EZ Skirt Styles for Bass Fishing Lure Skirts

EZ Skirts. Have tried the EZ Skirt style yet? You should. It's good. These EZ skirts came onto the market in late 2005 and are still relatively hard to find, but are growing in popularity. These same skirts are used on several popular name brands of lures. The EZ Skirt manufacturer only offers a limited number of fixed color patterns. So you'll see many of these same EZ Skirt colors repeated on various lure brands.

EZ On. EZ Off. They are easy (hence the name "EZ Skirt") to get on or off a jig, spinnerbait or buzzbait. The skirts stay firmly in place. Striking fish really can't pull the skirts down easily (if at all) and the skirt strands are looked permanently and perfectly in position. So the appearance can't get wrecked. Strands layered in baitfish patterns can never get jumbled up or out of kilter.

Action. These have good action and lots of wiggle in the water. There's a good amount of shimmy, squiggle and breathing pulse the skirt displays on the retrieve. When paused, such as when a jig rests on bottom, the strands spring open like unfurling a picnic blanket, presenting the jig trailer in the middle.

Construction. The EZ Skirt style has 70 silicone strands (each 2-1/2" long) that all billow backward. It has a light, airy, "full yet sparse" look. The strands are locked permanently in place by a small rubber center hub that creates a perfect "umbrella" profile. Because the strands are locked in place, the different colors (fixed in five strand increments) do not move out of place or get mixed into each other. So if a skirt has different back, side and belly colors, the colors are permanently locked in position.

Appearance. The skirt looks square cut in the back, but when used on a jig or spinnerbait, the end of the skirt tips often come together when pulled through the water, into a point like the tapered tip of an artist's paintbrush. Because the "bloom" or bend where the strands come off the hub puffs out so much, it constantly flexes backward, making the strands wriggle actively. It's a very lively action skirt, and due to its sparse billowy appearance, it is ideal for clear water. There is a lot more see-through effect on this skirt style, which breaks it up more and blends more naturally into the background.

Which is Better? People often ask which skirt style do I like better - the standard skirt or the EZ skirt? I like them both. I like the standard skirt for a bulkier flipping jig for example. I like this new style for its sparse billowy appearance. It is ideal for clear water. There is a lot more see-through effect on this new type skirt, which breaks it up more and blends more naturally into the background.

Ideal Applications. A few of my favorite EZ Skirt applications are:

• The EZ Skirt goes nicely on a hidden head spinnerbait since fish get a great glimpse of the baitfish-shaped spinnerbait body hidden beneath the billowy skirt. This skirt lets fish more clearly view the attractive fish-shaped hidden weight belly.
• On a swimming jig or finesse jig in clear water with a soft plastic trailer, the sparseness of the EZ Skirt style really shows off the soft trailer body underneath, letting fish get a good peek-a-boo glimpse of the full trailer shape beneath the billowing skirt.
• I like buzzbaits dressed with an EZ Skirt. They present beautifully on buzzbaits and have an incredible wriggling action, plus the fact that bass can't easily pull them down. SA buzzbait needs to be cast a little different than and more forceful than a spinnerbait or jig. standard skirts can pull off the lead collar even just from casting a buzzbait with the standard skirt band. A standard style skirt, once you catch a couple fish on it, just does not stay in place on a hard cast or when a fish grabs at a buzzbait but misses, a standard skirt often gets pulled down the hook. On the other hand, the EZ Skirts stay in place.

Have tried the EZ Skirt style yet? You should. It's good.

Black Skirt. Basic black is always in fashion. even with fish!

Black Blue Fusion Skirt. This skirt is a fusion of black with reflective blue metallic foil print, black with blue glitter metal flake, and black with blue fire tip strands. Keep the landing net handy with this one. It's a favorite of big bass everywhere.

Black White Skirt. A great color that's one half snow white. The other half has a swatch of smoke with silver sparkle and another swatch of darker smoke on the shoulders with a black back. This color doesn't have the spiff and sparkle of some other fancier skirts, but it is a top producer of fish, and isn't that what it's all about?

Bleeding White Shad Skirt. Five blood red strands are laced in with swatches of white silver, clear silver and white silver hologram. Many anglers start fishing with the red strands positioned on the belly - or you can turn the skirt around and use the red swatch on top of the back. Bass slobber over it either way.

Blue Silver Hologram Skirt. Two different silver hologram sections (fifteen strands apiece) down each side. That's a total of sixty hologram strands, one slightly more silver, the other slightly more clear, but both hologram. Topped off with a blue back section (ten strands) with reflective blue metal foil print. The hologram finish refracts (separates) sunlight (or any ambient light) into the full spectrum of many individual colors. The colors being refracted constantly change and sparkle as the skirt moves through the water. The primary colors refracted are pale glimmers of purple, blue, green and chartreuse. The holographic colors reflect the present water and light conditions and also provide the illusion of excited baitfish that are "flushing" and emitting color signals.

Bright White Shad Skirt. Many spinnerbait vendors say a spinnerbait dressed in a simple white skirt their number one all-time seller. I wouldn't argue with that. There are many purists who wisely prefer plain, bright white skirts. This EZ Skirt version is dazzling bright snow white with subtle silver flakes.

Chameleon Craw Skirt. This bait color is nicknamed "dirt" in parts of Texas. It's five strands of dark brown with red and fine gold flake, alternate with 5 strands light brown with green and fine gold flake. There are seventy strands in all, in 14 alternating sections.

Chartreuse White Gold Skirt. Alternating swatches (five strands per swatch) radiate all the way around this skirt. Both the chartreuse and white are dusted with superfine metal flake. There are seven swatches of bright chartreuse with glistening gold dust alternated with seven swatches of bright white dusted with silver.

Chartreuse White Star Skirt. When it comes to spinnerbaits and buzzbaits, it's tough to do better than a chartreuse white skirt, and the color pattern you see here is one of the very latest and best. The seventy strands are super thin cut and so super soft. Alternating swatches (five strands per swatch) radiate all the way around this skirt. There are seven swatches of bright chartreuse alternated with seven swatches of bright white. Both the chartreuse and white are impregnated with superfine silver metal flake. Is this the best chartreuse white skirt ever built? Until someone shows me one better, I say this here skirt's pretty close to perfect.

Dark Chartreuse White. A traditional chartreuse white skirt, the most popular and productive spinnerbait and buzzbait skirt color ever, accentuated with a chartreuse black fish scale stripe to induce more aggressive and more focused strikes. This goes great especially in stained water, with the black/chartreuse stripe offering exceptional contrast against the white strands.

Fire Perch Skirt. A classic color with hot lime green shoulders and black back both with reflective green foil print on them. Fluorescent chartreuse sides and a fluorescent orange belly. This is probably the closest any silicone skirt has come so far to looking like a crankbait paint job. It's a bold, strike-provoking pattern to use anywhere, but especially across the northern states and lower Canada, where this skirt mimics young-of-year yellow perch - a favorite snack of northern bass.

Gold Hologram Skirt. Two different gold hologram patterns, one slightly more solid, the other slightly more clear, but both hologram alternate every quarter of this skirt in dark-light-dark-light hologram fourths to complete the full circle. The hologram finish refracts (separates) sunlight (or any ambient light) into the full spectrum of many individual colors. The colors being refracted constantly change and sparkle as the skirt moves through the water. The primary colors refracted are pale glimmers of purple, blue, green and chartreuse. The holographic colors reflect the present water and light conditions and also provide the illusion of excited baitfish that are "flushing" and emitting color signals.

Green Brown Pumpkin Skirt. Two of the best bass bait colors worldwide are green pumpkin and brown pumpkin. Many anglers may ponder the question, "Should I be using brown or green?" Well, ponder no more. With this skirt, you'll be using both green pumpkin AND brown pumpkin in the same bait at the same time. There are seventy strands in all, in four alternating quarters of green and brown pumpkin pepper. Try it with the green on top and bottom, or give the skirt a half-twist to try the brown on top and bottom. Either way, it works whenever bass prefer green OR brown, you've got it!

Green Pumpkin Pepper Skirt. The number one soft plastic bait color in the world, and it is every bit as productive as a skirt color. Seven swatches (five strands per swatch) of slightly darker green pumpkin pepper alternate with seven swatches of slightly lighter green pumpkin pepper for a perfect coloration all the way around this skirt.

June Bug Black. Seven bands of black (five strand per band) alternate with seven bands of june bug with emerald sparkle to complete this incredible skirt.

Silver Hologram Skirt. Two different silver hologram patterns, one slightly more silver, the other slightly more clear, but both hologram alternate every quarter of this skirt in dark-light-dark-light hologram fourths to complete the full circle. The hologram finish refracts (separates) sunlight (or any ambient light) into the full spectrum of many individual colors. The colors being refracted constantly change and sparkle as the skirt moves through the water. The primary colors refracted are pale glimmers of purple, blue, green and chartreuse. The holographic colors reflect the present water and light conditions and also provide the illusion of excited baitfish that are "flushing" and emitting color signals.

Smokey Shad Skirt. This is one of the latest skirt colors. It's barely yet on the market. Kevin VanDam may have designed this color. That's what the manufacturer's marketing claims, and it is probably true. If he did not make it, KVD certainly uses the Smokey Shad color in top tournament competition as KVD has been seen on TV using it and commenting about it. Especially in clear water or when fish won't hit standard colors, when fish want a subtle skirt color, that's when KVD goes to the Smokey Shad - and so should you. The back is smoke pepper, giving way to smoke with blue hologram sides, a clear white with fine silver glitter on the lower side sections, and a swatch of blood spotted strands for the belly.

Watermelon Flash Skirt. A broad swatch (twenty strands) of watermelon pepper, two side sections (twenty strands apiece) of greenish pumpkin with heavy green metal flake, all topped off with a swatch of pumpkin with bright green metal foil print. Turn the reflective green flash on top first. If need be, turn it 180 to put the green flash on bottom. This simple twist is so easy to do, and it can make a big difference in the number of solid strikes you get.

White Gold Hologram Skirt. Sections of pearl white, creamy pearl gold, clear with gold and a broad swatch of gold hologram are locked perfectly in place on this skirt. Turn the pearl white color on top first. If that's not superb, do a 180 to turn the gold hologram on top. Either way, it works as good as gold.

White Silver Skirt. This is your classic bright white skirt all aglisten with an elegant, thick frosting of fine silver sparkle all over.