LURE 101
04 Lures / Topwater / Pencil Bait
05 · Pencil Bait / Walking Bait

Pencil Bait

ペンシルベイト · Also called Walk the dog, Walk the Dog

A cigar-shaped topwater with no lip. Rhythmic, continuous twitches of the rod tip make it zigzag side to side across the surface, a retrieve called walking the dog.

Typical depth
0–0.2m
Typical weight
5–25 g
Typical size
7–13 cm
Beginner-friendly
●●●●●
Snag resistance
●●●●●
Depth zone
Surface

Surface; sinking pencils run at 0.3–2 m.

AMotion

Action Demo

FIG.1Pencil Bait · Walk the dogTwitch (slack) · twitch (slack) · twitch (slack)
TOP VIEW
The dashed line traces the lure's last 4 seconds; top left shows the rod tip movement and line slack.
BHow it works

How It Works

  • Weighted in the tail, it floats tail-down at an angle or level at rest.
  • Each twitch of the rod tip pulls the head to one side; the line then goes slack and the head glides to the other side by momentum. Repeat and it alternates left and right.
  • The key is slack: if the line stays tight, the bait only comes straight in.

Main Types

TypeNotes
Floating pencilThe standard walk-the-dog bait.
Sinking pencilLipless and sinking; a steady retrieve gives a subtle S-shaped swim. Casts very far; popular for topmouth culter and sea bass.
CRetrieve

Techniques

  1. Rod tip down (about 4–5 o'clock), use your wrist to twitch the tip in short, rhythmic “tap-tap-tap”s, reeling about half a turn with each twitch to take up slack.
  2. An even rhythm gives a steady side-to-side walk; speed up and the swings get shorter and faster, like a panicked baitfish.
Related techniquesWalk the dog
DWhen & Where

When & Where

● Good for

  • Dawn, dusk and overcast days
  • Calm to lightly rippled water
  • Fish chasing baitfish on the surface (visible blow-ups)
  • Open water, weed edges, shallow flats

○ Not ideal for

  • Strong wind and big waves (hard to work the action)
  • Lots of floating debris on the surface
ETackle

Recommended Tackle

Rod
ML–M, fast or moderate-fast, 6'6"–7'0"; tip shouldn't be too stiff
Reel
Spinning or baitcaster both work
Line
Mono or braid (they float) are best; dense fluorocarbon pulls the nose under

For rod power and action see 01 Rods; for line size conversion see 03 Line.

FTarget & Tips

Target Species & Tips

Largemouth BassTopmouth CulterSpotted Sea BassYellowcheek
  • Don't swing the moment you see a splash! Wait until you feel weight on the rod before setting the hook, or you'll often pull the bait right away from the fish.
  • If a fish strikes and misses, pause 1–2 seconds and give a light twitch; it will often hit again.