THE LURE OF FISHING – CHOSE THE RIGHT LURE FOR THE SITUATION

There’s a lot that goes into choosing the right or wrong lure for the situation you’re fishing but it mostly falls into three categories: Profile, Size and Color.

The Right Profile: There are two major profile categories: Baitfish and Crustaceans. What are you seeing, and which one should you use? Well, it primarily depends on what you’re seeing the fish eating when out on the water. If you see trout blowing up on baitfish along the surface, then go with a baitfish profile. If you see redfish tailing and digging in the mud for crabs and shrimp, use a crab or shrimp profile.

Another rule of thumb: If you can’t see anything is this: crustacean baits are better in colder months because baitfish are less prevalent this time of year, and baitfish profiles are better in warmer months.

The Right Size: When choosing what size lure to use, you want to match the hatch.

If you’re seeing 3″ glass minnows get eaten, use a 3″ lure. If you’re seeing 6″ mullet get eaten, use a 6″ lure. If your not seeing either: Either guess or go back to the Profile question.

Another good rule of thumb to remember is that baitfish are smaller in spring and larger in fall, so a good plan is to use smaller lures in the spring and larger lures in late summer and fall.

The Right Color: If you’re fishing in clear water, use natural or light colors.

If you’re fishing in dark water, use either darker colors or those that reflect lots of light. The bottom line is that, within the light and dark categories, all colors do not work all of the time. Sometimes you just have to experiment so don’t get hooked on one color if it isn’t working for you.