Every angler enjoys experimenting with a variety of lures to see exactly which ones are being hit on in the cool waters of the early morning, or during the heat of the day. Bib-less and bibbed lures offer a variety of opportunities for every fisherman when targeting a specific species.
Hard body lures are crafted in a variety of styles, shapes, colors and sizes. The first thing that any angler will notice is that lures look extremely different from one another. There are lures crafted from gaudy shapes, to lures that are drab in appearance, to lures created with a profile to resemble a variety of fish.
The Action
The type of action created by hard body lures is significantly different than many soft plastics and jigs. Some lures are designed specifically for ride action, where their movement tends to mimic some type of action like walking the dog. To the fish, this type of lure appears as though the baitfish is attempting to escape. Other types of bit lures are designed to create a vibration much like tight swimming motion, which produces much noise. Some are even crafted to produce a rattling sound while others use proven sonic attractors.
Floating Lures
Floating shallow lures are designed to dive around the edges of kelp. If the angler finds that their lure is becoming too close to underwater plant life, they can stop the motion to prevent the diving action, and allow the lure to float upwards to the water surface. Many anglers have been able to perfect the use of a floating shallow diving lure, in that they can easily follow the rock contours, and move the lure through kelp and other situations presented in a natural environment.
Many deep diving lures offer the same floating features but are designed to work at lower depths (20 to 30 feet) if rigged properly. Some anglers can even make their deep divers traverse even lower in the water after casting. They simply allow the lure to sink one or two minutes more before beginning the retrieving process. This type of lure works best for trolling for fish at deeper levels, such as snapper.
These types of lures work well on savvy fish that have seen every type of moving bait possible. Anglers that use hard body lures around other fisherman using soft bait options often see significantly more activity.
No Mess and No Smell
Hard body lures tend to create much less mess over other baiting material. Avoiding the need to use soft baits and stink baits, provides a fishing experience with no mess and no smell. However, there are hard body options that include a scent system to provide an extra level of attraction. Some anglers enjoy incorporating a shrimp-colored tablet attached to the bottom of the lure as a way to produce one more enticement for the fish.
The main criticism to using a hard body lure is the cost, as compared to other types of bait. Many quality lures can cost anywhere from $15 – $45, and higher, just for a single unit. While this might seem expensive, landing lots of fish on a single lure tends to minimize its overall expense. Over time, even the most expensive lure can cost significantly less over a large amount of soft bait. In the meantime, have a look at some recommended lures for ultralight fishing.
When fishing in a familiar spot, or in new waters, locating the correct bait is usually the biggest challenge, especially when the fish appear not to be biting. While some anglers might be experiencing high results using soft bait, and others catching more with a hard body lure, only by understanding the fish in the surrounding waters, is it possible to know which type of bait to use. Hard body lures offer every angler an easy way to produce twisting actions, and lures that have the ability to mimic a wounded or slow baitfish.
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