FISHING HOW-TO: Fishing Lures and Why Fish Bite Them

By Peter J. Park

Question: What is a lure?

Answer: A decoy or artificial bait used to catch fish.

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Question: Why would a fish bite a lure?

Answer: There are at least four motivating factors: 

I. Hunger

II. Curiosity

III. Anger or Annoyance (e.g., Guarding Behavior)

IV. Reaction Bite or Instinctual Sudden Response (Behaviors unrelated to the motivators listed above)

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Question: What are some popular lures?

Answer: Below are a list of lures commonly used by Nyack College Fishing Club members. This list is NOT meant to be exhaustive. Notes serve as general guidelines, and exceptions apply because most of these lures are quite versatile.

1. Popper:

Depth: Surface

Action: Splashes & “pops” on water surface

Mimics: Struggling baitfish; startled baitfish

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2. Pencil Bait / Spook / Stickbait:

Depth: Surface

Action: Splashes; swims in a Z-pattern on water surface

Mimics: Struggling baitfish

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3. Jerkbait / Swimmer:

Depth: Sub-surface

Action: Variable side-to-side motion; sinusoidal motion

Mimics: Injured baitfish

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4. Crankbait (with Lip):

Depth: Generally deepwater

Action: Variable side-to-side motion

Mimics: Injured baitfish

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5. Lipless Crankbait / Rat-L-Trap:

Depth: Any depth

Action: Rapid side-to-side motion

Mimics: Injured baitfish; swimming baitfish

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6. Rubber Shad / Paddletail / Swimbait:

Depth: Any depth

Action: Body and tail swings side-to-side

Mimics: Swimming baitfish

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7. Flipping Jigs / Football Jigs:

Depth: Bottom

Action: Bouncing motion

Mimics: Crayfish; fish feeding on bottom

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8. Plastic Worm:

Depth: Bottom

Action: Wriggling, bouncing, or twitching motion

Mimics: Worm

Comment: Can be rigged as Texas rig-style (see video below), Carolina rig-style, or Wacky rig-style.

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9. Soft Plastic Jerkbait:

Depth: Surface to subsurface

Action: Twitching or slowly sinking motion

Mimics: Weakened or dying baitfish

Comment: Can be attached to jighead.

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10. Spoon / Tin / Metal Jig:

Depth: Any depth

Action: Rapid side-to-side with flash (when retrieved quickly); rapidly falling and rising with flash (when allowed to drop)

Mimics: Swimming baitfish; startled baitfish; dying baitfish

Comment: Can be fished horizontally (see video below) or vertically