How do I start lure fishing?

By Robert Thornton

In sportfishing, anglers generally see themselves in one of two main camps: bait or lures. This rift, arbitrary and unhelpful as it is, nonetheless informs how many anglers approach their fishing. Because of this, bait fishers wanting to switch over to lures may feel as though they’re ‘crossing the aisle’.

It’s true that lure fishing often involves different methodology and tackle, but the very best lure anglers will always remember the lessons they picked up while soaking baits. In other words, baitos and lure casters have much more in common than you might think.

For this blog, we’ll provide a beginner’s guide to lure fishing, including how to apply bait fishing principles to lures, choosing the right lures for your fishing, plus suitable and affordable tackle recommendations to start your lure fishing journey!

A false divide

Despite what people say, baitos and lures fishers aren’t separate communities. Most lure chuckers began their fishing career using bait, and many (including myself) will still regularly fish with bait.

The idea that one is better than the other, is more effective than the other, or that one requires more skill than the other, is simply just that – an idea. Anyone claiming that bait is more effective than lures will find an exception to this rule in dusky flathead, a fish renowned for their partiality for lures. Similarly, those dismissing bait fishing as requiring less skill have probably never chased blackfish with centrepin reels and weed baits!

Angling is angling, wherever and however someone chooses to practise it, and treating lure and bait fishing as totally separate things is unhelpful to our cause. Any fishing involving a rod and reel is a better understood as one big learning curve, with lots of interesting stop-offs and side quests scattered along it.

My first fish on a lure

If you weren’t lucky enough to have lure fishing as a part of your childhood (like I did), don’t worry, the basics are pretty straightforward, even if you don’t have someone to show you. If you’re totally new to fishing, I recommend starting with bait first before moving on to lures, as bait fishing provides a solid foundation for virtually all lure fishing techniques.

If you’ve been having success with bait but want to know how to catch fish on lures, the good news is you’ve already done most of the hard work! Whether you’re bait fishing in the estuary for bream, whiting and flathead, or ‘bobbing’ with yabbies out west for Murray cod and yellowbelly, or even drifting pilchards in the surf for tailor and Australian salmon, you’ve found the fish, and that part of the job is done!

In addition, you’ve mastered the art of feeling and interpreting what’s happening on the end of the line. Things like casting and know-tying picked up from bait fishing are transferable skills that are highly important when lure fishing.

Your first lure-caught fish is going to be the hardest, but once ticked off it’s just a matter of learning via trial-and-error and building on those early experiences to become more proficient with lures!

What lure do I choose?

The next step is identifying what sort of live prey the fish are looking for. Once this is confirmed, it’s simply a matter of picking a lure that imitates that prey and putting it in front of the fish! If you’re using live bait, this process is quite easy. For example, if you were using large crickets to catch trout in a lake, or live saltwater yabbies in an estuary for bream and whiting, a Bait Junkie Risky Critter (a fantastic all-round ‘creature bait’) is an obvious lure choice.

Lures in almost all cases (with a few exceptions) are designed to imitate live prey, so if you’re bait fishing involves using dead or cut bait, you’ll need to work out what live prey is available in the area.

Being observant is the key during this phase, and sometimes simply looking around can provide the best clues. If you can see finger-length prawns flicking around on the surface, than something like a Bait Junkie 2.35” Prawn rigged on a light jighead is a no-brainer. Similarly, an OT Jigis perfect for imitating the sardines and pilchards that tailor and salmon like to chase in the surf, and masses of these little fish can often be seen skimming through the waves as they try to avoid predation.

If these things aren’t immediately obvious though, you will need to do some research about your chosen quarry and their feeding habits. Whatever you end up tying on, always keep the age-old lure fishing adage in your head: “match the hatch”!

Lure fishing tackle

Lure fishing is generally (though not always) done with braided lines and graphite fishing rods. The reasons behind this are purely practical.

Braided lines do not stretch like the monofilament lines preferred by bait fishers. Lines that don’t stretch offer more sensitivity and feedback when detecting bites with the rod in hand, and also allow the angler to feel when their lure is making contact with the bottom or other structure. Braid is also thinner in diameter, which helps with casting distance and accuracy; two things that are very important when lure fishing. If you’re new to lure fishing, J-Braid Expedition is a high-quality braided line that’s easy to use and highly visible despite its thin diameter.

Graphite rods complement braided lines really well. Graphite rods are usually stiffer and physically lighter than fibre-glass rods, the latter of which are more common in bait fishing. A rod that is stiffer and lighter provides better feedback as bites and other information are transmitted through the braid and into the rod. Another advantage of graphite is the fact that any movements of the rod will travel back down the line and impart ‘action’ in the lure – something that isn’t so easily with a wobbly fibreglass rod and stretchy monofilament! Daiwa’s Aird X and TD Hyper are two very affordable and well-built graphite rod series suitable for someone starting out.

Another important piece of the lure fishing rig is a leader, which bait anglers often refer to as a ‘trace’. Leaders are a short length of monofilament of fluorocarbon tied to the end of the braid on one end and to the lure on the other, and they serve a few purposes.

Firstly, as braid is not translucent, they make the lure’s connection to the line invisible (or less visible) to the fish. Secondly, they provide a layer of abrasion resistance at the business end of the rig, as braid – while having a very high breaking strain – is more likely to break than mono of equal strength if it makes contact with rough surfaces under load. Thirdly, this small length of line provides a tiny bit of shock absorbance in the system, which while very miniscule, is still important. J-Thread FC is a great all-round fluorocarbon leader material and knots well with J-braid.

Naturally, you’ll want to learn at least one leader connection knot, with the double-uni, improved Albright and FG knot three of the most popular.

Extras

In addition to purpose-built tackle, there’s a few accessories you’ll want for your entry into to lure fishing.

Good lure anglers carry a selection of lures with them so they can change over when one presentation isn’t getting the desired result. Compact tackle trays that fit into a backpack or waist bag are therefore worth every cent, as they keep your lures dry when not in use and separated so they don’t become tangled and stuck together. The D-Box range offers 12 different models, with different shapes, depths and compartment configurations to suit your lure storage needs.

If you’re using a lot of soft plastics from the Bait Junkie range, the Bait Junkie Zip Case is a neat and hassle-free way of storing and carrying them around while you fish.

Accessories like split-ring pliers and braid scissors are very handy things to have, allowing you to rig, adjust and retro-fit your terminal tackle on the go and further enhancing your lure fishing experience. 

Of course, you’ll need something to carry these things around with you, and the new Solus range of fishing bags offers smart storage at an affordable price. The Hip Bag and Backpack(depending how much you wish to carry with you) are both ideal for those confined to the land. For those with access to a boat, the Boat Bag is a great option for keeping all your gear together as you get in and out of the boat, whether it’s your boat or someone else’s! 

Onwards and upwards

Gaining confidence with lures might take some time, but hopefully you’ll come to see that luring has a lot in common with bait fishing. Approaching lures as a progression in your fishing career rather than a complete rewiring of the system, you’ll be able to apply the invaluable lessons you picked up while soaking baits, and this will make you a much better lure angler in the end.

Good luck and tight lines!