Thread: Theory why fish bite lures. Pretty long winded so you might want to open the topic...

Geez, and all this time I thought the ate cause theys hungry.
I've watched many many videos taken underwater and most times the fish were minding their own business not actively feeding. Many predator fish swim alongside their normal prey food, suspended, as the videos show. Just because a fish hits a topwater lure doesn't mean it did so out of hunger but most likely hit it because of its aggessive nature, provoked by the lure's action and commotion near surface.

Do yourself a favor any watch YouTube videos of fish just hanging out until a lure enters the scene. The object swimming past the fish can not be assumed to be identified as food by a fish, but just plainly annoying.
(BTW, common sense is not common nor accurate much of the time.)

All of those lures are made to mimic a prey species - Wrong, and specific actions - Correct - but not of any animal that lives.
Those pictured aren't meant to mimic anything much less a specific species and none of the lures shown look like anything that swims simply because none of the colors are natural. Add to that: flourescent line attached to a jig head with its hook sticking out is proof of the stupidity of fish that strikes even after having a long time to evaluate the object. You maintain that anglers must use lures that mimic a fish species. Look up the definition and you'll find that fish don't know species from genus. You'll find you misused the word.

the salt in lures is for taste, salt also makes plastics softer if it is in the Plastic
Wrong. Salt is generally used to make lures like the Senko heavier in order for the stick to sink horizontally at a desired rate of speed, producing tip rotations. Salt makes a plastic much harder and softener is needed to return the plastic it to it's original softness. Only one who pours plastics would know this, which a gather you are not. The use of salt has nothing to do with a lure being held on longer though it has everything to do with marketing.

Sassy Shad's are junk for swimming, they are better as a stationary bait with minimal action, like you use (finesse).
Wrong again. The paddle tail only moves at a certain retrieve speed and they aren't junk for swimming. I use to catch hundreds of fish in rivers and stream as well as lakes using them. Even now, I do better on them if I modify the lure by cutting off the belly to making it shimmy better. The lure's tail design includes a thin attachment to the tapered body, making allowing the paddle to vibrate the entire lure on the retrieve. It is not a finesse bait - it must be retrieved horizontally or jigged on bottom for it to have any action. Try using one before making those assertions.

the creatures in those pictures look even weirder than the Joker.
Finally a statement that is accurate. I would go further and assert that most lures look and act weird to fish, assuming they know the difference between weird and natural.

Please do yourself a favor and go Google "Zooplankton" and "Phytoplankton".
Fish don't target microscopic animals nor vegetation - most are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye. Before throwing around words, check their definitions. Neither have anything to do with what year-old fish eat and as far as what fish eat, you are referring to the more general biological classification - family (fish, insects, arthopods) - none of which must be mimicked at any time to catch fish.

Your bait mimics a minnow...it doesn't have to be a specific kind.
Do I have to go back and quote your previous statements that a specific fish species replica must be used?

You say you are a power fisherman.
While power fishing is mostly a reference to angling for bass, the principle also has relevance to casting for other freshwater species, particularly pickerel, pike, and muskies. If you mean putting your electric motor on a moderate speed, heading along the bank and casting to likely target after target after target - the meaning of power fishing - then you probably aren't catching too many pan fish - especially crappie. Again, learn the definitions of various presentations before throwing them around.

Thanks to all for bringing up all the fallacies, assumptions and misconceptions as regards to fishing and thereby allowing me to offer corrections that others visiting this site can decide the merit of each.

Well Spoon, in...reverse order!

First of all That's funny about your definition of Power Fishing...glad you looked it up Power Fishing on "About Sports" and copied it verbatim...I had a buddy that asked me about Power Fishing and said the same thing...when I asked him where he found the info, he said About Sports....amazing!
Power Fishing is basically just covering a lot of water and Moving a bait quickly....most of the time I am on the bank and move a lot, same in a boat, I will not stay in an area for more than 15 minutes, but I will come back to an area! I cover A lot of water and catch a lot of fish!

Your minnow mimics something in your area that the fish eat and recognize as food...either shape, size, action, or color!
My Lake is Shad dominant, minnow like baits are only used in the early part of the season for Crappie...until the shad spawn, then you need to use something that mimics a shad.

If you would Google Zooplankton and Phytoplankton, instead of blindly arguing, you would see that they are not all microscopic...some can be up to 4 inches long in freshwater...Amazing Huh! And Fish do still eat them! During the cold in Northern lakes, that is mainly what they subsist on, along with their fat!
The family is mainly what the larva/etc will grow into as an adult...some just stay as they are, forever! Some baits even mimic them for use during ice or slow presentation!

Zooplankton looks weird, no wonder they think the joker is edible...they just think the Joker is food and not going to hurt them...they eat segmented worms with 50 legs, why not one with 3 legs??
Most if not all lures, mimic a prey species, or a specific action of a prey species...good lures are ones you can impart even more differing actions that mimics forage....either making it look injured, dying, or fleeting...these are used to get fish, especially Crappie, to feed! I've never seen a mad Crappie, just a hungry one.

You can tell you have never used a good plastic swim-bait if you think a Sassy Shad is good...do yourself a favor and expand your horizons...I can send you some good ones, or buy another brand.
The tail and boot design is limited, they don't function with a slow or fast retrieve, which limits use...under a bobber and twitching is it's best attribute...if it was a good swimmer, you would also not have to modify it to be better...A good swim-bait can be used fast, medium, slow, under a bobber, on all rigs, and techniques!

For someone that "Makes Lures" your knowledge is limited, so I'll open your mind...salt doesn't just have to be Flour and Granular...you can also use a salt water solution that doesn't add density.
Both Salt and Sugar are used to help keep a lure in a fishes mouth longer...salt masks human scent and plastic smell, and all blood contains salt.
Too much salt softens and weakens plastic, that's just basic chemistry!
I made plastics most of my life, but found a Good company that can make exactly what I want and alot better!

Cranks are made to either mimic fish or craws and specific actions of each... action, color, size, shape, sound, smell, are all bait triggers to get then to bite and eat....the more bait triggers you can get into a single lure the better.
Curly tail grubs represent the size and shape of a swimming minnow/baitfish...every manufacturer will attest to that.
Spinners are nothing more than another example of a swimming flashing forage.
Coloration is used to Match the Hatch, or make the lure visible to fish...you have All kinds of Shad Patterns, all kinds of Craw Patterns, Frog Patterns, Baitfish Patterns, and bright patterns to attract the attention. You have ribs, spinners, vibration, tails, etc., for water movement/etc. to draw attention from a fishes lateral line.
These are just some triggers to get a fish to eat a fake lifeless meal!
Even Mr. Crappie, said that he uses High Vis Line during certain times, because a fish isn't going to notice my line when it is concentrating on my nice juicy lure that it wants to eat!
There are over 250 different species of minnows in the cyprinidae family....there are supposedly only 48 in your area...and they are all different kinds of colors, I'm sure fish know what ones are in their area, they call them FOOD! Maybe one MATCHES the different colors of lure that you use!

Fish are OPPORTUNISTIC, they prefer to feed on prey that will cause them no harm, are easy to catch, and little effort or energy is wasted. They will swim in a school of baitfish looking for the weak, injured, or an easy meal, they will follow until it is time to feed, or if a baitfish panics and makes a move from the school...this triggers a predator to eat...if they are FULL, they will suspend....Just like a Lion, predators are not considered a threat when they are not feeding, and the Herd/school can keep an eye on them....when it is feeding time the school/herd breaks away for their lives...only the strong survive!
Largemouth Bass have been associated with being provoked into biting...Largemouth Bass are just Apex predators that have an aggressive RAVENOUS appetite. Fish normally WILL NOT be aggressive towards others except under severe stress or at the Spawns...they DO NOT want to take a chance of getting hurt...and injured animal is a dead animal!
All you are doing with action is just provoking a trigger which tells a predator that this is an easy meal!

Thanks for playing along!

Moose award coming soon!

Well, there seems to have been countless hours of research on this subject. I certainly do not fault anyone for striving to get the most out of their hobby. Pleasure is derived in different ways by different people. Opinions vary, depending on the individual. That's a good thing. What works for someone in one area may not work in my area. Ridiculing another for their opinions, well that doesn't seem very intelligent. I take tips and advice, and sort through them to see if I can apply them to my area. Some are adapted and some are discarded. The fun to me is "figuring them out" on a given day. I can promise, no method is going to work the same on any given day. As for me, when the water and air temperature are cold, I use minnows. Also, I can say with authority, they resemble and smell / taste like a minnow!

All crappie baits have 2 stages in their life spans. The IF stage and the WHEN stage. It really doesn't make any difference "WHY" they hit any bait, "If" they hit it is the real goal. "If" they hit it and you say WOOOHOOO fish on!, you know that the bait has moved beyond the IF stage and to the WHEN stage. "When" you use a bait and it never moves past the "If" stage, that is "when" you change baits. Don't ask me "why" I know this.

No thanks are necessary. I've shared this bit of deep information which undoubtedly will make you a better crappie fisherman "IF" and "WHEN" you start using it.

Your Friend
RCC

Well, the only difference 'tween me and fish when it comes to eating is they don't have a cook. When I hear the blender running, I go look. When I smell the bacon, I go look. When I go by the cookie jar, I grab a cookie. etc., etc. My story and Ima sticking to it.

Just consider the title disclaimer : "theory" .... and consider it IS his "theory" (opinion) as it were ... and follow the unwritten rule of "Agree to disagree, with civility".

All we have are "theories" and "opinions", as NONE of us can think like a fish (since fish don't actually "think" , just instinctively react)

... cp

Originally Posted by Spoonminnow

The coincidence of the lure's similarity to a fish is beside the point.

Seriously, a coincidence? The bait that you are using to catch a FISH, just so happens to also look like a FISH, and that's a coincidence? WOW, I'm not smart enuff for this sport!