If you haven’t been lure fishing before, or been unsuccessful, it’s worth taking a bit of time to learn how it’s done…’cause hooking a fish on a lure…the sudden pull and action can really get the blood pumping…

 …I know anglers who fish no other way –  because they find lure fishing such a rush!

 If you’ve looked through a tackle store you’ll know there are more lures on sale than you could possible use in a lifetime…

…and then there’s the range of colours, shapes, sizes and materials – hard plastic, soft plastic, metal, wood, feather…the list goes on.

 They all have the same purpose – to imitate a fish or type of bait so a predatory fish will quickly swallow them.

So where do you start?

 Well, if you haven’t done much lure fishing before it is best to start with the cheaper forms of lures…because the expensive ones get real, real expensive!

 Start with something cheaper because you’ll lose some lures – that’s just part of fishing.

Soft plastic lures have come a long way and are very popular…because they work!

A lot of my lure fishing is done with them because they have some features I really like:

• They look real so if a fish gets close it can still be tricked into biting…even if your lure isn’t moving
• They can be dipped in scent to add more attraction – this helps if you are fishing in coloured water.
• The ones with a single hook on top seem to reduce snagging.
• Unlike some of the other lures, their soft body causes fish to make repeated hits….some of the metal lures  feel “wrong” to the fish.
• Good soft plastic lures have a life-like action that imitates a small fish swimming…and can be made to look like it’s injured.

 The down side is that soft plastic lures are “soft”. Hard biting fish often pull their tails off – this makes the lure unusable…but at least they make the fish BITE!

 You can use any lure type you feel confident with…and “confidence” is the secret – you have higher expectations of a hook up and tend to keep going until  you get bites…

…a lot of newbie anglers give up too soon when lure fishing.

Like most forms of angling, it takes time to find the fish, unless you are lucky straight off, and the more you keep trying the better chance you have…

I have spent an hour or more roaming around, in both fresh and salt water before getting bites…but when I did it was worth it.

 When choosing lures, go with your target fish in mind…if you are targeting small mouth species like bream or whiting then the lures should be smaller than larger mouthed fish like trout or salmon.

Also, think about the likely size of the fish you’re after –

a Murray cod might not leave its hiding spot for a tiny plastic lure that would suit a trout but might pounce on a large lure that is worth the effort…

…having said this I have been amazed at times at how small a fish will take a larger lure. I have caught 15cm redfin(English Perch) that have “nailed” 8cm paddle tailed lures!

Another thing you can do is buy scented and coloured dips for your lures. There are a variety of liquids that carry both colour and smell that you can dip your lure in. These dips are made for soft plastic which quickly absorbes the liquid. I like anything with red in it because it makes the fish look wounded and this can be irresistible to predators….

…but be careful, the colour really stains your clothes and your skin!

 Once you have chosen your lures…where do you fish?

The easy answer is – the same places you would bait fish – the usual fish holding spots. You can check out my blog where I’ve covered these points in “the simple way to really catch fish”.

Finally, the more a fish is convinced your lure is food, the more chance of it biting it…

…you do this through “ACTION”!

Action is just the movements you give to the lure…lifts, drops, quick jerks, allowing it to sink, letting it sit on the bottom for a few seconds, fast retrieve, slow retrieve and the way the lure moves/wobbles in the water …these can all convince a fish that the lure is worth following.

 Fan out your casts to your fishing spot. Don’t just cast to a likely area and then leave if there’s no action. Cast a number of times, try different actions and retrieval speeds, then cast either side of the spot and do the same things…sometimes you have to land a lure right on top of a fish before it will bite…it might not be hungry, just ANNOYED and protecting its territory.

Catching fish with lures can be a real heart pumping experience…you target a likely spot, work out the right depth then apply the right action to your lure…and “BANG” something hits it and goes for its life.

It’s great fun and something worth trying.