Maybe why fish of different sizes strike lures

[SenkoSam]

I've caught fish on any lure you can imagine over many decades and just happened to come up with the reason why large fish are prone to strike certain lures as are small fish apt to strike others that are different in significant ways.

I'll start with large pickerel as an example. After Roland Martin won a tournament using a spinnerbait with a huge willow leaf blade, I changed the blades on my spinnerbaits to give it a go. Smallmouth clobbered the lure in the river I fished and then decent largemouth did the same in my local lake. But during a pickerel tournament, large pickerel up to 3 lbs. put me in first place striking the lure.

In any case I figured the bright flash was the reason as well as the imparted flutter of the skirt. But today I came up with another theory: lure SWAGGER. The definition of the word indicates arrogance and flaunting. Big fish don't like their reverie to be interrupted by objects that display characteristics like bright flashes, swishing on the surface or an extreme lure action and size that seems oblivious to the predators around them. It's more than big fish can stand not to demolish the intruder.

When it comes to small fish species, the opposite is true but for the same reason - irritation of the lateral line but by subtle lure actions. The flutter of a soft plastic lure or a feather/ hair jig moved slowly near a fish is all it takes for one or more fish in the area to be riled to the point of a hissy fit causing it to slam the lure. A much slower speed is usually required.

In each case, lure characteristics are different for large and small fish, but in both cases aggression happens due to different reasons related to lure design and presentation.

Just a thought on a cold rainy morning....
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[LLOMichalchik]

Thank you for sharing this information
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[SenkoSam]

Suggestion: apply the reasoning to lures you've caught fish on or lures you think fish might strike.

I've been making lures for over ten years and discovered hundreds of variations of them as well as store bought lures. Since fish strike most of them, I don't have to use lures right out of a bag or box and have greatly expanded the range of lures most species hit.

Here are a few:

(hand poured with color added)


hybrid lure: body of one/tail hand poured



added a claw from a bass lure to another body

Whoever thought a minnie stick wacky rigged could catch panfish:

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