How to Fish Dice Baits for Bass

What are Dice Baits?

A dice bait is a soft plastic bait designed with a cube or block-like body and what looks like tentacles covering it. Unlike aggressive moving baits, dice baits excel with finesse presentations. Their subtle action and slow fall can trigger bites from pressured, suspended, or inactive bass that may ignore louder or more aggressive lures. They’ve also become a popular option for anglers using forward-facing sonar (FFS), since the bait’s slow, natural fall helps keep it in the strike zone longer when targeting suspended fish.

How to Rig a Dice Bait

There are a few effective ways to rig a dice bait depending on the type of plastic, your desired fall rate, and fishing conditions. Before rigging, it’s important to know whether your bait is made from traditional soft plastic or TPE material because each requires a slightly different approach. 

TPE plastics are more buoyant than standard soft plastics, making them excellent for slow-fall situations and drop shot presentations. However, the material can resist the hook more, so proper hook placement is important.

Option #1: Wacky Rig Dice Bait

One of the simplest and most popular ways to rig a dice bait is wacky style. To rig it:

• Insert a wacky or finesse hook directly through the center of the bait. 

• Adjust the hook until it sits flush with the bait

When fishing this setup, let the bait fall naturally through the water column with subtle twitches and long pauses. 

Option #2: Drop Shot Dice Bait Rig

A drop shot rig is one of the most effective techniques for fishing dice baits. To rig it:

• Rig the bait like a traditional drop shot setup 

• Suspend the bait above your weight

See how one of our Experts rig the StrikeKing Tumbleweed:

Option #3: Neko Rig Dice Bait 

A neko rig allows the bait to fall faster while still maintaining a finesse presentation. To rig it:

• Insert a small nail weight into the bait

• Rig the bait wacky style

Trending Dice Baits

Frequently Asked Questions about Dice Baits

When helping customers, our Fishing Experts hear plenty of questions about dice baits and how to fish them successfully. Here are answers to some of the most common questions.

Whether you're targeting pressured bass in clear water or looking for a new finesse technique, dice baits are a must-try this season. If you have additional questions about using dice baits, stop into your local SCHEELS to speak with a Fishing Expert.