All About Plastic Lures: How Choose Plastic Lure Works
Fishing with a plastic lures is the modern sensation of the anglers. With the evolution of modern science, there is a lot of improvement done with the soft plastic baits. A lot of company has come into designing and making these artificial lures that are close to same as the natural bait.
Nowadays anglers have a number of varieties in selecting proper plastic lure for all game fish. Lures made of plastics has some certain advantages over natural lures. It feels as real as the normal bait but can be used for several times in reeling fish that save money and time.
Types of Soft Plastic Lures
Soft plastic lures can be divided into worms, grubs, and shad. The lures are soft to the touch. Their similarity to the living tissue of food organisms increases their effectiveness, because the fish hold the lure longer and, thereby, allow more time for the angler to react.
The plastic worm was the progenitor of all types of soft lures, but even it has metamorphosed from its original configuration as a literal depiction of a common night crawler It resembled little more than a stick in the water. The addition of a twisting tail breathed life into the hulk, vastly improving its appearance. Strangely, the worm inherited its life from its progeny, the plastic grub.
Whereas the worm imitated long, cylindrical life forms, a short, fat version was created to mimic more compact organisms. This “grub” was endowed with even less life than its forebear. Fortunately, a flat ribbon-like tail was added. Molded in a spiral coiled shape, this tail stretches out when drawn through the water. Seeking equilibrium, the tail undulates like a child’s paper streamer in a strong breeze.
The third kind of lure is the swimming-tail shad. Its tail is constructed to vibrate rapidly, imitating the motions of small fish. The tail is molded on a small fish-like body. When retrieved, the similarity to a small swimming shad is striking.
How to Choose the Right Soft Plastic Lures?
With the advance fishing experience for more than 15 years, I can certainly make some guide to choosing the right plastic lures. These are the three basic weapons of the soft lure arsenal.
For that, I must be concerned with more than outward appearance, judge all lures by six criteria and endorse wholeheartedly only those lures that fulfill all six requirements. Check out the Six Plastic Lure Choosing Criteria below.
1. Lure Must Be Easy to Rig
First, the lure must be easy to rig. Plastics can be rigged for fishing in several different ways, but for 95 percent of my fishing utilize one of two simple methods. With this hooking the fish and reel in is as easy as it can be.
Weed and snag-filled conditions dictate the most foul-proof rig possible, the Texas-rigged plastic worm. This rig requires a plastic worm hook, a bullet-shaped plastic worm sinker tie, W, 4 oz.) and a plastic worm (4 inches is probably the most effective size in Colorado waters), Line (Berkley or Stren fluorescent size should be determined by the density of the weeds/snags and the size of the fish anticipated.
A 6- to 14-pound test line is adequate for most Colorado conditions. To complete the rig
1) pass the line through the worm sinker, bullet point toward the rod end of the line;
2) tie on worm hook using a reliable knot (Palomar, improved clinch);
3) insert the hook point into the tip of the worm head and pierce half inch longitude finally;
4) hook point exits the side of the worm head half an inch below tip (hook should exit on the same side as either edge of twister tail on worm);
5) slide worm up hook shank until hook eye with a knot is inside the worm head;
6) turn hook so hook point can pierce worm body, and
7) pierce worm body and hide hook point and barb inside worm body.
How to rig easily…
This rig necessitates a needle-sharp hook and a vigorous hook-setting motion in order to drive the hook point through the plastic worm body and into the fish’s jaw. When retrieved, the sliding worm sinker sits on and protects the fragile tip of the worm head from abrasion while the only exposed portion of the hook is the smooth shank and bend. The Texas rig is practically weedless and snag-proof.
The worm should lie straight when retrieved, as any bends will cause the rig to spin and be ineffective. The jig is the rig to use when different kinds of fishing clean bottoms (sand, clay, rock, gravel, rubble, etc.).
A jig is a molded lead head on a specially bent jig hook. They are pre-made and may be purchased where worms, grubs, and shad are sold. They are usually classified by the weight of the lead head. I use Me, V. and /4 oz. sizes in most instances. Worms, grubs, and shad are all rigged on a jig in the same manner:
1) insert the hook point into the tip of the lure body;
2) thread the body on the hook until the hook shank is nearly covered;
3) hook point exits side of the lure (plane of the hook shank and point and the plane of the twister or swimming tail must be the same);
4) body is pushed up over the collar of the lead head. Again, the worm, grub or shad body must be straight or the rig will not run true during the retrieve.
2. It Must Make Fishing Easy
Second, the lure must be easy to fish. Much has been written about the plastic lures and how difficult they are to fish. Nothing could be further from the truth. As long as they are rigged to run straight and true, it is difficult to fish soft plastics without catching fish, where fish exist.
Using a pumping retrieve, a fish is hooked almost automatically by the rod’s motion. With reeling with spincast saltwater reel and lifting retrieves, set the hook at any sensation that the lure has touched something. Often the strike is so light it is all but undetectable.
Remember to hold the rod as lightly as possible. If you are fishing striped bass, then you should be careful with the light rod reel combo and the angling drag will be very easy with this reel.
A light grip on the handle allows the rod to reveal the slightest impediment to the lure’s progress. You will automatically grip the rod tightly during the hook set. In addition, a delicate touch is much less fatiguing. To avoid fatigue, I use ultralight tackle for all my fishing-bluegills to pike.
3. It Need to Work in Different Conditions
Third, the lure must be fishable under a wide variety of conditions. I regularly catch the first fish of the spring and the last fish of the fall on 2-inch plastic grubs. During the warmer period, larger plastics are equally or more effective.
Since the lures are both visually and audibly detectable, the low light levels of murky water or night pose little problem for the fish. The common thread woven through the fabric of obvious characteristics exhibited by fish’s food organisms is movement, and the swimming, twisting tails amply represent this trait.
4. It Needed to Be Available
Fourth, a lure is only practical if it is readily available. Today, plastic lures are widely distributed under such brand names as Mr. Twister and Tom Mann’s Baits. My favorite plastic worm is the four-inch Ribworm.
This multiple segment worm is marketed under Dick Gassaway’s FINMASTER label. (The High Country Bass Pro Shop in Denver and All-Pro Fish ‘N’ Sports Shop in Littleton, Colo., are among sources for soft plastic lures and attendant materials.)
5. Lure Must Come in a Cheap Price
Fifth, the lures must be inexpensive. To catch fish, especially large fish, you must fish where they live. Unfortunately, big fish live in tangles, snags and next to the bottom.
To catch then, the lures must be fished in harm’s way, both the fish and obstructions notwithstanding. In this era of five-dollar crankbaits, a lost lure or two puts a substantial hole in the fishing budget. Soft plastics cost only 10 to 35 cents, hook and sinker included. You can afford to fish them where the big fish live.
6. The Plastic Lure Should Be Efficient
Sixth, the lure must be effective. When I began to fish with soft plastic soft lures, I have caught most species of game fish present in Colorado. These include species as diverse as bluegills, channel catfish, kokanee salmon, white bass, and carp. All species and all sizes are susceptible.
In addition to the aforementioned fish. I have also recorded:4b, and 4 lb., 3.25oz. smallmouth bass brook, rainbow and brown trout from 12 inches to 6 pounds, pike over 15 pounds. 3-inch black crappie, dozens of walleyes from 7 inches to 7 pounds, and numerous largemouth bass, including a pair of 7/- pound fish. This partial list attests to the effectiveness of soft plastic lures.
