Types of Fishing Lures – Artificial and Natural Baits and Lures

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In the world of fishing artificial lure and natural bait has played a prominent and significant role worldwide, if you are a fisherman or interested in fishing then you will know, how much these lures and bait have played an important role in fishing of any kind of small fishes or big size predators.

Lure as you know the meaning of the word simply defines to trick anyone into doing something, either giving some money or any materialistic thing.

Same way in the world of fishing the meaning of this word is to trick the fish to get attracted by some artificial food or fish, and then get caught easily by the fisherman.

In the early days, fishing was a very easy thing to be carried out with the help of some simple tools and devices like the angling rod, main line, hook, etc. These were the most important kits for fishing.

And also the use of knitting nets was also very common in those days when fishermen used to travel in the midst of the sea or river and there they used to throw the net in the water, once it got sunk in the water body, then they used to pull the net along with the fishes.

But with this method of fishing with the help of a net, you never needed another tool or device other than the knitting net, but when you are talking about the angling rod, then for sure maximum times the use of a lure is mandatory for catching fish.

Today this fishing and all its branches are widespread and are fully occupied with some good knowledge and experiences. In this context, we will discuss artificial lure, different types of artificial lures, some natural lures, their importance in fishing, and the conclusion.

How to Tie a Swivel to a Fishing Line

What is an Artificial Lure?

The categories of artificial lure are not fixed in numbers, it is widely available in numerous numbers. Fishermen who are experienced in fishing know the meaning of the lure and how effectively it has always worked while fishing.

An artificial lure is not difficult to understand, you can simply define that, as a man-made creature or fish which are used to attract the fishes, so that fisherman can catch them easily.

Thus you can now understand the role of lure, to trick the fish and other submarine life.

Many people use natural bait for fishing, the same way other people use nonliving bait for fishing. The lure is available in different shapes, sizes, colors, and designs, and with distinctive features.

This concept was adapted, so that different fishes require different kinds of lures, and it is not necessary that always a single lure can attract fish all the time.

Small fishes will get attracted by small insects, worms, or any other organisms lure. But all the big-size fishes will prey on the big-size lure, with attractive colors, thus you can say fishes they always use to attack those lures which can be easily gold or swallowed by them.

Types of Artificial Lures

Artificial lures are available in the market, they are available in different varieties, like size, shape, colors, and variations in other features also.

As you know the purpose of a single lure can not be fixed, so variations in the features of the lure are also needed while fishing.

For example, small fishes will feed on some insects, worms, and organisms kind of thing which are usually very small in size. In the same way, the big fishes or the predators will hunt for big sizes of lures that are attractive in shape and color so that predators can easily see them from a long distance.

Different Types of Artificial Lure

Let’s describe some of the very famous categories of lure, which are effectively helping in catching the fish, the names are as mentioned below:

Jigs

These are the oldest lures that are in use today. They are popular and have always proved to be effective while catching fish.

Jigs are available in different varieties with round heads, flat heads, pinpoint heads or no heads. Depending on the purpose for what they are needed. Sometimes you can also spread some scent of fish-like things on these jigs so that fish get attracted to them.

Spinners

Spinners can be considered one of the best options for the lure. Spinners are simple setups with a metal blade, when you roll in or roll out the reel the metal blade will start to spin.

The price of the spinner differs from a low price range to a high range. Bass fishing is done with the help of the spinners.

Spoons

Spoons can prove to be one of the rarest and most effective ways of attracting fish. for example, spoon-shaped lures are available in the category of artificial lures, which are metallic material, are usually of shiny characteristics, which when sank in the water body get reflected with the help of sun rays, and the fishes get easily tricked by them.

Thus they are good options for luring, One of the famous names is the Johnson silver minnow which works via reflection.

Crankbaits

These lures are designed in such a way that once they are rolled inside the reel they will start making noise in the water, which will catch the attention of the fish around the water body, Bass fish are the species that get easily attracted by all these kind of activity, and they start chasing after the crankbaits.

These lures are most effective in hot water, but in cold water, they start to set in and in hot water, they intake the liquid. They are very fast as they quickly touch the ground and even create noise inside the water.

Swimbaits

They resemble the original fishes, sometimes they look like turtles and sometimes they appear like mice. Three different varieties of swimbaits are paddle tails, hard bodies, and soft bodies.

All three varieties of swimbaits are specifically used to catch bass fish.

Buzz Baits

Buzz baits are good at creating unnecessary sounds which in turn makes the bass fish angry, with this behavior they simply define their nature and the meaning of their name.

These baits make a buzzing sound while they are in the water, It’s really interesting when you see the fight between the real fish and the artificial lure.

Soft Plastics

Many lures are made of soft plastic materials, like insects, worms, and other creatures. Bass fishes are mostly tricked with the help of the lure. The smallmouth bass fish are the ones that are easily caught with the help of these soft plastics.

These soft plastics are available in the form of toys or colorful fruits and vegetables. That is attractive to the fishes and their different varieties. Sometimes soft plastic lures you can use 8 to 9 of them which are like insects or worms in appearance, and you can assemble them in the form of a water snake.

Flies

Flies usually work as live bait for fishing, Streamers are also examples of big flies that are used as lures, you can easily hook the streamer to the rod so that easily you can sink that in or out of the water body.

Trout and bass are the biggest fans of these big-size flies i.e. streamers. Streamers are also helpful to catch any bone fish which are generally very big in size. Many times these streamers are also used for fishing the shark species.

Natural Bait or Lure for Fishing

Natural bait or lure is also one of the extensive ways of catching fish. Natural baits are mostly the organisms that are found in nature, they can be either worms, leeches, minnows, crayfish, insects, or grasshoppers also.

You can add some more examples to this natural bait process but the most commonly used are mentioned above.

Sometimes fishermen also use cut bait, in which the cut portion of the fish smells so strongly that, whether you spread scent on the cut portion or not, it will attract the fish towards it. Fishes like sea trout, bluefish, and sailfish are the names of the fishes that get caught by the cut fishing bait.

Leeches are also the most commonly used bait, the leeches are available in all the bait shops. Leeches are usually hooked at the end of the sucker portion in the tail. Leeches need the proper temperature to adjust them before starting the swimming. They can exist for a longer time, and you can even keep them in the refrigerator.

Homemade dough balls are also an interesting way of catching fish. You can make dough with the help of flour, cornmeal, and sugar, and add some molasses, Once you make the dough, boil them and add a flavoring agent.

Now you can make some ball structures and pour them into the water, and the process will be the same as another fishing method. Worms like grubs and mealworms, are used as live freshwater baits, which are available from nearby bait shops. You can either use them single or in multiple numbers, the worms can easily be harvested from soil and from trees also.

Minnows are the next name in the list of bait, which are small fishes and can easily be caught from your nearby water bodies, You can hook the minnows at the end of the angling rod, and you can sink them in the water.

Many more examples are also there that are effective for fishing like insects, freshwater clams and mussels, crayfish, eels, and cured fish. These are the topmost names in natural baits which have helped the fisherman for many years to carry out the fishes in bulk. In the spawning season of fish, fishermen use the sack of spawning eggs and attach it with the sinker, so that it can sink in the deep water.

Wrapping up

With all the collected information, we have seen the pros and cons of both the natural bait and the artificial lure. Both of them have stood out to be very effective in carrying out fishing from any source of water bodies and of any species of fish.

The natural baits are mostly all kinds of small fishes, insects, and other organisms that are attractive to the bigger fishes just because of their movement, strong smell, and different colors.

Thus these natural baits play a clear role in the hunting of fish from small to big and from river to sea. Natural baits can be easily found in ponds, canals, or small rivers, which you can use to simply attack the big predators. Insects and worms can be found in the forest region or any areas that are covered with grass or dense trees.

In the same way, the artificial lure is found in retail shops, where you will find all types of fishing tools and devices. The varieties of this lure are countless because they are available in different sizes, shapes, colors, and structures.

The interesting fact is you can also find the scent which fish smell alike so that you spread on the lure and attract the fish. Some specific types of lure create a buzzing sound which can anger some oceanic fish, and they start fighting with this lure.

It sounds funny but yes it usually happens with the bass fish, thus all the lures are available with different kinds of characters and specifications, which can attract different varieties of species. The natural baits are easily found in nature and are the cheapest, while if you want to use the artificial lure they are expensive as compared to the natural ones.

Thus all of them have some pros and cons, while fishing is done. Thus today we have several options in both types of baits which are making this fishing more interesting and loving among people of every age group.

Thus you can also start using different lures to catch your favorite fish, for beginners it might be difficult but as soon as you start performing it, you will become an expert in that.

About the author

Wayne Hooper
Wayne Hooper
I am Wayne Hooper Angler from Los Angeles, United States. I have been into fishing and angling stuff since 2013. What gave me a kick to becoming an angler is my love for aquatic life. I love beaches, Sailing, Kayaking, and Outdoor activities. additionally, I have also trained many students to fish on weekends.

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