After reading Kit’s recent article on being a “Lure-Aholic” I could not help but think about the many times I have been asked certain questions regarding lures: “What is the best lure to catch (such and such) a fish with?” or “What lure works the best in that area?” So what do you answer? What does this “One” lure look like? What is it that “The One” lure should have? A Specific color maybe? Or is it a specific action? What about size? Does it really matter?
Well the lure manufacturing companies, for one, would hate to know what exactly “The One” magic lure is; after all they manufacture lures to make profit. According to the advertisements you see, every lure available on the market is suppose to be “The One.” Though choice there must be millions of fishing lures on the market. Walking into a fishing shop for us guys must be like walking into a shoe shop for the ladies. You know you don’t need another pair but there is an empty spot that needs filling. Take care now!
I have many times seen Lures catching a lot more fishermen than actual fish. Beware everything that shines is not always gold. Select wisely!
Colors
A few years ago I was preparing to go on a Fly fishing trip to Inhaca Island of Mozambique. I was getting some information on flies to use and was told by one of the outfitters “That if it is not Chartreuse it has no use!” Thus recommending that I should only fish with Chartreuse and white flies. A few seasons later preparing for a trip to the Seychelles I was told that White and Tan flies should be the only flies I take, it also came with an “I guarantee you.”
A friend of mine who Fly-Fishes for billfish off the Kenya coast, said “You can bring any color fly to Kenya, as long as it is Pink!” Is this a personal preference or actual fact?
That only certain colors work in certain areas? Fishing for Dorado’s (mahi-mahi or Dolphin fish) I think you should never be without a pink lure. They seem to love the color, however a few seasons ago I used a blue and green Yozuri Hydro pencil and out fished all the pink lures put together. I landed my best fish of Inhaca with a blue and white fly, in the Seychelles I landed various Gt’s on Chartreuse and blue and white flies. So now what? There is however more to a lure than just the right color.
Action
What other characteristics should “The One” lure we are all looking for have? Could it be that there exists just such a lure? Take a recent trip to the Musandam Northern Oman. We came across a school of feeding 
Queenfish. I tried my luck with a deadly small Yozuri stick bait that I landed a 30kg GT on a few weeks before. I worked with short jerks on the rod that make the lure move for side to side. Irresistible! But not this time. I changed to a popper and worked it back to the boat creating lots of splashes another guaranteed fail-safe action. But still had no luck.
Werner my fishing partner was into his second fish and had numerous missed strikes. He was fishing a plain white, very unassuming looking, needle nose plug. What is ‘The One’ thing a lure needs to be special?
There was no special way of working the lure or making it pop, or dance or walk the dog. Just a simple cast and fast retrieve. I changed to one and was into a fish immediately. We landed a lot of fish between the two of us and Allan or fishing partner for the day. We even managed a triple hookup all using the same needle nose plug ending up with three different species of fish.
So was the lack of action of the needle nose plug “The One” thing that made it stand out? Another example of the importance of movement was when we where fishing in the Musandam on a slack tide throwing drop shots (soft plastic) close to the rocks. Nick and I were using identical outfits, Shimano Aero cast rods and Shimano reels, same make and color of braid line and even using the same 5 inch Riptide Jerk Shad. However he was getting a lot more hookups than me.
I was a bit bemused at my skills or the lack thereof. I could not work out why until Nick showed me the Nitro Jig head he was using. It looked totally different from the one I used and caused his bait to behave a lot more erratic on the retrieve. I “begged” for a sample and low and behold the strike rate improved. Could this be “The One thing”?
Does size matter?
Fact or fiction: Big lures catch big fish. I too believed this but was politely told by a friend of mine; “Never forget that elephants sometimes eat peanuts”. This is especially true when you fish for tuna.
I have many times been in a situation where huge schools of tuna bust schools of tiny sprats or anchovies. It is so frustrating to make cast after cast to these busting fish without them even taking a second look at your lure. Fresh water fly fishermen refer to this as “matching the hatch”, basically matching the fly you use to the insect life in the water. Be that, caddis flies, crass hoppers, beetles, larva, flying ants or small baitfish. This is an important part of lure fishing. Pay attention to what color and size the bait are; look at their the movement in the water and try and find the lure that match this. When it comes to “The One” thing that makes for a great lure this is a must, in a case like this “size does matter!” So fellow Lure-Aholics and guys looking for that “One” special lure; it is a myth there exists no such “One” lure to catch all fish. Each situation you will be faced with as angler may call for a different size, color or action of lure. What works today might not work tomorrow. The most exciting part is to find all this out by trying over and over. Mistakes are limited by experience but experience only comes from making mistakes. Now go to the shop and spend that hardearned cash on some new flashy looking lures, I know there is an empty spot in your tackle box!
Published in July 2011
