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Reef Runner lures are many people's go to baits when they head for Lake Erie and they are available in many sizes, shapes and colors for most hard-bait walleye needs. They haven't made much of a splash on Lake Michigan for salmon but they now have some which might just have us coho chasers here on the Southend think twice. Here's a few I will be putting to the test in the next few weeks. I actually think the Ripshad (400 Series) at the top will be a great offshore steelhead lure in the summer. That color, called Goldfish, has an orange belly as well as on the top.

I am willing to be they will work well!

I use them from time to time. They work.

I do have reef runners in my arsenal. 1 that’s a deep purple with pink spots that the coho a couple years back wouldn’t let me keep it in the water.

I do have reef runners in my arsenal. They work great. Always a time and a place for them. 1 that’s a deep purple with pink spots that the coho a couple years back wouldn’t let me keep it in the water.

Bandits have replaced the Reef Runner for me on Erie. These work nicely on Lake Mich also. The Reef Runners seem to work great a low speeds but get silly at higher speeds. I know they have several versions and the ones I have used were longer stick type baits. I like trolling as fast as I can and still catch so those lures became a problem when I had them mixed in with the Bandits and spoons.

+1 on the Bandits on Erie. Blue chrome and Fruit dot are my gotos'.

Baron: Those are Bandits shown there? Since they are deep divers, I assume they are trolled clean, with no weight, most likely with planer boards.

You are correct. Normally 25 - 50 behind the board the time of year I go to Erie. Speed 2.5-3 works great. The similar looking Reef Runners spin out at those speeds. Bandit says with 100’ of line out these will dive 25+ feet.

I like a brown reef runner in the shallow diving version when surface fish get spooky.