What Fishing Lures To Use For What Fish?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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What fishing lures to use for what fish? Choose lure size according to the tackle you’re using and the species you’re fishing for. In general, choose smaller jigs and grubs when fishing for panfish (bluegill, sunfish, crappie, perch) and larger lures such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits when fishing for bigger fish (bass, walleye, and pike).

Do bigger lures catch bigger fish?

What is the most versatile lure?


The humble grub

is one of the simplest fishing baits ever invented. But it’s also one of the most versatile lures you can tie on your line. It will catch bass and a variety of other gamefish in almost any fishing situation.

Does lure size matter?


Decreasing lure size usually has a minor effect on catch rates

. In contrast, even minor increases above the size optimum can yield major decreases in catch rates. If your catch rate falls off after upsizing, you are beyond the preferred size.

What color attracts fish the most?

What color light attracts fish the best? Overall,

green light

attracts the most fish. Green has a high lumen output of 130 per LED alongside a 520 nm wavelength. Shrimp and insects have both of these wavelengths in their color vision alongside green light receptors around 530 um.

In deeper and dirtier water, any color visibility will be reduced.

Blue colors likely won’t make a difference

(the lure is visible, but the blue color is not). Red colors won’t make a difference in deep or extremely dirty water. It’s evident that factors other than color are likely more important in angling success.

They consist of a weighted head and a tail made of feathers or plastic, which is used to conceal a hook. Often a piece of live bait or oil-based scent will be attached to the hook to make the lure even more enticing, though

this isn’t strictly necessary

.


Jigs, Crankbaits, Plastic Worms, Spinnerbaits, and swimbaits

are excellent bass lures that will work in many conditions throughout the year when casted near bass cover and presented properly. If fishing with live bait, nightcrawlers are generally the simplest method and almost always produce a bite of some kind.

Species such as northern pike and bluegill are known as poor learners and often will strike again only minutes after being caught and released. Other fish, such as largemouth bass, channel catfish, stripers and carp,

have better memories

. “The channel catfish has a very strong memory,” Hill said.


Large bass consume a very meat-rich diet of bluegills, shiners, suckers, yellow perch, shad, frogs, crayfish, ducklings, snakes, and mice

. Many adults will even eat other bass they encounter. Bass are voracious eaters and their large mouths allow them to eat prey items nearly as large that they are.

WD-40 addresses the myth on its website, saying: “While WD-40 can be used to help protect fishing equipment from rust and corrosion,

WD-40 Company does not recommend using it to attract fish

.”


Red

was found to be the least conspicuous color with on-water testing. Minimum on-water detection distances ranged from 350 meters (red) to 1400 meters (green).

Use a Bright Color

My experience leads me to

white or chartreuse

as the best lure color for muddy water. Those are the colors that I reach for when it’s apparent that fish are not going to be using their vision as the primary means of finding my lure.

Best Lure Color For Murky Water


Some good choices for bright colors would be chartreuse, pink, or orange

. If you decide to go dark then try black, blue, or purple.

A black and blue soft plastic is ideal;

a white and chartreuse Glow Blade spinnerbait will also produce

. For hard baits, bright chartreuse, green, or dark, solid-colored lures will perform well. Rule 3: Local baitfish and native forage patterns are go-to colors.

Each species of fish may prefer different temperatures. Some species may not be able to tolerate certain temperatures. If the water temperature gets too hot or cold, these fish tend to shut down. If the fish aren’t biting,

it may be due to the water being too cold or too hot for them to behave as they normally would

.


Artificial lures are amazing for catching all types of fish, both big and small

. Many inshore anglers would agree that if you were only trying to catch slot fish (like redfish for instance), an artificial lure might be your best bet.

Timothy Chehowski
Author
Timothy Chehowski
Timothy Chehowski is a travel writer and photographer with over 10 years of experience exploring the world. He has visited over 50 countries and has a passion for discovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and hidden gems. Juan's writing and photography have been featured in various travel publications.