06-27-2009, 09:45 AM
[size 2]Selecting the right lure can be tricky
By Robert Nelson
OUTDOORS COLUMNIST
When walking in to a tackle shop, you are confronted with many options. One must decide on the type of lure to use, color and size, just to name a few options facing the buyer. An angler can help narrow his/her decision by considering some of the following factors:
When shopping for the correct lure, the type of fish that the angler is targeting must be taken into account. Some lures may work well for one species of fish, but they may be useless for other species.
The depth that one wants to fish should be one of the first things that an angler must decide. In water less than 10 feet, bass anglers often choose surface lures, spinnerbaits or shallow running crankbaits. Also, lightly weighted plastic baits may work in the shallow water scenario. In deeper water, deep running or sinking crankbaits, jigging lures, spinnerbaits, and heavily weighted plastic baits may be considered.
What kind of action (how it moves when retrieved) does a lure have to attract fish during that time of year? This is something that must be contemplated. Lures have different actions that are more productive during specific times of the year or season. Some crankbaits, for example, have a tighter wiggle, which is usually considered to be best when the water is cold. Wide wiggling crankbaits are believed to be better in warm water situations.
Water clarity must be observed when choosing the correct lure. The clearer the water being fished, the more fish are able to rely of their sense of sight to locate a lure. Therefore, lure color must be chosen carefully by an angler. Colors should first of all be representative of the natural bait found in the body of water. In the clearer water, lighter colored lures should be used.
If the water is more muddied, stained or dirty, lures with rattles are often a choice of fishermen. In these water conditions, baits containing chartreuse, orange or yellow are frequently the choices. They are believed to show better in the muddier water.
When fishing at night, many anglers use a bait that makes some type of noise or a bait that causes a commotion on the surface of the water.
Choices here include poppers, chuggers, dark spinnerbaits or buzzbaits.
The activity level of the targeted fish must be examined when choosing a lure. The activity level of the fish determines the size and action of the lure and the speed of the lures retrieve. Here, water temperature affects fish activity more than any other factor. Weather conditions, such as cold fronts, will also impact a fish's activity. If the fish are active, then faster-moving lures may be considered. Slower moving lures are an option when fish are in a neutral or inactive mode.
Cover is something that must be thought about when fishing. If you are fishing heavy cover such as thick weeds or brush, lures that are rigged weedless or that have a weed guard, are often best choices.
With all the variables in fishing, there are no hard and fast rules when selecting a lure. It is probably best to rely on your own past experiences, a trusted fishing partner, or your local tackle shop. Your local tackle shop can give you the most accurate and recent reports on which lure(s) the fish are biting.
Fishing Report
Bass fishing on Candlewood Lake is currently in a post spawn situation. The fish can be caught in numbers, but the bigger fish are not biting right now. Most anglers are having success throwing swimbaits using a steady retrieve or using an unweighted soft plastic jerkbait.
Trout anglers on Candlewood are having success trolling with live bait. There have been several four- and five-pound trout caught in the past week.
Fishing in Long Island Sound has been good for both stripers and bluefish. Trolling, cut bait or live bait have all been doing well for anglers in the Sound.
Reynolds' Fishing Tournament Results
Last Saturday, 92 teams took to the Connecticut River to fish the 150th anniversary tournament of Reynolds' Garage and Marine. The winning team was the husband and wife team of Jim and Karen DeMino. Their weight of 19.79 pounds was enough to take home the first place prize of $5,000.
There were prizes totaling more than $38,000 awarded after the tournament. The winners of the 2009 Skeeter Boat raffle were Karl and Carey Klingel .
Tom Reynolds would like to thank the participants in the tournament, and the sponsors of the tournament: Skeeter, Yamaha, Daiwa, Ranger, Minn Kota, Northern Bass Supply, Hobie, Humminbird, Al Cappy Custom Rods and the CBFN for help with the weigh-in. $2,800 dollars was raised for Autism Awareness.[/size]
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By Robert Nelson
OUTDOORS COLUMNIST
When walking in to a tackle shop, you are confronted with many options. One must decide on the type of lure to use, color and size, just to name a few options facing the buyer. An angler can help narrow his/her decision by considering some of the following factors:
When shopping for the correct lure, the type of fish that the angler is targeting must be taken into account. Some lures may work well for one species of fish, but they may be useless for other species.
The depth that one wants to fish should be one of the first things that an angler must decide. In water less than 10 feet, bass anglers often choose surface lures, spinnerbaits or shallow running crankbaits. Also, lightly weighted plastic baits may work in the shallow water scenario. In deeper water, deep running or sinking crankbaits, jigging lures, spinnerbaits, and heavily weighted plastic baits may be considered.
What kind of action (how it moves when retrieved) does a lure have to attract fish during that time of year? This is something that must be contemplated. Lures have different actions that are more productive during specific times of the year or season. Some crankbaits, for example, have a tighter wiggle, which is usually considered to be best when the water is cold. Wide wiggling crankbaits are believed to be better in warm water situations.
Water clarity must be observed when choosing the correct lure. The clearer the water being fished, the more fish are able to rely of their sense of sight to locate a lure. Therefore, lure color must be chosen carefully by an angler. Colors should first of all be representative of the natural bait found in the body of water. In the clearer water, lighter colored lures should be used.
If the water is more muddied, stained or dirty, lures with rattles are often a choice of fishermen. In these water conditions, baits containing chartreuse, orange or yellow are frequently the choices. They are believed to show better in the muddier water.
When fishing at night, many anglers use a bait that makes some type of noise or a bait that causes a commotion on the surface of the water.
Choices here include poppers, chuggers, dark spinnerbaits or buzzbaits.
The activity level of the targeted fish must be examined when choosing a lure. The activity level of the fish determines the size and action of the lure and the speed of the lures retrieve. Here, water temperature affects fish activity more than any other factor. Weather conditions, such as cold fronts, will also impact a fish's activity. If the fish are active, then faster-moving lures may be considered. Slower moving lures are an option when fish are in a neutral or inactive mode.
Cover is something that must be thought about when fishing. If you are fishing heavy cover such as thick weeds or brush, lures that are rigged weedless or that have a weed guard, are often best choices.
With all the variables in fishing, there are no hard and fast rules when selecting a lure. It is probably best to rely on your own past experiences, a trusted fishing partner, or your local tackle shop. Your local tackle shop can give you the most accurate and recent reports on which lure(s) the fish are biting.
Fishing Report
Bass fishing on Candlewood Lake is currently in a post spawn situation. The fish can be caught in numbers, but the bigger fish are not biting right now. Most anglers are having success throwing swimbaits using a steady retrieve or using an unweighted soft plastic jerkbait.
Trout anglers on Candlewood are having success trolling with live bait. There have been several four- and five-pound trout caught in the past week.
Fishing in Long Island Sound has been good for both stripers and bluefish. Trolling, cut bait or live bait have all been doing well for anglers in the Sound.
Reynolds' Fishing Tournament Results
Last Saturday, 92 teams took to the Connecticut River to fish the 150th anniversary tournament of Reynolds' Garage and Marine. The winning team was the husband and wife team of Jim and Karen DeMino. Their weight of 19.79 pounds was enough to take home the first place prize of $5,000.
There were prizes totaling more than $38,000 awarded after the tournament. The winners of the 2009 Skeeter Boat raffle were Karl and Carey Klingel .
Tom Reynolds would like to thank the participants in the tournament, and the sponsors of the tournament: Skeeter, Yamaha, Daiwa, Ranger, Minn Kota, Northern Bass Supply, Hobie, Humminbird, Al Cappy Custom Rods and the CBFN for help with the weigh-in. $2,800 dollars was raised for Autism Awareness.[/size]
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