There are lures of all shapes and sizes. A lure’s success (or failure) boils down to two aspects, appearance and action. I am still trying to figure-out which is more important, but it has become clear to me that a piece of wood with little or no resemblance to a fish can draw a strike from a predatory fish. This is not to say that the wood is void of defining features, far from it. Lures like the Gibbs Danny have been designed to impart an action that resembles a bait fish; the action can and often is, irresistible. Other lures such as the Tsunami Poppers have dazzling eyes and stunning graphics. They are equally irresistible. Among all the lures that I have used, there are several aspects that I consider in my selection when heading to the shore.
I categorize lures as follows:
- Surface, Swimming, Shiny Metal, Drifting, or Jigging (similar to Shiny Metal)
- Flight characteristics and general cast-ability
- Weed avoidance characteristics
- Flexibility in retrieval (fast, slow, medium, jerky, smooth, etc)
- Similarity to local bait, bait in points north or bait in points south
I generally stick to surface and swimming lures, but I never travel without a Kastmaster and Deadly Dick which are both what I consider to be Shiny Metal. I stick to hard-plastic, wood, or metal lures from the beach because they are cast-able. I find that soft-plastics are difficult to cast and no more productive than hard-plastic. Soft plastics work well where casting distance is less important. This includes fishing in the flats and from my kayak.
Regardless of the type of lure, there are two schools of thought when it comes to lures, (1) “match the hatch” and (2) stand-out from the hatch. Both are valid and appropriate at different times. “Match the hatch” means pick a lure that best resembles the bait in the water. This is a great strategy until the bait is simply too abundant. This is when I cross over to the stand-out theory which to me means experiment until you start getting strikes.
When considering the bait in the water, I not only think of the local bait, but I think about where the fish have recently been. For me in Southern Massachusetts, chasing Striped Bass, this means that in the Spring I think about what the fish have been feeding on south of me and in the Fall I think about what the fish have been feeding on north of me. For example, migrating bass are often very happy to find a Mackerel among the local Shad.
As a general rule, I use fatter and generally larger lures in the Spring and late Fall. I use thinner lures during the Summer months, starting small and getting larger as the season progresses. However, these are general rules and they are as wrong as they are right. You will always want to carry a variety of lures and try them all. It is too easy to get stuck on one or two types of lure – especially if they are catching fish. When the fish are bitting is the best time to experiment because it eliminates one variable – whether the fish are present and biting!
Always be sure that your selection addresses every level of the water column. Metal, alone, can do it, but not gracefully. You should have a variety of styles, sizes, and colors.
Regarding color, you can’t go wrong with white, chrome, or black. If you multiply these three colors by the different type of lure and sizes of lure, you will find yourself easily spending a couple hundred dollars. Before you start experimenting with other colors, you really want to become familiar with your area, the bait, what works and what does not. As a rule of thumb, use white or light colors in the day and black or dark at night. While chrome assumes the colors around it, it seems to be better suited for catching fish in the daylight. Dawn and dusk are cross-over periods and anything can work.
Surface Lures
If you couldn’t tell from the picture above, surface lures such as poppers are hands-down my favorite because I enjoy watching the surface action. Often, I will see the swirl of a turning fish behind the plug. Then, I see the strike, on occasion it is violent and sometimes aerial. This action, like no other, charges me up and keeps me coming back for more.Poppers and other surface lures are great when there is some weed in the water. While the hook(s) may catch an occasional weed, the line is very unlikely to.
Poppers are also great in low-light conditions because you can often see their wake in the water.
I retrieve poppers at many speeds and most often impart a pop. That said, I find the most success in a slow retrieve – pop, glide, pop, glide. I think this works for two reasons, (1) it best imitates the injured fish and (2) bass over 25 inches get lazy and like an easy meal. Don’t be too quick to pull the lure away from a circling bass.
Other surface lures are the pencil popper, darter, and lures without a dive plane or with a metal dive plane bent to the up position.
Swimming Lures
There are times that you can’t get a fish to surface and this is when I reach for the swimmers. Swimmers generally have an inherent retrieve speed which creates the most appealing action. You can often slow it down a bit, but you can rarely increase it without losing the appeal. That said, a quick jerk can add appeal.I find in my area that swimmers are most effective in the spring. Not only is there less weed in the water, but the fish are less likely to surface for a meal. I further find that many of my hits come just after I have jerked the lure. I’ve noted that when I jerk the Yo-Zuri Crystal minnow, it turns 90deg on its side. This looks a lot like a spawning fish, which is what the fish are doing in the spring. This is also when the bait fish is most vulnerable and hence the strike.
You should observe the behavior of your swimmers and adjust your retrieve to optimize its appeal. This is particularly the case with metal-lipped swimmer which can (and should) be adjusted.
Swimmers cease to be an attractive option for me when the weed gets thick.
Shiny Metal Lures
Shiny metal lures are perhaps the most versitile and resilient lures you can get. They can be retrieved at a variety of speeds and can reach every level of the water column. They mimic a type of shiny bait fish that is pletiful in virtually every water environment on the planet. They are very castable. With a single tail hook that can be rigged treble or single, they pick-up very little weed in the water.
Drifting Lures
I have recently become interested in twitch-fishing from my kayak. I’ll try it when I spot fish feeding along the flats. I’ll cast a Slugo or other floating soft-plastic into the area and rather than retreive it, I will simply twitch it from time to time. I’ve had great success with this technique in the spring, but the technique is not as active as I like and I frequently opt for cast and retrieve just to stay active.
Jigging Lures
I’m not a big fan of jigging in general, but there is a small application when surf casting. I’ll cast a shiny lure and simply let it sink. On occasion, I’ll feel a bump on its way down. The fish is typically quick to spit so you have to be ready to set the hook. If I don’t get a bump (hit) on the first drop, I’ll retrieve about 20 yards and let it sink again. This technique seems to work best in a channel of deep water.
With or Against Current
Hands down, I get more fish when I cast up-current and retrieve with the current. I have many theories about why, but I can also conjure theories that favor casting down-current and retrieving against the current. There are a couple of advantages:
- Retrieving with the current is easier
- Retrieving with the current leads to less weed on the line and lure
However, you must always try both! What works one day in one place may not work in another. Experiment – try everything.
Lure Storage
I hang my hard lures on a rack between the floor joists (pictured at the top of the page) so that they (1) are organized and easy to select when I pack my bag, (2) remain dry, (3) are up high away from the kids, and (4) don’t consume additional living space (as it is, my gear consumes a closet the size of a small fridge).
The rack was easy to make.
