Top 3 Artificial Lure Mistakes [VIDEO]

Mistake #1: Incorrect Rigging

Soft plastic lures rigged correctly will move naturally through the water.

On the other hand, baits rigged incorrectly will spin unnaturally and won’t entice fish to bite.

And incorrect rigging isn’t just about how you put soft plastic lures on hooks…

It’s also about the knots you tie with your lures.

Most lures need to erratically dart around for them to be effective, and most of the time that requires a loop knot.

However, many anglers use snug knots with their lures which restricts the action of the lure.

When that happens, you won’t catch as many fish as you could.

Mistake #2: Choosing The Wrong Lure For The Situation You’re Fishing

There’s a lot that goes into choosing the wrong lure for the situation you’re fishing in, but it mostly falls into three categories:

1. Profile

2. Size

3. Color

Choosing The Right Profile

There are essentially two profile categories to choose from: baitfish or crustaceans.

Which one should you use?

Well, it primarily depends on what you’re seeing the fish eating when out on the water.

If you see trout blowing up on baitfish along the surface, then go with a baitfish profile.

If you see redfish tailing and digging in the mud for crabs and shrimp, use a crab or shrimp profile.

Another rule of thumb for if you can’t see anything is this: crustacean baits are better in colder months because baitfish are less prevalent this time of year, and baitfish profiles are better in warmer months.

Choosing The Right Size

When choosing what size lure to use, you want to match the hatch.

If you’re seeing 3″ glass minnows get eaten, use a 3″ lure.

If you’re seeing 6″ mullet get eaten, use a 6″ lure.

Another good rule of thumb to remember is that baitfish are smaller in spring and larger in fall, so a good plan is to use smaller lures in the spring and larger lures in late summer and fall.

Choosing The Right Color

If you’re fishing in clear water, use natural or light colors.

If you’re fishing in dark water, use either darker colors or those that reflect lots of light.

Mistake #3: Improper Presentation

There are two big ways people make this mistake:

1. Fishing the wrong depth (not in the strike zone)

2. Fishing the right depth, but not retrieving the lure correctly

The right depth is obviously dependent on the recent trends.

Is the water extremely hot or cold?

Then the fish will probably be deeper where the water temperature is milder.

Is the water temperature more moderate?

Then they’ll probably be in shallower water.

As far as retrieving your lure correctly, another good rule of thumb is to use the lightest weight possible to get the lure to the bottom.

In shallow flats, this is often a 3/16 oz. jig head or a weighted swimbait hook.

In deeper water, a heavier jig head (exactly how heavy depends on the depth and current) will be better.

Best Overall Lure

My favorite overall lure is a white paddletail.

And in particular, I like the Slam Shady 2.0 paddletail.

You can fish multiple depths by changing the weight of the jig head or tying it on a weighted hook…

You can use a straight retrieve or add in pauses to catch fish — it’s almost impossible to work a paddletail incorrectly.

And it works well in all colors of water because the white resembles a natural baitfish, but the silver and gold flakes give off enough flash to catch the fishes’ attention in darker water.

When you use this lure, be sure to remember mistake #1 about using the right knots and tie a loop knot with it.