Chapter 2 - Using Salt-Water Lures

When I first started fishing in salt water about twenty-five years ago, very few anglers used artificial lures. Most of them depended on natural baits when they went fishing in the ocean. The handful of anglers who used artificial lures at that time didn't have many to choose from. They used mostly metal squids, cedar and bone jigs and feather lures.

Today the picture has changed and tackle manufacturers are turning out a wide variety of salt-water lures. Salt-water fishermen are using metal squids, jigs, spoons, spinners, plugs, flies, eel skin lures, rigged eels and rubber and plastic lures. Many salt-water anglers now carry a good assortment of these lures when they go out fishing.

Yet mere possession of a wide assortment of salt-water fishing lures is no guarantee of fishing success. You also have to know which lures to use at a given time and how to use them. The most successful salt-water anglers know not only which lures to use and which sizes, weights and colors are best, but also how to manipulate the particular lure to provoke the most strikes from the fish. So it pays to make a thorough study of the various salt-water lures and how they can be used most effectively.

One of the oldest artificial lures used in surf fishing is the metal squid, which is also used in casting and trolling from a boat. Through the years, metal squids have changed little and they are still great fish-getters when used properly and at the right time. There are many different kinds of metal squids on the market, and these vary in shape, size and weight. Most of them imitate such broad or flat fish as mullet, sardines and herring, or they try to imitate such long, slim bait fish as sand eels and silversides or spearing. The best metal squids are made of block tin which can be polished with fine steel wool. They can also be bent to form a slight curve, which gives them more action in the water.

The best metal squid is nothing more than a chunk of metal with a hook and feathers or buck tail. But they won't catch fish unless they are made to look alive and irresistible. To the casual observer watching an expert surf angler using a metal squid, it looks easy. But it is more complicated than it appears. The wind, current, tide and waves in the surf all work against the angler in his attempts to give the lure a lifelike action. Still, the metal squid is one of the most effective lures to use in surf when the water is rough and white.

The secret to getting the best action out of a metal squid in the surf is to wait until a wave breaks, then to cast your squid behind it. If you don't the incoming wave will pick up your squid and bring it toward you faster than you can take up the slack. A slack line will stop the action of your squid and cause it to sink.

On the other hand, after a wave breaks, the water rushes back out to sea, creating a pull against your lure. In this case you have to slow your reeling, since reeling fast at this time will cause your squid to spin and rise to the surface. The same thing holds true in a strong current—you have to reel slowly to get the best action out of a squid, for a fast current or tide will give the squid the proper action even if you barely turn the handle of the reel. After a while you will develop a certain "feel" for the properly working squid, and you will be able to change the speed of the retrieve to suit the waves and water encountered.

The correct choice of lure is important, but knowing how to use it is even more important if you want to get results.

When the fish are on the surface of the water chasing bait fish, you have to reel your squid fairly fast to keep it near the top. Holding the tip of your rod high also helps. When the fish are not showing or when they are not hitting a fast-moving squid near the surface, you can try reeling slowly and allowing the squid to sink. In fact, there are times when striped bass and weakfish prefer a metal squid which is barely moving. Weakfish, especially, will often hit a light metal squid when it is sinking toward the bottom. In order to get this effect, you should cast out and, as the squid sinks, just turn the reel handle enough to keep a taut line. The squid will have plenty of action as it nutters toward the bottom. Of course, when it does reach the bottom, you will have to reel faster to keep it moving and prevent it from resting there.

The metal squid is mostly used in surf fishing, but it is also sometimes deadly when cast or trolled from a boat. Under these conditions, it will take such fish as bluefish, striped bass, bonito, albacore, weakfish, mackerel and Pollock.

The speed at which you reel or troll your metal squid is an important factor when you are seeking certain species of fish. Striped bass usually hit a fast-moving squid that is fished over rocky bottoms such as those found at Montauk, New York, and in Rhode Island. Over sandy bottoms, reeling at a moderate speed is best. Smaller striped bass usually prefer a faster moving metal squid than big stripers. In fact, most of the stripers caught on metal squids are the smaller school fish. Big cow stripers are only occasionally caught on metal squids, usually during a slow or moderate retrieve.

Other fish that like a fast-moving metal squid are bluefish, bonito, albacore and mackerel. For some of these fish, such as the bonito or albacore, you have to reel in as fast as you can turn the handle of the reel, or troll anywhere from 6 to 10 m.p.h. with a boat.

Among the fish that prefer a slow-moving metal squid are weakfish, channel bass and Pollock. If you reel very slowly you will sometimes even catch fluke or summer flounders on metal squids.

Metal squids are used with feathers or buck tail tied around the hook. The most effective colors are usually white, yellow, red or combinations of these. A strip of pork rind added to the bare hook of a metal squid is also highly effective.

Another "old-time" lure used in salt water is the spoon. There are now many sizes and shapes on the market. The ones made for salt-water use are usually nickel or chrome plated or made of stainless steel. A few of the smaller spoons are equipped with treble hooks, but for the greatest strength large single hooks are usually used. The smaller spoons are ideal for casting with a spinning outfit. The larger ones are preferable for trolling.

Most salt-water game fish that feed on smaller fish will strike a spoon. Its wobbling action and bright flash will attract fish in most waters. When using smaller spoons with a spinning or bait-casting outfit a slow or moderate retrieve is best. The minute you feel the spoon working on the end of the line, maintain that speed. As you reel, jerk the rod tip to make the spoon dart forward and rise, then drop the rod tip and make a few turns. This causes the spoon to rise, then flutter and sink, thus imitating a crippled, helpless bait fish. Such fish as striped bass, channel bass-, snook, tarpon, weak-fish and many others will go for it.

When trolling from a boat, a slow or moderate speed is also best when using spoons. Here it is important to find the depth at which the fish are feeding. As a general rule such fish as striped bass, bluefish, channel bass, tarpon, albacore, bonito and king mackerel will hit spoons trolled near the surface. This is especially true when they are chasing bait fish. However, there are times when you have to go deeper for them. Then you must attach weights and trolling sinkers above the spoon or use wire or lead-core lines.

In recent years large spoons up to 12 in. long equipped with husky 10/0 or 12/0 hooks have been used to catch big striped bass. These spoons, called "bunker" spoons, imitate such large bait fish as menhaden or herring and are killers during the spring and fall runs of big stripers off New Jersey, Long Island, New York, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Channel bass and big bluefish also have been taken on these large spoons.

Some of these big spoons come attached to lead keels, which can be adjusted to control both the depth at which the lure travels and its action. For best results big spoons should be made to sway and wobble from side to side and should not spin or revolve. The boat should troll as slowly as possible or just fast enough to bring about this action.

Spinners are also good lures to use when trolling, especially for the smaller fish found in bays, inlets and rivers. Nickel-plated, chrome-plated and stainless-steel spinners are most suitable for salt-water use. The blades can be oval, round or leaf-shaped. The narrow willow-leaf-type spinners are very popular. Although spinners will catch fish when used alone, they are usually used with feather or buck tail hooks or in combination with various baits, such as sea worms, strips of squid, pork rind or small whole bait fish.

The spinner, such as the Cape Cod type, with bloodworms or sandworms on a gang hook behind it is a consistent catcher of school stripers. For best results spinners should be trolled deep and slowly with at least 75 to 100 ft. of line out. The so-called fluke spinner consists of two blades and is used with small bait fish such as kylies or spearing on the hook. The spinner is attached above a sinker and is bounced off the bottom while drifting in a boat.

Turning to plugs we encounter a form of lure which offers some of the finest sport in salt-water fishing. There is no greater thrill than seeing a big striper, bluefish, tarpon, sea trout or other salt-water game fish come up and take a whack at a surface plug. Salt-water anglers will now find on the market a wide variety of plugs made of wood or plastic. These surface-type plugs come in sizes that vary from 3-in. models for light spinning to big, heavy 12-in. plugs suitable only for heavy surf outfits or for trolling.

Surface plugs include types called poppers, torpedo-shapes and swimmers as well as types which have propellers or revolving tails. Most of them are designed to create a ripple, spray or splash on top of the water in order to attract fish. The secret in using these lures is to make them simulate crippled or sluggish bait fish such as menhaden, herring, mullet, sardines or silversides or a terrified bait fish trying to escape the jaws of larger fish. Poppers, for example, when jerked, throw up a big spray of water which looks like a game fish in pursuit of a bait fish. No doubt, game fish in the vicinity are attracted to this splash and, feeling that they must catch the bait fish before other fish get it, take a swipe at the surface plug. For best results, poppers should be worked fairly fast with regular jerks and slight pauses in between.
 
The torpedo-shaped surface plugs are deadly lures in southern waters. They are favorite lures in Florida for such fish as tarpon, snook, sea trout, jack crevalle and other surface feeders. They, too, should be worked rapidly on top with long sweeps or jerks of the rod tip to make it skip along the surface.

Another surface plug is the swimming type which usually has a metal lip, a good example being the Striper Atom. When reeled fast and jerked, this lure can also be made to throw up a big splash like a popper. When used in this manner it is very effective for big striped bass. At other times it should be reeled slowly or at a moderate speed so that it will swim on top with a snakelike action creating a wake or ripple behind it. Some plugs of

this type come in long, double-jointed models and resemble eels or big bait fish floundering on top of the water.

Popper             Swimmer          Darter  Torpedo

Popular salt-water plugs

Another plug which is not exactly a surface model since it rides a few inches below when reeled fast is the darter type. This was long a favorite in fresh water and has been widely used  for snook,  tarpon  and sea  trout in  Florida waters. Now larger and stronger types have become popular in surf fishing for striped bass and bluefish. Darter plugs have notched heads, which cause them to swim or dart from side to side. Especially in Florida, they are often worked in a series of snappy whips of the rod, with fairly fast reeling in between. This plug can also be worked alternately on the surface and just below it by holding the rod tip up, then lowering it and reeling fast. Surf anglers also use the darter plug on top for catching striped bass at night. They do this by working the plug very slowly, barely reeling in and twitching it as it lies on the surface.

Underwater plugs may or may not float when at rest. Some do, and then dive to varying depths on the retrieve. Others sink immediately and either dive even deeper or travel on the same level when reeled in or trolled. These plugs usually have metal lips or heads cut at an angle, both to make them dive and to give them action—usually a dart or side-to-side wriggle. However, some plugs are blunt or pointed and have little or no built-in action. These must be worked with the rod tip to give them a lifelike look.

When using underwater plugs, you must get a certain feel which travels up the line and indicates that the plug is working properly. The key to accomplishing this is to change the speed of the retrieve so that you always feel the plug working. When the tide or a wave pushes the plug in your direction, you will have to speed up the retrieve, and if the current or backwash pulls the plug away from you, then you must slow down your reeling. As a general rule, clear, calm water calls for somewhat faster reeling to produce strikes than is necessary when fishing in rough or dirty water. Likewise, daytime fishing calls for a faster retrieve than nighttime fishing.

Although most underwater plugs have a built-in wriggle, they are often better producers if they are jerked at intervals, stopped or slowed down, then speeded up to create an erratic action.

When using either surface or underwater plugs in such areas as narrow tidal creeks or rivers in Florida, along rocky shores and around piles bridges or other obstructions, it is important to cast the plug accurately. The same is true when you see fish such as bonefish, tarpon, snook or channel bass in low, clear water. Under such conditions a plug which lands in the right spot will often be hit, but if it is off by a few feet it may fail to bring a strike or, worse yet, frighten the fish away.

If there is any salt-water lure which can be called an all-around fish getter it is the jig. It is one of the deadliest fishing lures made when in the hands of a man who knows how to use it. These lures have heavy heads, made of lead or other metal and feathers, buck tail, nylon or plastic skirts wrapped around the hook. The metal head is plated, chromed or painted in various colors. Those with white, yellow or red hair, feathers or combinations of these are used most frequently.

In recent years jigs have become very popular, especially with spin casters. However, they are really old-time lures and the famed Japanese feather jig has been used both abroad and in this country for many years. It is still a top lure for trolling behind a boat and will take tuna, bluefish, bonito, alba-core, mackerel and similar surface feeders.

The smaller jigs ranging from 1/8 to ll/2 oz. are the most popular. It is amazing how many different kinds of fish can be caught on jigs. Almost every kind of game fish and many so-called bottom fish will hit these lures. Some anglers fishing in southern waters have caught over one hundred different species of fish on jigs.

Jigs are also highly versatile lures and can be trolled, cast or bounced on the bottom. When such fish as striped bass, bluefish, tuna, albacore, bonito, mackerel or barracuda are feeding on the surface, a jig trolled fast or cast and reeled at a good speed will often take them.

Another technique for using the jig is to cast it out, allow it to sink a few feet, jerk it, allow it to sink again, then jerk it again and so on. I have used a variation of this successfully for bonito and albacore when these fish refused the regular butterfish or menhaden bait on a hook. The fish showed up in the chum slick and could be seen darting at chunks of the bunker. So we tried dropping back white buck tail jigs with silver heads and working them up and down quickly in the chum. The albacore and bonito would grab these at regular intervals.

When fishing for bonito you must reel or troll a lure fast if you want to get strikes.

The jig is one of the few lures which can get down deep in a strong current and which is highly effective in canals, rivers and tidal rips. Here you cast upstream or up the current and let the jig drift and sink with the tide. If the current is very strong you can let out slack line to permit the lure to sink still deeper. When the jig hits bottom you should start reeling back with regular jerks. Most strikes will occur when the jig leaves the bottom on its way up.

Another way to use jigs when drifting or anchored in a boat is to let the jig down to the bottom, make it dance up and down by jerking the rod tip up, and then let the jig settle again. Keep repeating this process until a strike occurs. When doing this you will hook many so-called bottom fish which are rarely taken on other artificial lures.

Salt-water anglers looking for the ultimate in sport use a fly rod for many of the smaller species. Streamers, buck tails and popper bugs are the main types of lures used in this type of fishing. Surface-feeding fish such as striped bass, blue-fish, snook, sea trout and small tarpon go for the popper bugs especially when the water is fairly calm or when they are chasing small bait fish. For best results the popper bugs should be jerked hard to create a lot of commotion. Streamers and buck tails are retrieved in foot-long jerks punctuated by pauses either near the surface or down deep. Near the surface these lures will take almost any game fish that hits artificial. Down deep they will catch not only game fish, but also many bottom species.

Then there are such natural baits as rigged eels and eel-skin lures which are used like artificial. The rigged eel is a great lure when you are casting from the surf or a boat for big striped bass. It is most effective for stripers at night when it is reeled very slowly with occasional jerks of the rod tip. Rigged eels can also be used for trolling on the surface for such fish as white marlin. They can also be equipped with weights and trolled deep in tidal rips for big bluefish.

Eel skin lures are used for striped bass and bluefish in casting and trolling. You can work them near the surface by reeling or trolling fast or near the bottom by working them slowly. Surf anglers fishing fast currents, such as those in Cape Cod Canal, like to work their eel skin  lures with continual jerks in order to imitate the stop-and-go movement of the natural squid. When trolling, it is also a good idea to jerk the rod tip at regular intervals.

Finally, we have such lures as the rubber surgical tube and the plastic tube. In these lures, the hook is run through the hole in the tube so that one end of it rests against the bend of the hook. When trolled, these lures leave a trail of bubbles and have a twisting action which is especially effective for bluefish but which will also catch striped bass, albacore, bonito and other fish.

There are also quite a few rubber lures on the market which are made to imitate natural baits such as sea worms, squid, eels, shrimp and bait fish. Many of these lures look and feel like real creatures. These lures usually have no built-in action, so it is up to the angler to provide the movement which produces strikes.

Actually, the real reason why one angler may catch more fish than another with the same lures is that the successful man knows the technique for using his lures. The man who will catch the most fish will be the angler who hits on the right combination of depth, reeling or trolling speed and rod manipulation. It pays to experiment until you find the perfect combination.

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