Lures are designed to grab the fish’s attention, and are often specifically designed to replicate the natural prey for hunting fish. Although lure fishing has increased in popularity over the last 10 or more years, this method of fishing is not all that new. In fact, it was the very beginning of the 20th century that saw the first commercially available lures. These mass produced lures were still created on the style of traditional, hand crafted designs.
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There are many different kinds of fishing lures, each of which has their own strengths that make them perfectly suited to different kinds of fishing.
Flies
Artificial flies are made to dart about on the surface of the water, getting the fish’s attention because of brightly coloured feathers and embellishements.
Spoon Lures
Designed to attract fish by the virtue of being very eyecatching. As the name suggests, the lure is shaped like the head of a spoon, reflecting light as it bounces off the lure.
Surface Lures
The purpose of a surface lure is to mimic the look of prey for fish. These lures have the ability to make sounds that adds to the fish’s attraction, which can come from whirring propellers, popping sounds or glugging noises. Surface lures are also known as ‘stickbaits’ or ‘poppers’.
Spinnerbait
Like spoon lures, the movement of light from a spinner grabs the attention of the fish.
Plastic Lures
Plastic lures have the benefit of being made to look like anything you want them to. That means that the fish will see the silhouette of prey such as other fish, as well as reptiles, crabs and insects.
Swimbait
Swimbait is made to look like bait fish. It is often a plastic lure, and impersonates a fish’s movement by having a jointed tail. These can look incredibly realistic thanks to modern production processes.
Jig
A jig is part hook, part lure. It’s often weighted to sink lower into the water and tend to be disguised using ‘real’ bait. Lure fishing tackle such as deep water jigs have a heavier weight attached, which allows for fishing down to a depth of around 300 metres.
Plugs
These lures also behave like real fish prey, but tend to more representative of a fish than swimbait. Plugs are also known as ‘minnows’ or ‘crankbaits’.
Shopping
When shopping for your lure fishing tackle, try to find the right one to suit the type of fish you’re hoping to catch. Another handy tip is to cover or soak your lure in fish oil. This will attract the fish by scent as well as by what it can see.
It’s also advisable to use brightly coloured, shiny lures when fishing in murky, muddy water. If you’re fishing in clearer waters, natural coloured, or darker, lures are ideal. This means that the fish can see the silhouette from underneath clearly.
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Hopefully this advice will help you to choose the right lure for your next fishing trip. It can be a matter of trial and error to find what suits each situation best.
