So, after trying out live bait for fishing for a bit, you’ve now decided to try using lures. Or maybe you just want to head straight into using lures instead of bait?
No matter your reasons, we have you covered. While using a fishing lure requires more skill and forces you to be more active when fishing compared to using bait, it can make for an exciting and fulfilling catch once you do. Plus, it really helps if you’re trying to go for a specific type of fish.
But before you run off to the store and pick out the most expensive lure possible, you need to learn about what type of lure you need first. Like bait, there are different types of lures, each fine-tuned to a specific zone and species to increase your chances of hooking them up. This means that the most expensive lure is not necessarily the best one, especially if it’s not even suitable for the fish you want to catch!
There are hundreds of different types of lures, but in this article, we will be focusing on five types for spin casting, which many of these lures fall under.
Popper
Poppers are lures that are meant to imitate bugs or other creatures like baitfish floating on the surface of water and are designed to move water thanks to its concave or hollowed noise.
Their aim is to simulate distressed creatures that appear to be splashing or struggling on the surface of the water, attracting fishes that may see the lure as an easy meal.
Originally, they were simply crafted from wood and painted over to match the shape, color, and pattern of baitfish. Better versions were eventually made, however, as recent popper designs were made to be more intricate while imitating more types of prey for predatorial fish, frogs and insects being common examples.
Fish attracted by Poppers: Giant Trevally, Bass, Bluefish
Plug
Fishing plugs are tough lures and are meant to mimic small baitfish. When cast, the plugs simply float about on the water surface.
Their magic comes when you start reeling it in: The bait dives underwater with side-to-side, wobbling movement, making the bait seem like real fish to predatorial fish, making it seem like an attractive meal.
How deep a plug can dive varies and they can be classified as a surface, medium, or deep diver, depending on the size of their lip (The “mouth” part of the bait). Plastic plugs that have a small lip can only dive in shallow depths, while plugs with a large lip can go much deeper. Some plugs have an adjustable lip to ensure flexibility.
Fish attracted by plugs: Bass, Pike, Mackerel, Coalfish
Spoon
True to its name, a spoon lure is a lure in the shape of, well, a spoon! More specifically, the bowl part of the spoon. It is usually made from materials such as metal or a shell, where a single treble hook is attached to its end.
Here, a spoon is meant to imitate speedy prey fish, such as minnow, with its erratic and quick movement back and forth, which can attract certain species of predatorial fish.
It relies on the fish’s sense of sight, meaning that it is best used on clear water conditions.
Some spoons have a mirror finish, which can be especially effective when the sun is at a sharp angle to the water, such as in the mornings or evenings. The mirror finish shines a reflective flash reminiscent of the flash of white-bellied prey fish. Its structure also makes it so that a fish will likely hook itself when it tries to grab a spoon.
Fish attracted by spoons: Walleyes, Trout, Salmon
Jig
Compared to the other lures, a jig is a bit tamer with how it looks. Generally speaking, it is simply a small hook with lead ball near its eye. Though, most anglers tend to decorate jigs with things such as feathers, hair, soft plastic, to reduce the sink rate of the hook while also helping it disguise itself. Some jigs may also be made to look different fish.
It mainly attempts to mimic crawfish, minnows, and leeches.
Jigs should be used vertically (as seen by its shape) while having it move erratically for best results. Many of the fish it catches are usually near (if not on) the bottom.
Fish attracted to jigs: Bluegill, Perch, Walleye, Crappie
Spinners
Spinners are lures that have small blades or propellers attached to its end. True to its name, it creates a spinning motion that attracts other predatorial fish through its flashing and the vibration throughout the water that it creates when the lure is reeled in, meaning that it takes advantage of a fish’s sense of sight and sound. It is meant to mimic the movement of small fish.
The propeller part of the lure matters heavily, as the shape of the blade can change the speed of the retrieve, and vibration is greatly increased when using broad blades, while reduced when using streamlined blades. Flash, however, is dependent on the blade’s size, texture, and color.
Fish attracted to spinners: Pike, Bass, Perch
Wrapping Up
Now you can see, these artificial lures may seem similar at first, thanks to most of them imitating the same baitfish, but strategies to use them effectively widely differ, but all of them require being active while having sufficient skill to fish properly.
There are still many types of lures out there, but these are the most common types that you can find and use. On the right hands, they can be used to catch fish by the bucketful!