Sidewinder Skerries Pro Sandeels Review — The Ultimate Bass Lure?
6 min reading time
The Sidewinder Skerries Pro Sandeels were developed with John Locker of The Fish Locker and are packed with exclusive features. Here’s our full review.
Introduction: A Sandeel Lure Built by Anglers, for Anglers
When a lure is developed in conjunction with one of the UK's most respected sea anglers, you sit up and take notice. The Sidewinder Skerries Pro Sandeel was created in partnership with John Locker of The Fish Locker — a name that needs no introduction to anyone serious about UK bass fishing.
Extensively tested over 12 months by John and the Sidewinder Pro team, these lures have been refined to a point where Sidewinder themselves describe them as the most productive lures they've ever produced. That's a bold claim — so let's take a closer look at what makes the Skerries Pro so special.
What Are the Sidewinder Skerries Pro Sandeels?
The Skerries Pro is a soft plastic sandeel lure measuring 15cm (6 inches) and weighing 35g, sold in packs of two at £9.99 per pack. It's designed to mimic the sandeel — one of the most important baitfish in UK inshore waters and a staple food source for bass, pollock, and other predatory species.
Sandeels are found all around the UK coastline, and when bass are feeding on them, a well-presented sandeel lure is often the most effective thing you can throw. The Skerries Pro has been engineered to replicate the look, movement, and even the sound of a real sandeel as closely as possible.
Key Features: What Sets the Skerries Pro Apart
This isn't just another soft plastic sandeel. The Skerries Pro is packed with original and exclusive design elements that set it apart from the competition:
- Best quality latex body with 'Shimmer Skin' finish — the Shimmer Skin gives the lure a lifelike, iridescent appearance that catches the light underwater, mimicking the natural flash of a real sandeel perfectly.
- Inbuilt 'Sonic Chamber' with micro rattle — this is one of the most distinctive features of the Skerries Pro. The internal sonic chamber produces a subtle rattle that creates vibration and sound underwater, triggering the lateral line of predatory fish even in low visibility conditions.
- Famous 'Skerries' Eel action — the body profile and tail design produce the distinctive wriggling action that Sidewinder's Skerries range is renowned for. It looks alive in the water even at slow retrieve speeds.
- Best quality Mustad hooks — no cutting corners on the hardware. Mustad hooks are trusted by anglers worldwide for their sharpness and strength.
- 35g weight — heavy enough to cast a serious distance, yet balanced to maintain a natural swimming action on the retrieve.
Colour Options
The Skerries Pro is available in six carefully chosen colours, each suited to different light and water conditions:
- Super Pearl — a classic, versatile colour that works in most conditions. The pearlescent finish catches the light beautifully and is a go-to choice in clear water.
- Super Real — a highly realistic baitfish finish for pressured fish or clear, calm conditions where natural presentation is key.
- Dusk — designed for low-light fishing at dawn and dusk, when bass move into the shallows to feed. Darker tones that create a strong silhouette.
- Dawn — similar to Dusk but tuned for the specific light conditions of early morning sessions.
- The Pink One — a proven attractor colour that works brilliantly in coloured or murky water, or when fish need a bit of extra visual stimulus to trigger a take.
- The Yellow One — another high-visibility option, particularly effective in poor light or stained water conditions.
A good rule of thumb: natural colours (Super Pearl, Super Real) in clear water and bright conditions; attractor colours (Pink, Yellow) in coloured water, low light, or when fish are being fussy.
How to Fish the Skerries Pro
The Skerries Pro is a versatile lure that can be fished in a number of ways depending on conditions and target species:
Straight Retrieve
The simplest and often most effective method. Cast out, let the lure sink to the desired depth, and retrieve at a steady pace. The Skerries Eel action does the work — just keep the retrieve smooth and consistent.
Sink and Draw
Cast out, let the lure sink, then lift the rod tip to draw the lure upward before letting it flutter back down. This mimics an injured or fleeing sandeel and can be deadly for bass and pollock. The micro rattle adds extra attraction on the drop.
Jigging
From a boat or pier, drop the lure to the bottom and work it with sharp upward jabs of the rod tip. The 35g weight makes it easy to maintain contact with the lure even in a strong tide.
Surface and Sub-Surface
In calm conditions, a fast retrieve just below the surface can produce explosive takes from bass hunting in the top metre of water. Keep the rod tip high and wind quickly to keep the lure near the surface.
Where to Use the Skerries Pro
The Skerries Pro is at home in a wide range of UK sea fishing environments:
- Rocky headlands and reefs — where bass and pollock ambush sandeels being swept through by the tide
- Sandy beaches and surf — particularly effective when sandeels are present in the surf zone
- Estuaries — bass follow sandeels into estuaries on the tide; a Skerries Pro worked through the current is a deadly presentation
- Piers and harbour walls — drop it down the side or cast along the structure for pollock and bass
- Boat fishing — the 35g weight makes it ideal for drifting over reefs and wrecks
The Verdict
The Sidewinder Skerries Pro Sandeel is a genuinely impressive lure. The combination of the Shimmer Skin finish, the Sonic Chamber rattle, the quality Mustad hooks, and the proven Skerries Eel action puts it in a class of its own among UK sandeel lures. The fact that it was developed and extensively tested by John Locker gives it real credibility — this isn't a lure designed in a boardroom, it's been refined on the water by someone who fishes hard for UK bass.
At £9.99 for two, it's also excellent value. Stock up on a few colour options and you'll be ready for whatever conditions you encounter.
Rating: 9.5/10
Get Yours Today
👉 Buy the Sidewinder Skerries Pro Sandeels — £9.99 per pack (2 lures)
Available in Super Pearl, Super Real, Dusk, Dawn, The Pink One, and The Yellow One — grab a selection to cover all conditions.
Browse the full Sidewinder Lures collection for more proven UK sea fishing lures, and check out our complete Fishing Lures range for even more options.
Published by Shut Up And Fish Ltd | Your UK Sea Fishing Specialists
