Rubber lures are one my favourite types of artificial baits. Because I like them so much, I have confidence in them, and this means most of my fishing these days is done with them. I’ve caught some cracking fish on rubbers, largely, I think, because their action is great and when a predator gets hold of them, they feel realistic. Another advantage is that you can fish many rubbers with a single hook. This makes unhooking much easier than when you use treble hooks – hooks with three points – and so it is kinder on the fish.

Types of rubber
Rubber lures come in all shapes, sizes, colors and forms. You’ll find almost any food form imitated – fish, worms, crabs, frogs, crayfish, sand eels, prawns, lizards and anything that wriggles or swims. This can be bewildering. My advice is to choose fish imitations first and then slowly build up your collection. Remember that each rubber lure is best worked in different ways. Like them to clear water where you can see how they work at their very best.

Casting
As with any lure, it’s important to cast accurately. With rubbers you are best fishing at closer range rather than far off. This is because you need total control over that rubber. It will often be taken on the drop, so all you will see is a bit of slack line. Also, rubbers are often simply sucked in, rather than grabbed with ferocity, so if you’re fishing at 40-50m (130-165ft), you just won’t feel the take at all. Many rubbers are best just jigged tip and down a little, which you can only do when you’re up close and personal!
Remember, too, that many rubbers are best just fished static on the bottom. Often predators will lake a minute or two to study them before coming in to attack.

Keeping contact with the lure
I can’t over-emphasize the importance of being in contact with your rubber lure. Species like bass and perch will often mouth the lure without moving off, so strike at my indication on your line. If the water is clear, try fishing shallows where you can actually see it the lure is taken, lithe fish are investigating the rubber without taking, this is your cue to change the color of the lure, its size or its shape.

Rubber fishing is all about intense concentration. It also demands imagination and intelligence. A tiny twitch here, the lift of a rod lip, the giving of slack line… all these subtle movements can mean the difference between success and failure. Above all, you’ve got to believe in what you’re doing, it’s only if you’ve got confidence that success will flow. (more…)

There’s bass lures that Work and then there’s lures you can mount on the wall or sell at your next garage sale.

Spring has come and the sun will be shinning late into the Autumn this year, and the fish are promising to be jumping in the boats, especially that most desirable of fish, the bass. You need only to assemble a formidable selection of bass fishing lures to entice them.

Now bass fishermen, like any fishermen, differ sharply on which are the best bass fishing lures, the ones sure to get that strike every time a fish comes into sight and smell of that slimy delight. Live swimming grubs or lures imitating grubs have proven effective for snatching those bass 10 to 15 feet deep. Live grubs wag their tails in a subtle manner, which brings attention from those bass below, so if you’re using artificial grub, make sure their tails will wag gently as you fan cast around your boat. Use a steady retrieve, slow and smooth. Shad colored grub lures are especially effective.

Many bass fishermen use spinner baits, but may find these sink too slowly and the action isn’t fooling the bass. Interestingly enough, a one half ounce Sonar has properties that call those bass like a school of shad. The metal blade vibrates and the lure sinks quickly, hitting the bottom with a hard thud. The size of a threadfin shad will catch the eye of any bass. You’re sure to land your max using these.

Switch blades are popular bass fishing lures for catching bass, the , the Reef Runner Cicada, and Wordens Showdown are popular and very effective lures. These lures are normally fished vertically, but many cast them for more extensive coverage. Cast these out about 15 feet, let them fall to 20 feet, then pump it back up to 15, repeating until you’ve completed the retrieve. Aim in another direction and try again. The more area you cover, the greater likelihood you’ll hook that big fish.

Soft plastic bass fishing lures have also produced good results. These are constructed almost like a fly. The hair and feathers are neatly tied to their soft, plastic bodies. Some sparkling flash material is also attached to the body. Nothing beats flash to spark a bass’ interest. These lures may imitate worms, shad or grub. They are more a work of art than a lure, but perhaps there are art loving bass out there too. (more…)

By Corinne Springdale During the months of May, June, and July, a great many anglers in the Gulf Coast region head to the beach to snare the Speckle Trout.  The Speckle Trout is a large trout, silver in color with olive-green tinting.  The “speckle” is given by the many small black dots that extend from its dorsal fin down to the tail.  Commonly, the Speckle Trout is between 14 to 18 inches long, and weighs between one to three pounds.  Its lower jaw is generally more prominent than its upper jaw and its mouth encapsulates two canine teeth.  Speckle Trout prefer small crustaceans, shrimp, and small fish for their diets. (more…)

Zoom baits are soft plastic artificial lures which are supersoft to the touch, irresistible to fish, and impregnated with salt to keep any fish on the line. Zoom baits come in 35 different colors.

Mini Salty Lizard pictured

TerrorEyz Lure, from DOA, is the 1st lure which truly makes eye contact with fish. Its holographic eyes flash reflected light causing fresh and saltwater fish to go into a striking frenzy. The TerrorEyz is designed to bounce off rocks and other submerged structures & swim true every time out.