Hey, Keith here. I'll admit it: I was one of the skeptics when the fuzzy dice, or "urchin," craze took over bass fishing this year.

Then I made a trip, and I could no longer argue with the results.

Now the urchin has evolved, and this new and improved version solves the one problem that kept me from using it all these years: getting snagged in cover.

Manufacturers are rolling out weedless hooks built specifically for these baits, and I got my hands on one this past weekend. 

Today, I'm breaking down what happened when I put a weedless urchin rig into the nastiest cover on my property, plus every weedless urchin hook currently on the market.

I'll admit I was skeptical of the fuzzy dice, or urchin lures, that have taken over the bass fishing world. But on a recent trip, I had success with the Hideup Coike after ICAST sold me on these baits. 

Now these baits have risen to a new level, thanks to manufacturers finally making weedless hooks for them.

I first saw the Gamakatsu Ball Rig Hook at ICAST and was intrigued.

The thought of casting one of these things into heavy cover and letting it slowly sink without worrying about getting snagged got me thinking.

That hook stayed in the back of my mind until this past weekend, when I spotted a pack at Academy and snatched it up.

There's a still-water bog in the back of my property where I'd already had success with a fuzzy dice bait, so I wanted to mimic that trip and hopefully beat it.

This bog has serious structure: overhanging branches, fallen trees, hyacinth, alligator grass, and lily pads.

I rigged up the new 6th Sense Abstract urchin lure on the weedless hook, running the point back through the bait until it sat flush against the plastic, so nothing was left exposed to grab a stem. 

I arrived at the bog around seven a.m.

In late August and early September, it still feels like the height of summer down here in Louisiana, and the mosquitoes were out in force. I knew this wasn't going to be a long trip, but I had to test this weedless system.

I didn't mess around once I got to the pond; I went straight for the cover.

I aimed for the center of a thick patch of lily pads, tossing the urchin high like a rainbow cast so it had enough momentum to punch through the pads.

The first cast landed dead on a pad, so I reeled in. The second cast broke through, and I watched the slack slide down through the lilies as the bait sank.

Normally, I can't stand fishing lily pads. My hook always finds a stem, and those stems are tough enough to snap my line. But this time the urchin slid right back up through the hole it went down in. That buried point did exactly what it was supposed to do. So far, so good. I didn't catch a fish in the pads, but for the first time, the hook wasn't the problem.

After a few more empty casts in the lilies, I walked farther down the bank and found a fallen tree with vegetation growing across the surface.

Same high, rainbow toss, and the urchin splashed down right next to the trunk. I watched the line carefully on the fall, wanting it to drop straight down without any tension.

About halfway down, the line ticked and darted to the right, and I saw the surface bulge like a big fish had just spooked.

I gave it a second, then set the hook.

I connected, and the bass immediately dove under the tree. I let it fight on the other side of the trunk just to gauge the size.

When it came up and tried to spit the urchin, I got a good look and guessed it was about three pounds. I let it wear itself out a little longer before sticking my rod tip underwater and steering it back out from under the log.

The plan worked. I got it to the bank and lipped it. I love it when a plan comes together.

I kept fishing and put three more bass on the bank, all around a pound and a half, but I'd already gotten what I came for.

The weedless Ball Rig Hook passed with flying colors. If you're a bank angler with grass, timber, or lily pads along your shoreline, I'd highly recommend giving one a try.