a simple grub body without an action tail can mimic injured prey or create just enough subtle movement to trigger strikes.
My theory is that predators, whether land or water, have senses that are tuned to different stimuli such as smell, subtle vibrations and a visual acuity capable of detecting the slightest motion. Human senses can't even compare, but in both instances, an animal's brain is simply the conduit to the senses; one that reacts with programmed reactions stored at birth that nature intended. Kinda sounds like sci-fi right (or a
fish story LOL).
If an angler were to accept or at least consider the above hypothesis, what lures mimic are simply what
humans imagine fish imagining them to be -
not fish. Even then it takes a stretch of the imagination to compare a blade bait or crankbait to any living animal much less that by a simple-minded fish that lacks a
mind to begin with.
So, where does that leave us when it comes to lure choice? I've studied lure designs and the fish they catch for over 40 years since my first bass caught on a 6" Texas-rig, purple/pink fire tail Phenom worm worked on the bottom. Even back then I didn't care what that lure mimicked
but-only-that-it-caught-bass; same for a bright yellow, Mr Twister curl tail grub that caught me my first smallie in a river.
As far as color is concerned, if I catch fish on a
specific lure in a specific color or a few colors, I look no further, (...though long a ago I did buy every color, which accounts for the boxes of unused lures in storage that I'll never use.)
Going back to fish senses triggered by visual and motion stimuli. Higher forms of animals do their homework before pouncing. Fish don't because they CAN'T! So, what exactly contributes to a fish striking an
unnatural-looking and unnaturally
moving object? (BTW, eyes on a lure mean nothing to fish.)
Most lures have unique shapes which causes them to move a certain way, and a specific lure action is dependent on one or more specific retrieves (presentations). Lure speed and type of retrieve ALWAYS matter! You all know what I'm talking about.
And so it goes for the curl-less grub body: a
twitch & pause that causes the grub body to
dart, glide and drop over and over in a small area. Don't bother using a steady retrieve with this lure - fish will usually ignore it and so it goes for any lure in your tackle box when you violate the rule of
action-via-ideal retrieve(s). Pay attention to a lure's action using various retrieves to see which catch fish best. I keep finding new combinations but only carry lures capable of specific actions that have proven themselves using specific retrieves. (Hey, a saw can't be used in place of a hammer and so it goes for lures, which, when you think about it, -
are tools.) In my case it all started after watching a 6" plastic worm moving on the bottom after it caught a largemouth.
No angler on any forum has ever acknowledged the above even possible, but all of the above replies follow those principles believe it or not. Congrats guys and thanks for all of those great supportive relevant replies and photos!!!!!
