Fishing Lures

Fishing lures are mostly used in recreational fishing. They consist of objects attached at the end of the line and they are designed to look like the prey of the fish that you want to catch. Color, vibration, movement and shape, all influence the capture as such. If there were no lures attached to the lines, the bait could remain invisible for the fish. All fishing lures come with a hook on the end for the attaching of the bait. Once the fishing lures play their part, the fish gets hooked.

With the help lures, hiding fish are also attracted out of their hidings becoming an easier prey. This is done by casting and retrieving the lures progressively, and such movements make the lures appear to be swimming. The movement of the lure will also make light reflect and thus attract the attention of the fish.

Fishing lures fall into several categories depending on the manufacturing concept and the purpose they serve. A first type is the jig, a lead hook with a sharp tip onto which artificial or natural bait is placed. This is usually shaped like a minnow, worm or crawfish. Another category consists of the surface fishing lures that got their names because they are lighter than the jigs and therefore meant to float on the water and look like surface prey. Last but not least, the spawn fishing lures have been created for surface fishing; they are thin and shiny so that they can get fish attention as quickly as possible.

Another category is that of plugs or crank-baits; these fishing lures are designed to move at faster speeds and to go back and forth exactly as fish prey would. In the popular group of artificial baits, bass worms and flies are extensively used.

Fishing lures are not an invention of our times, as they have been part of fishing ever since the appearance of this occupation. The change results from the possibility to manufacture the lures artificially; thus the most common materials for fishing lures are rubber, cork, plastic, wood and metal. Somehow, the decreased use of smaller fish species as baits poses no longer a threat for the survival of such small-sized specimens; consequently, the food chain will remain unaltered if regular living baits are used restrictively.

Last but not least, with recreational fishing, caught and released fish have better chances of survival if artificial fishing lures are used. The hooks attached to the fishing lures are not very dangerous for the fish and do not impale the mouth as deep as the old type hook varieties used to. Therefore, more and more fish survive after being released by recreation interested fishermen.