Are all lures the same

[chris69]

Well was at bigwue today and looked in the fishing section and saw a lure for $3.50 a 40 mm deep diver and thought it would make a good bass lure as it looked like a very well known brand a bit chubby so to speak and when I got home and looked online I could say it was identical , other than the trebles and rings need changing it is a very cheap lure compared to the better known lure that costs 7to8 times the price so how many other lures out there are being sold that are so over priced , it just goes to show how the name is worth more than the product.

[NAGG]

Thats a bloody good question... sadly .


Over the past few weeks I've been preparing for a barra trip to Kinchant & have purchased a few lures . One well known brand consistently came up short . Lures sold as suspending either floated or sunk . These lures (impoundment staples) are supposedly "tuned" for barra ..... & yet the hooks & split rings were nowhere near up to the task ...... not unless you were targeting "rat" sized barra. At between $27-$35 each you would expect much more out of a lure from this stable. Anyhow after spending a few hours - changing out hooks / rings - I've got the lures to do what they are supposed to do.

That said - there is usually a marked difference in finish from the "premium" manufactures - particularly the Japanese hardbody lures. Inlays & flash as opposed to just painted.
Through my bream , bass & barra fishing there are very few "cheap" lures that I would rate but there are certainly brands that do produce some good lures in that $15-$20 range .
A mate is a big fan of stump jumpers - an effective lure that comes with a pretty modest price tag. Plenty of barra have been caught on a Reidy's B52 , RMG scorpion , Halco etc ..... though I'm not a fan & would much prefer to throw a Rapala X Rap , Lucky Craft pointer or Jackall squirrel .... & cop the premium paid.

I'm actually having a few lures custom made for this barra trip - $50 each without hooks ...... something that I've never done before but they fill a niche that is presently unfilled by current lure manufacturers .... ( I'll post a photo when I pick them up).

In the end it boils down to perceived value ....... $200 for a soft plastic swimbait :o yeh , nah

Chris

[tunaticer]

To be honest fish find the lures by the vibrations well before they see it.
If the lure is worked to it's best to attract a fish it will likely get eaten.
I have found that natural looking colours are often the most productive day or night.
I don't buy into the bullshit about fluro colours on dirty water or glow at night.
I have caught plenty of snapper before first light on plastics that are almost completely clear apart from the hook...same lures work well in the daylight too.

90% of the colours on the shelves are to catch you into spending money.

[NAGG]

To be honest fish find the lures by the vibrations well before they see it.
If the lure is worked to it's best to attract a fish it will likely get eaten.
I have found that natural looking colours are often the most productive day or night.
I don't buy into the bullshit about fluro colours on dirty water or glow at night.
I have caught plenty of snapper before first light on plastics that are almost completely clear apart from the hook...same lures work well in the daylight too.

90% of the colours on the shelves are to catch you into spending money.

I dont know how many campfire discussions we've had around lure colour - specially for barramundi fishing . Colour imo is a factor & it's been played out on my boats for 10 years of serious impoundment barra fishing. Take the humble Squidgee slick rig - Evil minnow ( purple ) is the go to daytime colour .... when the sun sets Black & Gold followed by green grunter (green with red tail) - We got there by having two blokes alternating over countless trips ...... there are colours that just didn't catch fish consistently & were eliminated . The black & gold for night is a constant success for many different lures - that's why most lure manufacturers include it - That dark silhouette at night is a winner . I'm heading up to Kinchant this weekend with several Black & gold plastics .
I've been to places like Kinchant where the barra will switch on to 1 colour (eg Stiffy boney bream in Green & Gold) - throw the same lure in silver or gold - nada . ... but had plenty of success throwing those other colours elsewhere.
Go yella fishing at Lake Windemere ..... the proven colour is black or purple & black - doesn't matter if it is a soft vibe , vibe (TN60) or a grub -

There are certain colours or colour designs that become legendary for certain target species - The gold bomber for barra (pretty well anywhere) , Evil coloured skirted lure marlin , black & gold skirted lure for marlin , Green skirted lure for YFT , Bleeding mullet (white with red head) for mackerel & numerous other species . Colours that are virtually mandatory.

so yeh - colours may catch fishermen but it's often a case that bases are being covered.

Finally it boils down to confidence in the lure you are throwing & that includes the colour

I'm with you though - my preference will gravitate towards natural colours with Gold / Silver dominant

Chris