Maybe superstition isn't so bad - who knows except the fish?!

[Spoonminnow]

superstition - a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation

I must admit that I indulge in a bit of superstition when it comes to lure choice. A tried & true lure speaks for itself in the numbers of fish caught over time. The skirted jig & trailer are one of my best bass lures, no question, but what about skirt and trailer color, trailer design and skirt fullness? Years ago when only living rubber was the only skirt material, I opted for solid black and black/blue but never white. Not too many years ago I noticed that anglers reported in BASS magazine the use of white skirts and trailers. To this day I have no desire to use a white skirt - a superstition on my part.

But then comes along a skirt jig tyer's dream - silicone skirts in more colors than you can imagine, in more patterns and flake colors. Goodbye black and just another superstition that one skirt material is or could be superior to the another, that if I remember correctly, caught large numbers of bass. As usual, the confidence factor is a big one - no confidence in a lure = no fish caught on it (unless your buddy slays them with it). And though we have confidence in a lure and chose it for reasons we believe it catches fish, doesn't mean those reasons are true or anything but hollow speculation. I know this is a crappie forum but the idea is the same for lure choice in general. As a lure-ologist - one who studies which lure designs do best and possible reasons they outperform, I am fortunate to live near lakes I can experiment using many different soft plastic lure designs in different colors.

I don't dwell on a fish's IQ (which is zero) as to why it strikes. As I posted recently, fish are reactive when sense overload is achieved by certain lure attributes. I don't care what the lure is or how it moves as long as it provokes a fish to bite and maybe bite multiple times until getting hooked (IE a fish that's on speed!) Natural looking is just another superstition many believe is appreciated by fish that don't know natural from supernatural and almost always tend to strike unnatural looking and moving lures. But what is it that causes them to strike? That's where trial & error proves once and for all the false claims about some lures as compared to those that get fish to strike. No superstition there!

But after all is said and done, I still have preferences when it comes to specific colors for specific lure designs and need not look further - unless of course I need to prove most colors work for a design. In that case, I'll cast many colors in one lure type once I'm on fish just to prove that action speaks louder than color.

I still have a color superstition when it comes to certain soft plastics. When casting minnow shaped lures, I can't go wrong with translucent water melon with black and gold flakes. Pearl is also acceptable. But then again so is solid pink and solid or translucent chartreuse anything but black. (Strange since I have caught many bass using black Mr Twister grubs.) But one thing about having confidence in a lure is that I seem to unconsciously impart a special action to it that ends up catching different species of fish. It seems the rational mind ignores all the reasons or superstitions I have for using the lure, but part of my brain instructs my hand to work it just right regardless.

Nice that fish have no clue why we cast lures just as long as they have no reason - period!

[Ketchn]

lots of folks wonder why I show up to the lake with only 2 or 3 colors and baits in my pocket , they ask questions like you already decided what they are going to bite today ?
but in my case it isn't superstition at all , its about one of these 3 will do it , the ole confidence factor .... I can make them bite one of these is how I look at it .

[Spoonminnow]

"they ask questions like you already decided what they are going to bite today ?
but in my case it isn't superstition at all , its about one of these 3 will do it , the ole confidence factor .... I can make them bite one of these is how I look at it ."

Same for me. I have ideas why they work, but know they work every time fish are found that can be provoked. Once I find a lure shape with a certain action that catches fish, it's added to my list of lures that can always be depended on and that list turning out to be more opened ended the more lures I fish.

Take the Crappie Magnet. It's not the double tail that comes to a point that makes fish bite; it's the basic cone shaped tail that quivers and allows the darting action fish of all species go nuts for. Suggesting that the action/shape is a bait fish to crappie IS superstition based on nothing except one's imagination. Before I even heard of the Magnet, I inadvertently made a lure that looked like bullet, rigged it on a 1/16 oz ball head jig and on the first cast - a big perch! The lure design has accounted for over 300 fish and is at the top of the list of designs I can count on regardless of color.



When I find close similarities between lures, I make sure catching fish with them isn't a fluke and cast then again on different outings. I've reduced my superstitions down to a few; the rest is just ignorance or inexperience using certain lures certain ways. In fact, when I open my box of lures I can always count on, I don't ask, "which lure will work today?", but instead, " which lure should I chose that I know I will catch fish with?."

[ozarks ranger]

First , on the way to the lake look to see if the cows are up eating 2nd and most important take all change out of your pocket ?


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[Spoonminnow]

I have a pair of lucky underwear guaranteed to make a trip worthwhile. Hopefully they're still clean after a few days!

[wannabe fisherman]

I have a pair of lucky underwear guaranteed to make a trip worthwhile. Hopefully they're still clean after a few days!

[Spoonminnow]

I guess at this stage in the game color really doesn't matter...

[wbrad01]

No


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[sinkermaker]

Good read thanks

[feelay]

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