Loch Pickers

Uncovering the mysteries of reservoir fishing

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The definitive list of lures

We’ve all been there. You’ll be searching the Internet and forums looking for advice on what’s working and what’s not when it comes to lures. Then, halfway through the article, you are inundated with a bunch of colloquial terms that you can’t visualize.

“Wait–what’s the difference between a tube bait and a soft plastic? Isn’t a crankbait and a jerkbait the same thing? Is crawldad even a real lure?!”

So, we’ve decided to develop an exhaustive reference guide for you to use, so the next time you come across information from others on the lure that’s killin’ it on your lake right now, you’ll know definitively what they’re referring to; and more importantly, what’s missing from your tackle box!

We will continue to update this article as necessary. For starters, however, we’ve identified the basic, go-to lures you should know.

Soft Plastics

These plastic or rubber lures have low durability, but are sought out for their lifelike action and broad variety.

Worms

Set of soft plastic worms

Worms are a great lure for any conditions and any time of year. These will come in a variety of lengths, colors, and thicknesses. There are several ways they can be rigged and used, and are always a great option for catching a variety of fish.

Most popular brands: Gary Yamamoto Senko, Berkley Gulp, Yum, Zoom

Swimmers

Pack of soft plastic swimmer baits

These lures are made in the image of various swimming creatures such as fish, crayfish, salamanders, and frogs. Their success lies in imitating creatures that are naturally found in the environment.

Most popular brands: Lunker City, Lake Fork, Berkley Powerbait

Grubs

Soft plastic grub fishing lure

These low priced lures come in a variety of colors that make them usable in a variety of applications. A small curved tail gives them a wiggle action that attracts several species of fish.

Most popular brands: Mister Twister, Berkley Powerbait, Southern Pro

Tubes

fishing tube baits

These squid-like lures, also called gitzits, are somewhat of a cross between a worm and a grub. Often used as drop baits, they have several small tails that give them a unique action that will draw fish out of their hiding places.

Most popular brands: Gary Yamamoto, Berkley Havoc, Dry Creek Outfitters

Jigs

Skirted jig fishing lure

Jigs are top-heavy lures that are made to “dance” through the water. They come with a variety of features such as weed guards, skirts, and rattles. These lures are great for reaching the depths in a hurry and attracting fish with their noise.

Most popular brands: Booyah, Jewel Bait, Strike King

Crankbaits

These lures are often made of wood or plastic and take action as you crank your reel.

Plugs

Rapala fishing plug lure

Also called stick baits, these fish like lures are made to dive to specified depths and take on a variety of actions. Some swim smoothly, some are jerky, and some are made to imitate an injured fish. These lures drive fish crazy, but are most likely to snag or get stuck in the weeds.

Most popular brands: Rapala, Strike King, Yo-ziri, Livetarget

Poppers

Popper topwater fishing lure

These floating lures are made to ripple the surface of the water and create a “popping” sound to attract fish. These are a great option when the fish are breaching the water around you.

Most popular brands: Rapala, Strike King, Rebel, Yo-ziri, Livetarget

Spinners

A touch of metal is the main feature of these types of lures, giving them both a shine and a spinning action.

Spoons

spoon fishing lure

This simple spinner involves a weighted, curved piece of metal with a trailing hook. It will spin and weave through the water to attract a variety of fish.

Most popular brands: Blue Fox, South Bend, Northland Tackle, Daredevle, Luhr Jensen

Inline Spinners

Inline spinner fishing lure, also known as a rooster tail

Often paired with a feathery tail, these lures have a treble hook with a metal propeller-like blade in the lead.

Most popular brands: Mepps, Yakima, Blue Fox

Spinner bait

Fishing spinnerbait lure

Also called “safety pins” for their angular shape, these popular lures feature a skirted hook with a metal spinner hovering on a separate branch. They are great for both cranking and jigging, and work in a variety of depths.

Most popular brands: Strike King, Booyah, War Eagle

Buzz Bait

Buzz-bait topwater fishing lure

These are similar to spinner baits, but feature an angled, propeller-like spinning blade that gives it a “buzz” as it moves through the water. These lures are designed to work on, or near the surface.

Most popular brands: Hart Tackle, Strike King, Booyah

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Understanding fish behavior

First, let’s make something clear: understanding fish behavior cannot be mastered in a vacuum. That means we need to first learn how external factors influence fish behavior. Sure, there are unique characteristics of different breeds of fish, but we won’t spend a lot of time on that, aside from a mention or two. Our focus will be educating you on how to read the myriad of forces in and around a lake to make a decision on where to go, what to tackle to use, and which techniques will be most successful.

It’s gettin’ hot in here

In general, as water temperatures rise, fish become more active. This is most evident during spring, because fish move out of hibernation to begin feeding and spawning. Use this information to target warmer bodies of water where fish migrate, which tend to be the shallower waters found in the northern part of lakes. As expected, this strategy is inverted during the summer months, when excessive heat becomes a detriment. Fish seek shade and cooler temperatures in structure and in deeper parts of the lake. Look for steep drop-offs and holes in the topography.

Outside of the larger, more gradual temperature increases due to seasonal changes, anglers should also understand the impact of micro-increases in water temperature on fish behavior. Small, incremental changes in temperature throughout the day can also trigger fish to become much more active. So, something as simple as a cloudy morning followed by a sunny afternoon can be the difference between being “skunked” and landing a trophy bass. Anglers should anticipate these weather patterns and plan accordingly. Other environmental factors that alter water temperature are its composition and clarity. Dirty water can retain more heat from the sun, causing it to warm up faster. Look to the northern parts of the lake and target tributaries, which push runoff, following rainy conditions.

Breeding, feeding, defense and offense

Fish rely on instinct, not any sort of cognitive thinking. This means they react to their natural calling to breed, feed, and protect. Sure different species have variations in their senses, but overall, fish are led by these basic principles and learning how to read them can give you a huge advantage when fishing. In short, anglers need to learn three key terms:

Pre-spawn

Fish are slowly becoming more active after months of hibernation, meaning they will be hungry. Before they look to mate in the shallower waters, fish will be looking to replenish their energy. The bite can be ferocious in pre-spawn, and often leads to some of the largest catches of the year; however, fish can be fickle and the natural instability in weather during this time of year can lead to feast or famine.

Spawn

immediately following mating, a fish’s natural instinct is to protect its young–fertilized eggs in nests. It’s not the best time of fishing, and most anglers hate it. All’s not lost, however: as once you find a nest area, usually in deep in coves in shallow waters, you can use lures to draw a defensive, reactionary bite.

Post-spawn

Some of the best fishing of the year can be following the spawn, known as post-spawn. This is the recuperation phase for the fish, so they aren’t nearly as aggressive as pre-spawn. Fish are typically still in the shallows, preparing for the dog-days of summer, when they move to deeper water and grassy ambush areas. In the interim, hunting for pockets of bait fish and working the edges leads to the most success.

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Learn the best time of year to fish

Whether spring, summer, or fall, anglers need to understand how the time of year affects all things fishing.

As expected, each season carries with it its own rewards and challenges. For example, do you know where fish go when they spawn? Do you know what time of year they spawn? Are they feeding during this time? Learning how the fish interact with the nature around them during the different seasons can quickly make you look like a pro angler, whether battling the cold/snow or fighting the heat and sun.

1. Fall

In fall, look for big-game fish lurking in shallow waters in coves; especially ones with nice shelves

Overall the best, yet most challenging time of year for fishing. The fish enjoy the cooler temperatures creeping in and become much more active. Additionally, they are acutely aware of the upcoming winter hibernation and need to stock up accordingly. Fall represents the most traditional fishing, where anglers can look for big-game fish lurking in shallow waters in coves; especially ones with nice shelves and deeper centers that link to the main channel of the lake

2. Spring

Look for structure in shallow water in spring for the best fishing.

In short, the spring fishing season starts out incredibly slow, followed by a rush of action, finally finishing with a plateau. As the water heats up, the fish (cold-blooded animals, mind you) become more mobile in their environment. Energy and food has been conserved to survive the winter season, so as they continue to move about more and more, looking for food to replace all of the energy burned during hibernation, you will benefit from the results. Look for flat coves in the shallower, northern parts of the lake where fish migrate and begin their seasonal spawn.

3. Summer

In spring, look for grass and structure at the edge of shelves leading to steep drop-offs into deeper water

What would do you do out in the middle of a large lake in the heat of summer? That’s right, hide from the sun. And fish are no different. As the temperature heats up, so does the water; especially the surface. In the midst of summer, surface temperatures of water on reservoirs can easily reach over 90 degrees F. Fish find these temperatures as uncomfortable as we do, and they seek shade the only way they know how: dive deeper. Water at greater depths can be nearly 40% cooler than surface temperatures. Look for grass and structure at the edge of shelves leading to steep drop-offs into deeper water. These are perfect areas for fish to ambush prey.

4. Winter

Fish suspend in deeper waters in winter, so look for channels at the edge of coves

Fear not, winter is not a total loss. Sure, the fish are far from active like in spring and fall, but fishing can still be rewarding. Big and slow is the name of the game, here. The fish will feed, but it has to be worth the effort and energy expelled in the chase. Don’t be afraid to retrieve your deep-sinking lures and baits over a 3-5 minute period, leaving plenty of time for those large cows to strike. Fish suspend in deeper waters, so look for channels at the edge of coves.