I have a hot take on urchin-style baits that’s likely to send some keyboard critics into an uproar. But hear me out: I believe treble hooks and quads are not good for these baits. It’s not because they are ineffective, but in essence because they are actually too effective.
Bass are reacting to these baits ferociously and inhaling them deep into their throats before anglers even have time to react. Because of this, I believe there are alternative hooks and rigs we can use that are nearly as effective — and will do a better job of protecting the fish.
Remember: Big bass are often what eat urchins. With everybody and their brother throwing these things now, just each angler gut-hooking and killing one fish this size will have detrimental impacts on the quality of bites we get.
Why We Use Trebles and Quads
Word got out about the effectiveness of the urchin through the success of anglers fishing national-level tournaments. I’m confident that, if I took the time to tally up all the checks cashed on this thing through just the three major trails in 2026, the number would easily eclipse a million dollars in winnings. On account of this, the Hideup Coike and the handful of other early urchins went from relative unknowns to the most sought-after baits on the market overnight.
With zero knowledge of these baits, much less how to rig and fish them, we all turned to the pros to see how they were doing it. And that’s when we were first exposed to the effectiveness of treble hooks and four-point quad hooks as options for rigging. Most of the pros were using large hooks like this to rig their urchins, and so we did too.
I’m not knocking pros. It’s worth noting that these anglers have way more on the line than we do when we head out for a casual Saturday on the home pond. And, since their livelihood depends in large part on fish care, it’s fair to say that touring pros are also better equipped for and experienced at carefully and effectively removing hooks from fish. Lastly, a treble-hooked urchin in the hands of a touring pro is less likely to hurt a fish simply because these anglers are better at detecting bites sooner than the vast majority of us.
My Experience On the Water
I’ll admit that I am far from an expert on urchin fishing, but I have immersed myself in this world over the past few weeks to study and sample all sorts of rigging, urchins, and storage solutions. Of the dozen or so quality bites I’ve gotten on an urchin so far, I’d say half or more have had the bait in the back of their throats before I even had an inclination they were nearby.
Fortunately, I haven’t had a fish die yet (that I know of). I’ve been able to free each deep-hooked fish without incident to send them swimming away. But, these bites have come on myriad terminal tackle; I’m pretty sure that if they got hooked on trebles or quads, especially smaller ones, I wouldn’t be able to say that.
The Solution
I believe the best solution is simple: Steer clear of quads and trebles, especially if you’re fishing in a low-stakes situation. I understand that a weekend warrior fishing a pot tournament wants the best chance possible to get a fish into the boat, and I’ll admit that trebles and quads do that. But if you’re just in it for the chase, using an alternative rigging method gives the fish a fighting chance to not only best you but also survive the fight.
If you are going to use trebles and quads with fullsize urchin baits, I wouldn’t recommend using a hook smaller than a size 1, preferably even a 1/0. Hooks smaller than these become increasingly easy for fish to swallow.
An alternative rigging method is even better. My favorite so far is what we saw Jason Christie win on the Bassmaster Elite on Pasquotank River not that long ago. He used a 2/0 TK250 Trokar double frog hook rigged with a split ring and a drop shot weight. It’s a much larger hook that’s harder for fish to swallow, but it’s still twice as good as a single hook and extremely effective. And what’s more, it’s far less likely to snag cover than a treble or a quad.
Final Thoughts
I’m not going to ask you to stop using trebles and quads for your urchins. But what I have seen so far leads me to believe that this is something we should keep a collective eye on.
So I challenge every angler reading this to do one thing. If you continue rigging your urchins with trebles and quads and a big bass dies as a result, please consider alternative rigging methods. If you don’t have any issues, roll on. Many of you are experienced enough anglers to use these hooks with minimal detrimental effect to the fish, the same as we see with the pros.
But as long as these fish continue to eat these baits with the fervor they currently are, I do believe the rest of us run the risk of killing some big bass. And none of us want that.
