The Most Winning Bass Lure in Professional Fishing Is Finally Here: Crush City Mooch Minnow

Kurt Mazurek | Dec 9, 2024

The Crush City Mooch Minnow bass fishing lure is finally available to patient bass anglers everywhere. / Kurt Mazurek

The wait for the infamous Crush City Mooch Minnow is finally over. You no longer have to be Jacob Wheeler’s best bud (although, if you are, that sounds pretty awesome) to get your hands on a pack of the winning-est bait on the Bass Pro Tour. Now, all you need is an internet connection and the ability to type tacklewarehouse.com, and the bait that won three of the first four tournaments of the 2024 season can be yours.

Paired with a jig head, the Crush City Mooch Minnow delivers unbeatable action, flicking and darting like a nervous baitfish. / Rapala

Tournament-Winning Stats: Proof the Mooch Minnow Works

Seriously, those are the stats for the Mooch Minnow. It was still a top secret bait as the pros practiced over the winter leading into that season. Then Dustin Connell let the cat way out of the bag with an epic victory at stop one on Toledo Bend, besting second place by over 44 pounds! Jacob Wheeler won the second event at Santee Cooper on the Mooch Minnow’s close cousin, the Crush City Freeloader. The third event of the season was the Lay Lake Redcrest Championship where it was again Connell’s turn with the Mooch Minnow. Of course, Wheeler stepped up for the fourth stop at Dale Hollow where the Mooch Minnow was key to his victory.

Dustin Connell celebrates his undeniable victory at Toledo Bend, with his trophy and the Crush City Mooch Minnow that led him to his epic win. / Rapala

Features That Make the Crush City Mooch Minnow Stand Out

Integrating the best features of a minnow-style fluke bait and a swimbait, the Rapala Crush City Mooch Minnow has a tight, subtle tail kick that imitates the actual swimming motion of a fleeing shad better than anything I’ve ever seen. Whether you pair the Mooch Minnow with a jig head or a drop shot, that subtle, but frantic action triggers bites.

Poured from super TPE material, this plastic minnow is incredibly soft, stretchy and durable, but it also allows the bait to float and hover in the water column. The Mooch Minnow’s 3-½ inch profile matches the average size of many common baitfish and is available in 20 pro-designed and proven colors. And built with Rapala’s Smart Injection Technology, the Rapala Crush City Mooch Minnow combines custom colors with flake, salt, and scent to create a perfect small forage-imitating presentation.

Mooch Minnow Specs

• 3-1/2 inch size
• Durable, slow floating, TPE material
• Unique tail design
• Smart Injection Technology combines custom colors, flake, salt and scent
• 20 pro-designed colors

Featuring 20 pro-designed colors, the Crush City Mooch Minnow offers the perfect option for every water condition and forage base. / Rapala

Why the Crush City Mooch Minnow is the Best Bass Lure of 2024 (and likely 2025)

Even before anyone could buy one, the Rapala Crush City Mooch Minnow earned its reputation as the most winning bass fishing lure of the year. Its tight, subtle, but frantic tail kick perfectly mimics fleeing shad, making it irresistible to bass. And, whether you've had the chance to speak with Jacob Wheeler or you've just watched him fishing tournaments, if he designed it (which he did), it's going to be the best bass lure possible.

Jacob Wheeler, the brains behind the Crush City Mooch Minnow, designed this lure to perfectly imitate fleeing shad. Do you think he knew he was creating the most winning bass lure in professional bass tournament fishing? / Rapala

How to Use the Mooch Minnow for Maximum Success

This versatile bait shines with a variety of techniques and riggings. The most popular application seems to be shaking it on a jig head–whether looking at them on forward facing sonar or not. Just a small shake and drop while you reel does the trick. But you can also just blind cast and steady retrieve it, covering water like you would with a spinnerbait. And that soft, whip-like tail and neutral buoyancy plastic means it works great on a drop-shot rig too. In every case, this unique bait offers unmatched durability and action.

A big bass about to get in the boat, Crush City Mooch Minnow firmly pinned to its lip, demonstrating this lure's unique effectiveness. / Rapala

Where to Buy the Crush City Mooch Minnow Today

The anything but secret, technically unreleased bait has been on every bass angler’s list since that Toledo Bend event, nearly a year ago now. But the wait is finally over. I’m not saying how long it will remain easy to get them, but at the moment I know they are available at tacklewarehouse.com and other retail outlets.

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