Are artificial baits named lures for their ability to entice the fish or fishermen?  Does it really matter?  The truth is that you have bought plenty of them.  The good news: they all catch fish...if used properly.  It is important to know the available forage, the mimicking potential of various artificial baits and the action of your bait in the water.  Here's how to get the fish to bite the lures you've accumulated in your tackle box.

Let's discuss, in general, the four "food groups" of fish: other fish, amphibians, invertebrates and "other."  The most widely available prey is other fish.  Prey species of fish mostly include smaller fish that can be found in the same body of water.  Bass love shad and other baitfish, bluegills and smaller bass.  Blue marlin chase mackerel, tuna and dolphin, to name a few.  Amphibious prey is not always available, but typically includes frogs and salamanders.  Invertebrates constitute a broad group, with insects, worms and crustaceans as usual favorites.  Finally, the "other" group incorporates the rarer meals of mammals and birds, but is not often imitated in lure.  Around the world, no matter the target species, the available forage will fall into one of these categories.

One of the most long established tactics is taken from fly fishing - "match the hatch."  In its true context, this is taken to mean that the fly chosen by the fisherman should mimic the insect species that is literally hatching at that time, and, therefore, available to the fish as food.  In more general terms, any artificial bait should, in some fashion, imitate the predominant forage of the target species.  A fish is prompted to strike prey, and lure alike, because of "recognized" color, scent, swimming action, gill pulsation, fin movement, etc.  These signals, sent by prey to predator are continuously reinforced by successful foraging attempts - those that result in a tasty meal, not in a lip-piercing trip to the cooler.  The most important part is to know when and how to send these signals with your lure of choice.

You must know what your lure looks like in the water column at all times!  Whether jerked, jigged, popped, trolled, fast- or slow-retrieved, knowledge of your lure's action is the key! Shortly after tying on a lure, and before initial presentation, you should get a feel for the appearance of your bait in the water under various conditions.  Stick your lure in the water next to the boat or off the dock and gain an appreciation of lure behavior in neutral position, at slow and high retrieves, on the drop and when jerked.  Included in this quick survey are assessments of lure tracking, optimal retrieval speeds and overall bait action.  Make adjustments when necessary, like changing the weight on a Carolina-rigged plastic or adding a trailer to a spinnerbait.

It's fun to "mix-and-match" presentations of various lures.  For example, take your Texas-rigged tube jig that you've been using to imitate crayfish prey, remove the weight and rig it weedless.  Now "walk the dog" at the weed edge to mimic a fleeing baitfish with feathery fins and gills.  On the other hand, manipulate a weedless spoon, that you've been pitching as a flashy minnow, by adding a split tail trailer, to copy a swimming frog.  These examples are often the most effective forms of imitation.  A plastic salamander body with large paddles and a ribbon tail may trigger a strike because of its mimicry of a salamander or of the fin/tail movement of a prey fish.  With knowledge of such lure appearance in various situations, it becomes possible, during the same retrieve, to alter presentation and imitate various forage species.

Remember, your goal in lure selection and usage is to best approximate the predominant forage for your target species.  Next time you hit the water, whether in the mountain streams out west or on the saltwater reefs to the south, spend the extra time necessary to understand the primary forage and how to present your lure to imitate such.  Your versatility will improve and your productivity will increase!

Matt Petersen

Outside Hub Staff Writer

mpeterse@med.wayne.edu