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Fishing Lures
Artificial Bait

 

Fancy fishing lures are designed as much to catch fishermen as they are to catch fish.
We really do gravitate toward the bright, flashy colors sometimes, don't we?

 

What Is A Lure   Color   Material Type   Shop for Lures

 

In fishing lingo, artificial bait is usually called a lure.

Lures are the name given to spinners, jigs, poppers, flies, spoons, etc. When used, these are seen by fish as a natural food such as a minnow, mayfly, worm, smaller fish, etc.

While Lure fishing can be more expensive, lures can be more fun as the lure needs the angler to provide the motion.

If your new to fishing or just maybe new to the World Of Lures and have seen ALL the weird and nuttiness shapes, styles and colors of Lures on the walls of the store with fishing equipment and thought to yourself, "Which one or ones should I use? What is each one for? Why the different colors. Why do some look like fish or worms while others are simply metal devices that spin?" don't feel alone!

That's what this site is for! We'll help you figure out which ones are used for what and when and how.

Fishing lure companies make lures in many sizes, styles, colors, and patterns. As we will demonstrate throughout this site on how to use different styles of Lures, it is always best that you read the instructions on a lure package to learn how to use each lure.

Be forewarned there are numerous products that do little to attract or catch fish. They may look appealing in the store, but in realism they fall short of delivering on catching any fish.

If you are looking to keep your cost down and are not really too concerned of the quality of the merchandise, then I would suggest your local Walmart. Don't get me wrong, Walmart does have some quality products, but most of their merchandise is rather generic. Their prices are also fairly lower than what you will pay at a sporting store. If you are looking for higher quality tackle then a Dick's Sporting Goods or your local bait shop would be your best bet.

Rule of thumb: 
If you find a lure that produces results for you, then you may want to purchase a few different colors of the same lure as on some days certain colors produce better results than others.

What Is A Lure

When it comes to fishing you need something for the fish to think it's food and that typically in the fishing world is called a lure.

As opposed to just a fish hook at the end of a fishing line, a fishing lure is an object attached to the end of a fishing line which is designed to resemble and move like the prey of a fish. It may resemble a worm, tadpole, crayfish, small fish, insect, etc., or may be simply a metallic object. 

The purpose of the lure is to use movement, vibration, and color to catch the fish's attention so it bites the hook. Lures are equipped with one or more single, double, or treble hooks that are used to hook fish when they attack the lure.

The point in Lure Fishing is to make inanimate objects resemble a fleeing or wounded fish to any hungry fish and fool it into the idea that it will consume an easy meal.
A few reasons a fish will chase after a lure is one, because they are hungry, two because they feel like their area is invaded, or thirdly they just want to see what is going on.

Lures come in many different sizes, shapes, colors and styles.

The reason there are so many different sizes, shapes, colors and styles of lures is the fact that different lures are designed for different reasons. Some are designed to primarily catch certain species of fish.  Some are designed for day and some for night, as well as some are to be used on a cloudy day while others on a clear day. Some are designed for certain seasons. Some are designed for clear water or murky water. Some are designed in regards to cover and structure, temperature and depth. Some are designed for this and some are designed for that and some are simply designed to catch a fisherman's eye.

I know, your saying, "this all sounds difficult!" It is a lot to take in and there are a whole lot of choices to make, but after you finish with this page (and we'll keep it brief) you will have a better understanding. You will at least have the basics of knowing which lures are best used for what situation.
The use of lures is really a matter of trial and error, what you like best, what works best, etc. I myself have a few lures that I always turn to, yet I am always trying out new ones as well. I always bring 3 fishing rods; as I live in Indiana and The Rules and Regulations allows 3 poles. One is a spincast that I use for live bait fishing and two spinreels that I use for my lure fishing. The one spinreel has my favorite lure, and if it's not working that day, I will try one of my new lures on the other spinreel.

I would suggest you buy two or three lures at first and experiment. You also want two or three on hand as there is no doubt in my mind that you are going to end up losing at least one! After time you will end up with an arsenal of lures. Their just to damn fun!

Why Use a Lure?

Like I said above, their just to damn fun!

Lures are a lot easier and quicker to use as opposed to getting your hands dirty and pooped on by worms. Trying to hook the worm on a hook. Sitting and watching a bobber out in the middle of the lake to see if it bobbles or not. You real in your line to only find a hook; no fish or no worm!

As that all sounds pretty pessimistic about live bait fishing, that's not the point I was trying to get across. Live bait fishing is a kick back Sunday morning! Time alone, peace and quite, time to think and relax and catch some fish! I love live bait fishing!

The point I was trying to make is that with lure fishing; your bait (lure) is already on your line, all the time (unless you snagged and lost it in a tree or something).

As I stated, lure fishing is just damn fun, however, I encourage you to never give up on live bait fishing. Live bait fishing is not just a lay back day of fishing as I also stated, but live bait fishing can be more successful than lure fishing.

Again, lure fishing is just so damn fun!

Material Type of Lures

When it comes to materials you will find lures that are made out of wood, plastic, rubber, metal, cork, and materials like feathers, animal hair, string, tinsel and others. They can have many moving parts or no moving parts. They can be retrieved fast or slow. Some of the lures can be used by alone, or with another lure.

Of course with heavier material you will get heavier lures. This will determine if you need to add weight or use something lighter to get where you want to be. You need to make sure your tackle box has weights, bobbers and extra line. It is almost impossible to predict the conditions you will be facing so it is a good idea to have different things ready for using in different circumstances.

A lot of anglers have their favorite lures that they swear by while others have a wide assortment and don't mind changing lures quickly if they are getting no fish to bite. As time goes on you will eventually learn and figure out what is going to work best and when it will work best.

How To Choose A Lure

When selecting a fishing lure or lures you must consider the species of fish you're targeting along with the season and weather conditions you're fishing in.

The veteran fisherman is familiar with seasonal locations of fish and the proper presentation (the choice of lure and how to retrieve it.) They also know how to fish the proper lure at the proper depth to maximize their catch rate.

When choosing a lure you should cover multiple fishing presentations and select a few of each type and color by understanding the aspects listed below.

Depth

Depth is a major factor in lure selection. There are three categories or lure types:

  • surface - designed for 'waking" the surface and down to five feet.

  • sub-surface, medium or shallow running lures -run from five to eight feet below the water surface

  • and deep - heading down to the twenty foot mark.

During the spring, when most fish move into the shallow water to spawn and seek food; Surface lures and shallow running lures would be a good choice. During the summer months fish move to deeper water where deep running lures and jigs would be used. When autumn arrives, fish tend to move back to shallower water sub-surface and surface lures will be effective.

Cover

Cover is some physical object separate from the actual lake bottom contour. It is often mistaken for structure. Structure is the actual bottom contour (breaks, drops, humps, etc.)

Cover is basically anything that can hide a fish or baitfish. Hydrilla, lilly pads, cattails, and trees are examples of types of cover. Whereas structure is basically anything that causes a change in the bottom contour. Points, humps, creek channels, bridges, and pond dams are examples of structures.

Species such as largemouth bass and northern pike will be lounging out in the weeds (cover) throughout the year. When fishing thick weeds and brush use a weedless lure with a weed guard to prevent snagging.

Level of Fish Activity

The fish level of activity determines the size and action of the lure. For instance, water temperature affects fish more than other elements, and weather conditions play a major role, such as when a cold front arrives. Cold water reduces the fish activity and it is best to downsize your lure and present your lure slowly. For muskies and northern pike use lures such as jerk baits and gliders with a pause between in your retrieve, walleyes use jigging spoons twitched and paused along with small jigs tipped with live bait crawled on the bottom will work well.

During warm stable weather as the fish's metabolism is active they feed readily. This is the best time to be on the water to fish, inline spinners, spinner baits, spoons and crank baits with fast retrieves will move and catch fish.

Lure Sizes

Sizing of lures is also apart of the proper presentation. 
Below is a suggested chart for length of lures for various fish.

Crappies, Perch, BluegillsRiver

1-2"

Trout

1-3"

White Bass

1-3"

Smallmouth Bass

2-5"

Largemouth Bass

2-6"

Walleyes

3-6"

Salmon, Lake Trout

3-7"

Muskies, Northern Pike

4-12"

Color

A very big question that always comes up when choosing lures is how to choose color. 
Many articles have been written and theories discussed about lure color and how the water clarity affects the colors.

The following information is not a guarantee solution, however, picking the right color lure, in fact, could help you draw out that fish that otherwise wasn't going to bother with your line.

Why be concerned with color

Ultimately, the appeal of the lure to the fish is most important. Fish must strike the lure either to eat it or attack it. While fish may locate the general area of the bait by smell or sound, most make their final attack by sight. Fish scents and noisemakers can draw fish to the area of the lure, but before it can strike, the fish must also be able to see it. This is why lure visibility and color are important to successful fishing.

You want to use lures that contrast the colors that are already in the area. You want fish to see something out of the ordinary. If you aren't sure then you can use a neutral color. The key is to have many different colors in your tackle box. Not to only experiment with trail and error, but remember, while fishing you will undoubtedly lose lures and hooks as well.

There are several factors, in determining color! Here are a few to consider!

Depth your fishing
Water Clarity
Sky conditions, color, etc
Weather

Before delving any deeper into color, one must first and foremost have an understanding of water clarity to be able to select the appropriate bait. This really does depend on what sort of body of water you will be fishing in.
The dirtier and more opaque the water, the brighter colored you want your lure. On the other hand, if you're floating on a crystal clear lake, select more subtle natural colors.

There are basically four kinds of water clarity:
  1. Muddy

  2. Dingy
  3. Stained
  4. and moderately clear with a greenish hue.
A fifth type of water is primarily found out west which is extremely ultra-clear water.

In muddy and dingy water with a visibility of one to four feet, it's a good idea to stick to florescent-colored baits because of the high visibility and work really well under muddy conditions.

What's considered more critical to lure selection, water clarity or light conditions? Both are crucial, but water clarity is the dominating factor, although light penetration is very important to the equation.
All water acts as a light filter depending on the clarity, (clear or stained) and depth of the lure.

There are mixed ideas on what colors to use on clear days and clear waters and vice versa. 

In general, you'll want to use lighter, brighter colors in clearer water and sunny conditions, and darker lures for darker days and stained water.
Now, this is a general rule, but it works pretty well!
Bright Days = bright colors or light colors; white, chrome, grey, yellow, silver, smoke or clear are recommended!
Dark Days = dark colors; black, brown and purple are an excellent choice for a dark, cloudy day!

Blue, reds, orange, and purple seem to be neutral colors.

A notable exception to this rule is the use of 2-toned plastic worms that feature a darker head color and a fluorescent pink or yellow tail color. Many anglers use plastic worms colored like this when fishing in cloudy water conditions.

As the fishing day wears on, the light generally becomes brighter and the color patterns may vary depending on the light filtration penetrating the water at the depth you are fishing. The reason is because the deeper a colored bait drops through the water the less of its color can be seen by the fish. The deeper your lure goes down into the water, the color spectrum starts to diminish. For example; if you had a multi-colored plastic worm and you cast it out letting it drop to a 25-foot depth, the colors of that multi-colored plastic worm would be shades of grays and blacks.

The first color to fade out of the color spectrum under high visibility will be the reds.

Red light is almost completely absorbed within the first 15-20 feet. Orange penetrates to 30-40 feet, and yellow to 60-70 feet, while green and blue remain visible for as deep as the light penetrates.

Then again, while red may be visible down to 15 feet in the clear water of The Plitvice Lakes, it may disappear within six inches of the surface in the Alamo River.

Total light intensity is also important. On a cloudy day, colors will not penetrate as deep as they will on a sunny day. At dusk, as light intensity falls, reds are the first color to go, followed by orange, yellow, green, and blue. As total light intensity decreases, the fish's eye switches to vision with rods, and the fish is no longer able to distinguish colors.

Wind will also affect the light penetration and throws in another variable into the equation. More wind creates less light penetration.

If you are still confused as to what color to pick, you can always use a multicolored plug or lure.

Remember! If something isn't working, always change your tactics. As a matter of fact, if you make a change, make a drastic change. For example, if you are fishing a red bait with little success, switching to purple will probably do little to change your luck. So, always go to the opposite end of the spectrum if a color change is in order.

What Kind of Fishing Rod To Use  For Lures

Lures are not that practical with the use of a cane pole, they are typically used with a fishing rod and reel. We suggest not using a fishing rod that is too heavy and too long, since you will be casting and retrieving for a long time. An ideal Lure Rod would be 8-9 feet in length. This increases casting accuracy and is not that heavy.
When a lure is used for casting, it is continually cast out and then retrieved by winding line back on to the reel, the retrieve produces the lure to swim or make a popping action; imitating a fish's prey in motion.

See chart below

What Kind of Fishing Reel To Use  For Lures

As far as fishing reels are concerned, you can use any type, as long as it is not that heavy. An ideal reel for Lure Fishing would be a relatively small fixed spool fishing reel.
Just take note that it should have the capacity of taking 300 feet or more of Fishing Line weighing 8-10 pounds.
Also bear in mind that the fishing rod and fishing reel must fit together, so do not use a heavy fishing reel with a light fishing rod.

See chart below

What Kind of Fishing Line To Use  For Lures

It is important to have a quality fishing line as your line will take a big beating in the course of lure fishing. Though they are expensive, Braided Fishing Lines are great because they are tough and long-lasting. However, read the package instructions and follow the advice of manufacturers who may be recommending specific types of Fishing Knots.

Matching Your Fishing Rod, Lure, and Line

Your fishing rod has a limit to how much weight it can lift and cast effectively. This is called the "power" of the rod. Anglers can use this chart as a guide to match up the right rod, lure weight, and line size for the right balance.

Rod Power

Lure Weight

Line Size

Ultralight

1–4 lb test

1/64–1/16 oz

Light

4–8 lb test

1/16–1/4 oz

Medium Light

6–10 lb test

1/4–1/2 oz

Medium

8–12 lb test

1/2–1 oz

Medium Heavy

12–25 lb test

1–4 oz

Heavy

20–40 lb test

4–8 oz

Extra Heavy

25 lb test and above

8 oz and above

 


Where and When To Use A Lure?

  • Isolated cover is prime territory for holding largemouth. If you find an isolated tree on a point, along a roadbed or a stump on a flat chances are a largemouth will be hanging tight or close by, depending on the season.

  • Grass offers a great opportunity for catching largemouth that are in an active mindset. Focus casting the inside and outside edges. Shallow running crankbaits are what to use for inside edges while deeper diving models are best for outside edges, where the water is deeper and often on the lip of drop.

  • Deep Water Humps are bass magnets and often not fished as relentlessly as more shallow structure and cover.

  • Ledges and Drops are paths over which largemouth migrate during the change of seasons. Choose crankbaits that will bump the bottom along these structure features.

  • Points of rock, gravel, mud or clay should be fan cast with a variety of different crankbaits from both sides, down its spine, shallow to deep and deep to shallow.

  • Shallow Flats are highways and feeding troughs for largemouth. If they have any isolated cover on them cast past and retrieve past it from every direction with a crankbait.

  • Stump Fields are transition areas where largemouth can taken with crankbaits bounced off stumps. When they deflect off a stump the resulting erratic motion often serves as a trigger for strikes. Square bill models are a good choice.

 

All The Types of Lures

 

 There are hundreds of different types of artificial lures.

There are three categories of lure types:
  • surface - designed for 'waking" the surface and down to five feet.

  • sub-surface, medium or shallow running lures -run from five to eight feet below the water surface
  • and deep - heading down to the twenty foot mark.

Common types of lures:

Crankbaits
Flies
Jigs
Plugs

Poppers 
Soft Plastic Baits
Spinnerbaits
Spinners
Spoons
Surface lures
Swimbait

There is no doubt you'll be dazzled by the variety!
There are even holographic lures that flash a 3-D view of scales or a small school of baitfish!
But don't let your piggy bank go broke. 

Practice restraint or soon you'll need a tackle box bigger than the trunk of your car or bed of your truck! 
Start with a few carefully chosen lures to entice your favorite fish species and learn to use them well.

Jigs


Tidewater Popeye Bucktail Jigs

They generally look like a large hook with a weight surrounding it.

A jig is a type of fishing lure consisting of a lead sinker with a hook molded into it and usually covered by a soft body to attract fish. They are often decorated with feathers, artificial eyes, rubber legs, and tinsel, sometimes minnows or plastic worms.

Jigs are used primarily to catch bottom feeding fish. 

 Jigs are intended to create a jerky, vertical motion, as opposed to spinnerbaits which move through the water horizontally. The jig is very versatile and can be used in both salt water as well as fresh water. Many species are attracted to the lure which has made it popular amongst anglers for years.

You can use Jigs alone or with different fishing baits to make them more attractive to fish. You can use minnows, worms, leeches, pork rinds or other live baits to the jigs hook for increased fishing results.

Jigs can be fished shallow or deep, quickly or slowly, swimming through the water, or bumped along the bottom. A jig can catch about every game fish there is, and are inexpensive to boot.

How To Use a Jig

Jig fishing takes a lot of concentration, unlike spinners, all the "action" (how a lure moves in the water) comes from you. If you don't do anything the jig just sinks. The classic way to fish a jig is to cast it out, wait until it hits the bottom (you will know it has hit bottom when your line goes slack), then retrieve it in a series of hops. You make it hop by lifting the rod tip, lowering it, and retrieving your line. Try different speeds, big lifts, little hops, twitching until you find what works. Pay attention, though. Detecting the strike is the hardest thing about jigging.

Some jigs feature stiff brush or wire guards to keep them weedless, while most feature only a bare hook. Nonetheless, the best places to fish jigs are usually those places where they can get hung up, near weeds, brush, or rocks. (Jigs are the cheapest type of artificial lure, however, so the loss of a few jigs is usually not as consequential as the loss of a crankbait.)

Note: There are now alternatives to jigs. These alternatives are usually made of steel, ceramic or cement. If you loose your sinker, these alternatives are safer for water birds.


Plugs


Got-cha™ Plugs

Introduction   Topwater Plug   Crankbaits   Presentation for Plugs

Plugs are widely known by a number of other names depending on the country and region. Such names include crankbait, wobbler, minnow, jerkbaits, poppers, surface plugs, floating/diving plugs, shallow-diver and deep-diver.
The term minnow is usually used for long, slender, lures that imitate baitfish, while the term plug is usually used for shorter, deeper-bodied lures which imitate deeper-bodied fish, frogs and other prey. Shallow-diver and deep-diver refer to the diving capabilities of the lure, which depends on the size of the lip and lure buoyancy.

Plugs attract smallmouth and largemouth bass.

Plugs are designed to basically try and mimic a smaller fish, frogs or particular prey that you know the larger fish are feeding on at the moment. Most plugs have some sort of plastic lip that allows them to dive when you pull them through the water and they usually have one, two or three treble hooks attached to them.

Some plugs are made to float and some are made to dive down into the water, in either case emulating the movement of baitfish on the water. Depending on the design, a plug will shimmy, shake, gurgle, splash and even rattle in various ways to imitate something a hungry fish would like to eat. These hard bodied lures can be fished at almost any depth, as some are made to float or dive or both.

Plugs come in all sorts of different shapes and size depending upon what you are fishing for. They are very common for saltwater fishing, but popular in freshwater as well. Some plugs are completely solid of one piece while others are broken into two pieces held together by a hinge. The two piece or "broken back" models generally are more vibrant in the water as they fluctuate more in the water when reeled quickly. Some plugs also have rattles built into them such that they make a sound when pulled through the water. They are referred to as "Rattlers".

There are 3 types of plugs: 

  • those that work the surface

  • medium divers (1-10 feet)
  • and deep divers (10-20 feet)

Actions of A Plug

Classic plugs float on the surface or suspend in the water, but will dive under the surface of the water and swim with a side-to-side wobbling movement (hence the alternative name wobbler) upon retrieval. Plastic plugs can dive to either a very shallow depth, due to a small lip, or to a moderately deep depth (3' - 6'), due to a large lip. As for wood plugs, the size of the lip is not what makes your depths increase or decrease, but rather, it is the way you bend the lip or eye. Sometimes, plugs are named after their diving ability, e.g. "deep-diver" or "shallow-diver". Plugs can also be designed to hover (neutral buoyancy), sink slowly, or sink rapidly. Some have a small metal ball inside to "rattle" when retrieved.

Other lures are sometimes generically called plugs or wobblers. They come in all different shapes and sizes. These plugs are usually made by small companies and cost around twenty dollars. Each plug has its own action or has none unless you give it one. Wood plugs usually range from between 3/4 oz. and 4 oz. The different plugs come in a few basic categories. There are surface swimmers, subsurface swimmers, needlefish, poppers, pencil poppers, and darters. They all have their own specific place and time to be fished.

Sizes of Plugs

Plugs range in size from around 1 inch to around 8 inches. Plugs in the 2-3 inch size range are most commonly used however. As a general rule large plugs are used for large fish, and small plugs for small fish. Fishermen casting for very small fish such as crappie will use very small plugs, and anglers fishing for large fish such muskellunge or Murray cod will use extremely large plugs. But trophy-sized fish are occasionally caught on very small plugs, and fingerling perch will sometimes strike - and hook themselves - on a plug as big as they are themselves. Plug fishing is more common in freshwater fishing than saltwater fishing.

How To Use A Plug

First and as always, follow the directions on any fishing items you purchase.

Most plugs have their "action" built into them by design, but you can always alter a plug's action in many ways, such as varying the speed of the retrieve, occasionally "twitching" the rod tip during retrieve, or even letting the plug stop completely in the water, then resuming retrieve at a very high speed. Plugs are often cast so they land next to places where fish may be hiding, such as a snag pile or an overhanging tree and worked back enticingly. A skilled fisherman can methodically explore many possible hiding places for fish by continually casting and retrieving a plug.

Theoretically, any plug design will catch fish - fish will, out of anger, hunger, territorial protection or simple curiosity, occasionally strike at any small object moving or falling through the water. But some plugs have become famous for their high degree of effectiveness in the hands of a good fisherman, while others come and go from the market quickly when found to have limited success.


Topwater Plug


Bass Pro Shops XPS Professional Series Topwater Hardbaits - Popper

As the name implies, a topwater plug, also called popper, always floats at rest and when you retrieve it. The way a topwater plug floats resembles the action of frogs or injured baitfish at the water surface. Also, it has a concave part at the front, which creates a fuss if you are retrieving it. These plugs are the excellent Fishing Lures when you are after largemouth bass. Topwater plugs are also most appropriate when fishing in still waters. Fishing will definitely be a fun activity with topwater plugs, that is, if you have the patience and determination to wait for the fish to hit the Plug. The fun part comes in when a fish starts to attack the topwater plug, partly rising out of the water, bangs it in the air, and swim after it once more.

Crankbaits


Bass Pro Shops XPS Lazer Eye Hardbaits - Deep Crank

Crankbaits are Plugs designed to dive at great depths. Some do not have lips, but those which have lips can dive for up to 20 feet. They create a vibrating movement, like that of a baitfish, upon retrieval. Crankbaits are usually used for Fishing bass species, trout, catfish, pickerel, northern pike, and walleyes.

Jerkbait
Sometimes called Stickbait


Rapala X-Rap Jerkbait 08 Fishing lure (Glass Ghost, Size- 3.125)

There is a type of Plug which does not have built-in movement. This is called a stickbait or jerkbait. Majority of these plugs are large, floating, and are intended for Fishing northern pike, muskellunge, and other large species.

They are made of soft or hard plastic resembling a bait fish that is typically fished in a series of quick jerks or is "ripped" to resemble a darting baitfish.

Jerkbaits are more of a visual bait so a fish will need to be in clearer water for this bait to work its best.

How to Use a Jerkbait

 Choose a jerkbait made with a soft plastic lure. Jerkbait plastic lures tend to be more tubular and resemble worms or flukes. There are some hard jerkbaits that will cast farther, but they probably are not quite as effective because game fish  have too much time to observe, feel or hear the vibrations.

Understand the advantages of a jerkbait lure and use the proper action to maximize them. The idea is to reel in the lure about two feet so that it returns toward the surface and toward you. Then stop and the jerkbait will flutter as it sinks back down. Repeat the process.

Decide what depth range you are going to cover. Most jerkbaits have close to neutral buoyancy, so if you want to continually fish close to the bottom you should consider putting a small split shot on your line about two to three feet up from the bait. It will sink faster and when the split shot rests on the bottom, the jerkbait will slowly flutter the rest of the way.

Remember the general rule is that the deeper you use a jerkbait, the more important it is to have the hook within the lure to decrease the chance of getting hung up. An offset hook through the front end is the best way to rig a jerkbait. However, if the lure is long and thin enough you can hook the middle with a snell hook so that both ends will flutter as it floats down.

Poppers


Arbogast Lure Company Hula Popper Fishing Lure

Poppers imitate bugs floating on the surface of the water. When twitched along, they make a sort of "glub" sound that attracts certain kinds of fish.

Poppers, along with Flies,  are small, very light, almost weightless lures used primarily for fly fishing. A spincast or spinning rod and reel outfitted with a "bubble" (clear bobber) placed four to five feet above the lure works well if you don't have a fly rod.

These lures are excellent for sunfish and bass, but most any fish can be caught on these baits.

How to Use Poppers 

Surface fishing is about making noise, and that is exactly what fishing with a popper will do. Poppers mimic prey chugging across the top of the water. If fished right, this can lure fish from far away and trigger explosive strikes. Fishing with poppers takes patience, but it can be exciting when something goes after your bait.

Use a heavy monofilament line. This will give more buoyancy to the lure.

Cast the bait and wait a few seconds after it hits the water. Watch the rings on the surface of the water as they spread away from your lure. Let them extend 5 or 6 feet before starting your retrieve.

Pop the bait with a quick jerk, pulling it a few feet closer to you. The pop is what attracts the fish . The commotion on the surface of the water lets the fish know that food is nearby and that it may be injured.

Pause again as the rings spread and watch for a strike on your lure. If you see it twitch, something is interested in your popper.

Repeat the above steps and watch the bait during the pause. As with other lures, fish will strike your popper during the pause. Always be ready to set the hook, or your fish might spit out your lure before you get a chance to snag it. Reel in a slack line between twitches so that you're ready to catch the fish when it strikes.

Make the popper mimic a baitfish fleeing a predator. Use a steady retrieve to pull the popper across the surface of the water, creating a wake behind it. This technique may work if your "pop and pause" technique doesn't.

You can also try this technique. After throwing out your popper, refrain from moving it for one full minute. Many times, if you'll give the fish a chance to find the popper, they'll come for a close-up inspection and stop just under it. Once they're in position, inspecting it, that first pop or twitch can cause an instinctive reaction.

Another method would be as soon as the popper hits the water, give it a big pop. This is especially good in murky/stained water and can help the fish home in on the original signal that food just hit the surface.

Try different colors. Fish can see contrasts against the sky and water. If you're not getting bites, the fish might not be able to see your popper.   

Spoons look something like the eating end of a teaspoon. They are heavier than water, and imitate a speedy minnow flashing and darting under the surface as they are reeled in.

Spoons are mostly used for northern pike and muskies.

 

Of the hundreds of lures on the market, the most popular are spinners (such as Mepps or Rooster Tails), crankbaits (such as Rapalas), and jigs with feathers or rubber bodies (such as Mister Twisters).

Spinners have small blades or propellers that rotate around a center shaft. When you drag a spinner through the water, the blade spins and flashes, attracting fish by the motion it makes and the vibrations it sends into the water.

They are easy to use and will catch a wide variety of fish.

Use spinnerbaits with the lightest, brightest and shiniest blades on clear days 
and 
dark finishes on dull days or dingy waters.

 

 

Crankbaits- More expensive than other lures, crankbaits are excellent for walleyes, pike, muskie, and bass.     

  

 These are lures that look like a small fish. They are cast into the water and retrieved by reeling (aka cranking) the line back in. There are 3 types: those that work the surface, medium divers (1-10 feet) and deep divers (10-20 feet)

As a general rule, you can tell a deep diver from a shallow one by the size of the lip.  The larger the lip, the deeper it will dive.  This rule is, however not set in stone.

 

 


Surface lures

Typically the face is pushed in to form a cup. The cup creates a popping noise when the line is pulled instead of cranked in.

Some have a propeller instead of a "cup" face. The propeller moves the water around the lure to get the fish's attention.

Minnow baits. They may rattle, but don't have any movement built into them unless it's done by the fisherman pulling the line in various ways. There is no lip attached.

Medium Divers

Appear to look like the deep divers.  Generally, I look at the lip size and the specs on the box to determine how deep it'll go

Deep Divers 

These are going down no more than 20 feet. 

 

Color is important, because fish may be biting on red lures one day and yellows the next. This is why you need so many lures.

Colors on surface lures tend to be yellow- use on overcast days 
white- use on sunny days 
black- use for nights or dull days 
Weight Size (length) Jigs

In order to be most effective, almost all of the artificial lures should be used on certain kinds of store-bought fishing rods with reels attached. There are bait-casting rods for bait and plugs, fly rods for artificial flies and poppers, and spinning rods for spoons, jigs, and spinners. Different types of reels are made for each of these rods, but all of them hold a spool of line and allow the lure to be cast out into the water and reeled back in.

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Choose the right fishing lures to catch nearly every kind of freshwater and saltwater fish. Whether you're a skilled angler or a beginner, finding the best fishing lure to use depends on many different situations - the time of year, weather, water, and the type of fish you want to attract. No matter what your situation is, these topwater lures, crankbaits and saltwater lures help you explore every possible hiding place with productive results. Our fishing lures are made using the latest technology to give you the ultimate fishing experience and the best chance of reeling in a fish. From topwater lures and surface plugs to crankbaits and saltwater lures, get the right bait for the job from the most popular and historically recognized brands in the industry. Whatever your game, we'll hook you up with the right equipment to help you catch the big one!


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Regulations may limit the size of, number of, and season that a type of fish may be caught, and may require a license to fish. In some cases, only “catch and release” fishing is allowed, which means the fish must be let go. Some bait is illegal in certain areas.
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