Why Many Of The Most Realistic Saltwater Lures Don’t Work…
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
Let’s face it, fish are NOT attracted to the same things that attract us fishermen in store…
We get a lot of anglers asking us about many of these “super realistic” looking inshore saltwater fishing lures.
And we try them all…
But truth is, most (but not all) of them don’t work very well.
In fact, some of these crazy realistic lures flat-out don’t work at all!
And yet, they are some of the most expensive.
So I brought the fishing coaches to talk about this phenomenon.
We covered:
- Some of the best (and worst) realistic lures out there
- What attracts fish vs. what attracts fishermen
- What some of the best lures in the world are — and how laughably unrealistic they look
- And much more
You can watch the video version of this podcast below (which I definitely recommend), listen to the audio version by clicking the play button underneath it, or listen to it on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify.
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The Truth About Realistic Fishing Lures [VIDEO]
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The Truth About Realistic Fishing Lures [PODCAST]
Note: Don’t forget to subscribe to the Salt Strong podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, or Spotify and leave us a review!
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Related Podcasts:
- HOW TO FIND 90% OF ALL FEEDING FISH IN YOUR AREA (90/10 FISHING RULE)
- SPRING SLAMS: WHERE, WHEN, & HOW TO CATCH INSHORE SLAMS THIS SPRING
Here’s a timestamped table of contents from our conversation about realistic-looking lures:
0:06 – The problem with realistic lures
1:19 – The biggest realistic lure disappointments we’ve all had
7:54 – The problem with realistic vs. boring-looking lures
9:07 – What matters more than looks
16:16 – How water clarity affects the performance of realistic-looking lures
17:34 – Justin’s story about catching big beach snook off Sanibel
20:50 – Luke’s experiment on gold spoons vs. white spoons
23:04 – The trend for tried and true hard baits
24:49 – Gotcha plugs for mackerel
26:08 – Tony and Luke’s m0st unrealistic lure the catch fish with
34:17 – An easy tool we’re working on to help you decide which lures and equipment to use
39:10 – Luke shares some awesome underwater trout footage
43:32 – Wyatt and his black eye make a late entrance!
Conclusion
Here’s what really matters when it comes to lures catching fish: action!
The twitch of a jerk shad or wobble of a gold spoon are so much effective at catching fish than the look of an ultra realistic lure.
So stick with basic, proven lures and don’t buy lures that are designed to catch fishermen, not fish!
Here are some of our favorites:
What’s your best realistic lure story?
Let me know down in the comments!
And if you know someone who loves buying lures that don’t work, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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Could you please recommend a two piece medium heavy spin casting rod?
Is there any way that you could include a summary, so that there would be an option to spending 48 minutes on this ?
Really liked the underwater video of the trout striking at trolled lure, and this info on how overall appearance does not seem to matter as much as tail action.
Considering those two facts, why do most pros object to using a snap swivel to connect the hook to the leader? Since the fish strike from below and behind, they would never even see the snap swivel. And the snap makes it a lot faster and easier for us old guys to change lures.
Thanks.
Thanks for the cameo Wyatt.
I will say some lures I spend money on glide baits I have had days with hybrid strippers in fresh water where s wavers and similar glide baits so $15-30 lures were outperforming anything else.
It seems to me that predators go for the weak and/or injured (easier targets).
In NC, fishing bourbon colored clear water. The mullet skin mirro series performs consistently. It will at times out perform many other patterns. The logic I believe that I sought was in matching the hatch the shine from the broken glass or other finishes is too excessive. I think the mullet skin aspect is potentially irrelevant, instead the matte finish is the defining factor.
Excellent discussion. I am GUILTY as charged of buying baits that don’t work. Consistently my best overall producer are the Zman paddletails. I wish I could have the success you guys have had with the Crusty Crabs for Sheepies. I have not had any success with them. No live bait, no sheepies for me anyway.
I had good success with the savage gear 1 inch blue or mud crab for sheepshead even when they wouldn’t hit live shrimp.
Fantastic tips guys! My all time favorite lure before joining Salt Strong, in Florida, in many different locations and conditions is the Johnson Sprite gold spoon. I still keep a rod rigged up with one and use it when all others fail to get strikes. Thanks for all of your knowledge!!
I used to slam the Walleyes up in WI with the McDonald’s straw – always have one in the tackle box! Great show guys – thank you!