Bass Fishing's Wild Urchin Bait Craze and Other Top Stories from Fishing on SI

A roundup on Sports Illustrated highlighted three of the most-read fishing stories from the past week, centered on bass lure trends, bear encounters, and fly fishing. The biggest draw was “Inside Bass Fishing’s Wild Urchin Bait Craze,” about anglers using an urchin-style bait—linked to the original Hideup Coike—that has sold out after high-profile Elite tournament results. The report notes the surge came after a one-month period late spring when anglers won three major tournaments on three lakes using the bait without forward-facing sonar. Other popular reads included an account of being charged by an Alaskan brown bear near Katmai National Park, and fly fishing for brook trout along the Appalachian Trail.