in flooded and dirty water situations. The reservoirs and rivers are aging, lakes are lower and clearer so finesse tactics wind up dominating a lot of our tournaments.
Power fishing, once a dominant factor on pro tours, has become a small niche in this era.
And that’s one big reason Strike King has embraced finesse fishing products.
Here’s a look at a few of those new items I’m excited about.
Spotlight minnows: We now have a variety of finesse-style soft plastics for FFS. Several have the Sonic Coat Technology that enhances how the lure shows up on sonar.
Bigger baits: The Popular Z2 lineup now includes larger versions, including a giant alewife for smallmouth looking for bigger forage. The cool thing about these 3X plastics is they float and will still float with a bigger hook.
Tumbleweed: We joined the parade of companies developing the dice-style or “hairy” soft plastics that have become the hot trend this year. The Tumbleweed comes in a floater and sinker, and I’ve had success fishing both.
I’ve caught a lot of smallmouth on the floater while drop shotting it at the St. Lawrence River, and I’ve also caught bass fishing a sinker on a jighead. It’s a cool bait, and I think the number of ways it can be fished is endless.
Glidebait: Not everything is for finesse fishing. Strike King teamed up with a guy whom I consider to be the guru of glidebaits: Matt McBee of Tater Hog Custom Lures. He created the Hogfather for Strike King, and I can attest to the fact it is going to be a huge success.
I’ve fished several of Tater Hog’s premium glidebaits and have caught a ton of big fish on them. The guy told me when he went to the lake to test the Hogfather, his first bite generally produced 6 and 7 pounders on the first cast!
The thing I like about the Hogfather is it comes in 7 inches but fishes more like a 5-inch bait. It catches big ones, but smaller fish will bite it too.
I throw it on my Hack Attack Flippin’ Rod so you don’t need a special setup to fish it.
Rattlin’Thunder Cricket: This is a bladed jig with a unique blade design; half the blade is plastic with rattles in it, so every time it rotates, it’s rattling. It will be a good option when the fish are seeing a lot of traditional bladed jigs.
Rage Hawg: Similar to the Game Hawg, but it swims with more action due to the additional appendages. It’s a very aggressive soft plastic that should be awesome for flipping, on a Carolina rig or as a jig trailer.
Clickin’ Chickin: I’m excited to try this plopper-style bait. It produces a unique clicking sound and produces flash when pulled across the surface.
