The Right Lure: Part 2: Hard-Bodied Lures

• Highly effective in both saltwater and freshwater.
• They are designed to be cranked for a slow and steady retrieve.
• Square bills are preferred for shallow, rocky or woody environments.
• Long bills are preferred for deeper water.
• Lipless will sink on their own and are typically used for grass and colder water.

Effective when targeting: Largemouth, Smallmouth and Spotted Bass, Walleye, Pike, Musky, Bluegill, Crappie, Yellow Perch, Trout, Salmon, Tarpon, Redfish, Snook, Striped Bass, Bluefish, Seatrout and many more

Topwater Lures: Used to fish the surface for action filled, aggressive strikes. Top water lures include walking baits, poppers, prop baits, crawlers, buzz baits, frogs and darters. Top water lures are retrieved on the surface creating noise and splashes making them really enticing. They are generally equipped with one or more treble hooks to increase the likelihood of a solid hook up.

When Saltwater fishing, use to target Redfish, Snook, Seatrout, Striped Bass, Tarpon, Jack Crevalle and Bluefish. 
In Freshwater, use to target Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Pike, Muskie, Bluegill and Crappie.

• Use when fish are active and aggressive.
• Cast long distances along heavy cover - grass lines, dock lines, tree and mangrove lines - in shallow water to trigger aggressive reaction bites.
• Due to the amount of noise and vibration they create, can be used in deeper water to draw fish from the bottom.
  

Jerkbait: Characterized by (and named after) a "jerk-pause" retrieve, jerkbaits create an erratic darting motion. They typically are designed as a slender, minnow-shaped, hard-bodied lure. Many are fitted with a lip or bill to assist with diving depth and dart action. Many can be found with internal metal ball bearings that slide to the tail when being cast to provide maximum distance, and then roll forward into place when the lure hits the water. Some also include internal chambers that emit sound (rattles) and vibration to attract fish. 

Highly versatile, hard-bodied jerkbaits are highly effective in both saltwater and freshwater for a variety of target species. 

Glidebaits: A hard-bodied lure with a single hinge (or joint) in the middle that allows the lure to swing back and forth creating a wide, graceful "S-Shape" swim action. The tail swing causes the lure to change direction when being swam. This combined with the undulation of the lure, perfectly imitates injured or fleeing fish, making it ideal when targeting large, predatory fish. 

• Glidebait's typically start at 4" and can be seen up to 10-12" long. Be prepared to use with heavier gear.
• Retrieve slowly for a realistic swim with or without pauses. A short pause will allow the lure to change direction making it present as injured or fleeing prey.
  
• Due to their size, they are highly effective at drawing Bass, Pike and Musky from under cover or from long distances. 
• When saltwater fishing, they are great when targeting Snook, Redfish, Speckled Trout and Striped Bass.

Jointed Crankbait: Similar to a glidebait in that it has at least one joint allowing the tail to create an exaggerated swim action, jointed crankbaits are smaller and feature a diving lip. In addition to creating a wild back-and-forth movement even at slow speeds, the body can also emit a clicking or knocking noise as the hard sections knock against each other while swimming. This helps draw attention and antagonize finicky fish triggering aggressive reaction strikes. 

• Use when fish are shy or sluggish.
• Great for murky water, low light or even at night. Increased vibration and noise give fish something to hone in on when visibility is low. 
• Retrieval is straightforward, slowly reel in with no twitching or jerks needed. 

Spoons: A metal, concave lure shaped like the bowl of a spoon. Their curved design creates an erratic, wobbling motion to mimic wounded or fleeing baitfish and their polished or plated surfaces create a flash and mimic fish scales. Spoons come in a variety of colors to suit different water and light conditions. 

There are several basic types of spoons: 
• Casting Spoons: Heavier for long distance casting and faster retrieval.
• Trolling Spoons: Lighter design for fluttering behind a boat.
• Jigging Spoons: Thick and heavy for vertical fishing in deep water.
• Top Water Spoons: A more buoyant design often made of plastic or wood meant to be fished on the surface.
• Weedless Spoons: Equipped with a wire guard preventing the hook from snagging when fishing thick vegetation.

As for color choice: 
• Silver/Chrome work best in clear water and bright, sunny days maximizing on the natural reflection
• Gold/Copper work best for murky, stained water or heavily overcast days where a warm flash and contrast stand out. 

Spoons excel at targeting tons of species in both fresh and saltwater, offshore and inshore. 

Saltwater: Redfish, Snook, Speckled Trout, Flounder, Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Mahi-Mahi, Tuna and others.
Freshwater: Northern Pike, Muskie, Walleye, Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Trout, Salmon, Crappie, Yellow Perch and others.

Spinnerbaits: A bent wire with a spinning blade on one end and a weighted lure with hook on the other end. The intention is that the blade creates a flash and a vibration in the water making fish notice it while the lure, generally skirted and brightly colored, gives it something to be attracted to. Can be rigged in multiple ways: one or more blades or with or without a trailing hook. Spinnerbaits are incredibly versatile and while primarily used in Bass fishing, they are also used widely in saltwater fishing for targeting Redfish, Seatrout, Snook and Flounder on grass flats, docks and mangrove lines.

Spinnerbaits come with two primary categories:
• Overhead Arm Spinnerbaits also known as Safety-Pin, is the most commonly used variety. The wire keeps the spinning blades riding above the hook and skirt. This creates a weedless effect and is helpful when fishing in heavy cover. 

• In-Line Spinners feature a straight wire with a weighted body and treble hook, with blades rotating directly around the central axis. These are most effective when fishing in wide open water. 

There are multiple types of blades, the most common being
• Round Blades or Colorado blade: rounder, deeper cupped shape that spins slowly, producing a lower flash but the most vibration, great for muddier waters.
• Willow Blades: elongated tear drop shape that spins tightly, producing a higher flash with a lower vibration, great for clear water and bright light
• Teardrop Blades or Indiana Blades: a tear drop hybrid of the round and willow blade that provides a moderate flash with moderate vibration, a great all around blade.

Chatterbaits/Bladed Jigs:  A combination of a jig, spinnerbait and crankbait, chatterbaits feature a skirted jig head with a metal blade attached. The metal blade creates intense vibrations in the water that fish can feel, while generating an attracting flash, triggering aggressive, reaction strikes. It is a great search bait, great for covering water and testing the aggression levels of the fish in it. Chatterbaits are highly effective in murky and shallow water, on cloudy or windy days and great for locating fish hiding in rock beds, tree roots or other structures. While wildly popular with freshwater bass fishing, they're also quite popular with inshore saltwater anglers. 

Retrieval Methods:

• Steady Retrieve: Cast and reel at a consistent pace.
• Drag and Drop: Let the bait sink to the bottom and slowly drag it just enough to feel the lure vibrate then let it flutter back down on a semi-slack line. 
• The Rip (Ripping Grass): Retrieve at a steady pace and whenever it touches grass, give it a sharp twitch to rip the blade free. The sudden change in action drives fish crazy triggering reaction strikes.
• Stop-and-Go (Reel-and-Pause): Crank the handle a few times to let the bait swim, pause to let it flutter towards the bottom and then repeat. 
• Slow Roll: In colder water, paired with a subtle trailer, use a slower, bottom-bumping retrieve to lure out lethargic, sluggish fish.

Chatterbaits are highly effective in both salt and freshwater making them an ideal bait when targeting any predatory species. 

Saltwater: Use for Redfish, Snook, Spotted Seatrout, Flounder, Spanish Mackerel, Jack Crevalle, Black Drum and many others
Freshwater: Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike and Muskie, Walleye, Perch, Catfish, Panfish and many others.