The Right Lure: Part 1: Soft Bodied Lures

Worms: Primarily used for Bass fishing, these are designed to mimic live worms. 

Most popular rigging methods are:

• Texas Rig for pitching and flipping into heavy cover, when bass are holding tight to structure
• Carolina Rig for search and discovery fishing in open areas, keeps bait just off the bottom.
• Wacky Rig for finesse presentation when fish are being very picky.
• Drop Shot Rig for when you need to present the bait at a specific depth but want the freedom to create action on the lure.
• Ned Rig allows the bait to stand straight up on the bottom imitating foraging bait. A go-to when nothing else is triggering bites.  

Lizards: Designed to imitate any lizard shape. They are very popular when fishing for Bass, Gar, Crappie, Bluegill, Bowfin and Catfish when fishing ponds or lakes. They are especially effective during spawning season when Bass are on their beds. Lizards eat Bass eggs so using a lizard type lure, will trigger aggressive defensive strikes. 

Fish using Carolina Rig for working the bottom and covering large areas of water.

• Texas Rig to pitch and flip or drag around structure and heavy vegetation.
• Split Shot Rig for finesse fishing in clear, open water.

Swimbait/Paddle Tail: The most versatile soft plastic lure, it is widely popular with freshwater and saltwater anglers. As the lure moves through the water, the boot shaped tail creates vibration to alert fish while the body wobbles side-to-side giving it a highly realistic presentation. A broader flatter paddle creates a harder thump and wide body roll while a narrower tail creates higher frequency vibrations.

• Can be rigged on a weighted jig head or without, weedless or as a trailer on a chatterbait. 
• Can be fished anywhere in the water column, in all types of water. The rig you choose decides. 
• Match the lure size to the baitfish in the water for higher strike opportunities. Small lures catch smaller fish, bigger lures catch bigger fish. Unnaturally large bait, will make fish skeptical. 
• Match the jig head to the size of the lure to keep it as natural appearing as possible. 
• Work best when bait are present. A great search bait and for covering a lot of water. 

• Retrieval options are highly versatile making them great for anglers of all skill levels. Can be fished with a simple, steady retrieve, can be jigged or used in lift and drop style. 

Chunk body vs Slick Body Paddle Tail:

• Chunk bodies are rounder and thicker providing a tighter body wobble and more restrained vibration offering a more subtle presentation. 
• Slick/Slim bodies produce less resistance, allowing the tail to kick and shimmy freely creating a more exaggerated, erratic action. 

Ribbed Bodied and Circular Tail: 

• Ribbed bodied swimbaits not only create vibrations in the water but also generate tiny air bubbles to draw attention as it swims. 
• Flat circular tails create an exaggerated body wobble and an attention-grabbing thump.

• Can be rigged on a weighted jig head or without, weedless or as a trailer on a chatterbait. 
• Can be fished anywhere in the water column, in all types of water. The rig you choose decides. 
• Match the lure size to the baitfish in the water for higher strike opportunities. Small lures catch smaller fish, bigger lures catch bigger fish.
• Match the jig head to the size of the lure to keep it as natural appearing as possible.
• Work best when fishing areas that are over pressured, fish are lethargic or uninterested.
• Designed to maintain a natural swimming motion at any speed makes retrieval options highly versatile. Can be fished with a simple, steady retrieve, can be jigged or used in lift and drop style. A great option for anglers of all skill levels. 

Jerkbait/Fluke/Forktail: Popular in fresh and saltwater fishing, this is a highly effective finesse lure that is best used in calmer waters. While they perform well in murky conditions, they are deadly in clear, shallow water. The fork tail creates a more subtle, erratic presentation than the heavy vibration of a paddle tail that may spook fish in calmer conditions. 

• Can be rigged on a weighted jig head for vertical fishing for bottom feeders or unweighted for horizontal fishing closer to the surface.
• Can be rigged on a dropshot or Carolina rig for bouncing on bottom or paired with a bucktail as a trailer. 
• Match the lure size to the baitfish in the water for higher strike opportunities. 
• Match the jig head to the size of the lure to keep it as natural appearing as possible. 
• Works best in shallow, calm and clear water, grass beds, sandy bottom, near drop offs, also effective in inlets and the surf. 
• Retrieve with a "twitch twitch pause" pattern for a tempting, natural presentation.

Stickbaits: Sometimes referred to as a Senko (the original brand to introduce them), soft stickbait lures are similar to worms in shape, long and cylindrical, most are infused with salt and attractant. Soft stickbaits are highly effective when targeting Bass and can be rigged multiple ways to achieve success under a variety of conditions. 

• Weightless Texas Rig for snagging shallow bass hiding in structure, under lily pads, in weeds or under docks. 
• Weighted Texas Rig uses a bullet shaped worm weight to reach deeper cover. Great for docks, downed trees and thick vegetation.
• Wacky Rig for offering utilizing irresistible body action. Can be used weedless or not depending on the amount of cover. 
• Neko Rig to fish on bottom creating a natural foraging presentation.
• Ned Rig for bottom fishing when fish are being extremely stubborn. 
• Shaky Rig when waters are cooler. Finesse fish the bottom to attract attention.

Creature Baits: Designed to mimic the look and movement of crawfish, lizards, snakes and insects, these are a highly versatile lure type for freshwater and saltwater fishing. They swim with an erratic flailing motion generated by freely moving appendages drawing heavy reaction bites during bass spawn. When saltwater fishing, use when targeting bottom foraging species like Redfish, Black Drum or Sheepshead that are targeting crabs, shrimp or any small crustacean. 

Toads: Designed to mimic toads and frogs, they are a great lure for catching Bass, Pike, Snakehead, Bowfin and Warmouth Sunfish. Use in shallow cover - grass, lily pads and reeds. Their elongated legs and paddle-like feet create quite the commotion triggering reactive strikes. 

• Make sure your toad is rigged to swim straight. 
• Retrieval speed can vary, but must be constant. This not only keeps it from sinking to the bottom but also allows the legs to create attention grabbing vibrations in the water.
• Work great as a trailer on a buzzbait

Tubes: Sometimes referred to as the "old man lure", the design has been around for a long time and this less often talked about lure is highly effective. Designed to mimic bugs, baitfish, craws, and variety of other commonly found bait, tube swimbaits can have either a hollow body core or a solid body core or a combination of both. This makes them internally weighted and effects their swim action. Tubes have tentacles on one end that flare and pulsate as the bait falls and is retrieved. There are a handful of different ways they can be fished.

Tubes are also great for saltwater fishing when targeting bottom-hugging species like Grouper, Redfish, Fluke and Halibut. Perfect for fishing around structure, drifting over reefs and hopping across rocky drop-offs or oyster bars.

• Particularly popular with Small Mouth Bass, Crappie, Panfish and Steel Head Trout.
• Can be used on a Drop Shot Rig, Texas Rig or jig. Drag them, jerk them, twitch them, or even suspend under a bobber. Rigging options are endless.
• Rig backwards for a presentation similar to a skirted jig

Grubs/Slugs: A classic swimbait, they have a plump, ribbed body with a thin curly tail, sometimes being more flat than curly or sometimes split. The tail action is what makes them super attractive to Bass, Walleye and Crappie, among others. On retrieval, the tail creates an eye catching flutter as well as vibration, mimicking fleeing, injured, or lethargic baitfish. 

• Rig on a standard jighead.
• Bounce along the bottom or cast out with a steady retrieve.
• Work great as a trailer on a spinnerbait.
• Slow movement makes them great for colder waters. Highly effective when water is very clear and fish are over pressurized.

Curly Tail: Similar to a grub in that they typically have a long curly like tail, they differ in body shape. Curly Tail lures tend to look more like an actual fish. The body is short, thick and minnow-like with a sickle shaped tail. Tail action is very similar to a grub with flutters and wiggles creating lifelike swim action and attention grabbing vibrations.

Curly tails are also highly effective in saltwater fishing when targeting Redfish, Sea Trout, Flounder and Snook. Use in warm to moderate water when fish are reluctant or lethargic, when a softer, more subtle approach is needed.

• Multiple rigging options: Jighead, Texas Rig, or as a trailer on a spinnerbait or chatterbait
• Highly effective in stained water when fish are very active.
• In finesse-style fishing, smaller versions are highly effective in colder waters when the bait is smaller. 

Shrimp: Designed to mimic live shrimp, they feature segmented bodies, legs and antennae. Being the primary source of food for many saltwater gamefish, artificial shrimp are a fantastic lure when targeting Snook, Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Flounder and Tarpon. 

• Rig under a popping cork and twitch the lure to simulate a suspended, clicking shrimp. 
• Jig or drag along the bottom using short, sharp snaps to imitate a panicked, fleeing shrimp
• Can be rigged weedless to prevent snags when fishing grass flats, skipping under docks or dragging through heavy structure

Trailers: Many anglers will use soft plastic lures as trailers on hard lures for enhanced action. This also gives the added benefit of adding weight to a soft plastic lure while adding additional flash, noise or vibrations that a standard fishing weight would not offer. Trailers offer something else for the fish to hone in on, bulk up the lure so it appears bigger and allows you to add your own color choices to the hard lure.