Is lure fishing gaining popularity?

[antiquea]

Do you think lure fishing will ever have a North American style following over here? Think of Bass fishing in the US - absolutely massive!

 

[binka]

I think it's gaining popularity, but very much for the convenience of it.

It's so easy to have minimal kit which an be locked away and out of sight in the boot of the car and ready for when the mood takes you, I just don't get on with lure fishing too well as it's a bit too hands on for me.

 

[rich66]

I don’t think it’ll get as big as in the US, I like to lure fish but regard it as a autumn winter game, when it’s too cold to sit watching a float for hours. Gives me the opportunity to go out fish for an hour or so, without worrying about bait.

 

[103841]

Can't see it gaining enough popularity to undermine the more traditional methods of fishing, however, as I mentioned in another thread it has certainly captured the imagination from a host of new young anglers and that's got to be a good thing. There is a craze for bfs fishing with lads importing finesse reels and rods from Japan giving them the ability to cast ultralight lures weighing a couple of grammes vast distances, I also notice the size of the lure section in my local tackle shop growing in size by the day.

For me it's a great alternative for a short session, the kit is minimal, very light, rigging up and changing lures is easy and takes just a few seconds. I'm still new to it and have had more than my fair share of blanks but that doesn't bother me so much as its all about roving a length of river or canal, constantly on the move, I think of it as going for a long walk with a spot of fishing along the way.

Really looking forward to some top water fishing this Summer.

 

[antiquea]

I am actually not a big fan myself. I spend a good few years living in Canada, and I had the choice of fly or Spin. Spent most of my time with spin rod, and was always bored within an hour or so. Had some nice trout from the Bow River one day, but apart from that, it was all pretty hopeless.

Much prefer sitting behind a pair of bite alarms, or keenly watching a float.

If we had a species such as Bass, then maybe it would be different.

 

[antiquea]

That Bait Finesse System looks interesting. Worried I will now be buying yet another rod and reel...

 

[dorsetsteve]

I’ve recently (as in just before Christmas) purchased a proper lure rod and started to play a bit more with those spinners and lures that hooked me as a teenager yet failed to get used as well expanding a new collection of jig heads and drop shots.

Whilst I’ve not exactly cleaned up, I have caught. It’s made a change for those winter months where I almost hybernate with my usual quarry. Short sessions after work, if nothing happens it’s no harm no foul and it’s kept the rod arm flexed.

In short, for me at least, I’m hooked at present. At least until June...,

 

[antiquea]

I really wish we had some form of freshwater Bass in the UK, or perch just grew bigger

 

[David Gane]

I'm a big fan.

Apart from being a lover of fishing for all predators, and pike in particular I love the immediacy of lure fishing. See a likely looking spot, cast to it, and if you're lucky...BANG.

There is the satisfaction of becoming really accurate at casting a lure. You look at a spot, cast the lure and magically it lands exactly where you are looking - maybe a target no more than a few inches square.

There is the pleasure of learning the watercratft. "If I were a pike waiting to ambush prey, where would I be?..."

There is the excitement of beating a strong, powerful fish.

There is the pleasure of boat fishing.

There is the pleasure of being mobile on the bank, which keeps you warm on a cold day.

There is the obsession of lure collecting (yes, I'm a tackle tart).

And yes, when you've had a bit of practice there is the pleasure of catching when many others aren't or can't.

Sure, it's not everyone's cup of tea - and I don't lure fish to the exclusion of everything else, but I don't reckon there is much to beat it.

 

[antiquea]

I do love boat fishing. Sadly my two closest reservoirs only allow fly-fishing.

 

[steve2]

My lure fishing now takes preference over all my other styles of fishing. It’s not just for the normal predators i.e. pike and perch but I have caught plenty of chub, roach, rudd and carp.
The trouble seems to be that anglers use it as a last gasp method when they can’t catch on their normal baits. If you can’t catch on your normal baits why should or would lures work?
Will ever be popular, no because you have to work at it and most of us prefer to sit behind 2 rods and watch the world go by.

 

[Philip]

I think its gaining in popularity but it wont get to the stage of the US. Its interesting as the interest of lure fishing seems to have grown with the avaibility of soft plastic lures.

Maybe its because the bait anglers can now see the possibility of a fish being fooled by something that looks real & so give it a go rather than in the past when all you had was a Mapps spinner, copper spoon or if you were lucky a plug to chuck out there and they just looked like a bit of wood or metal with some paint on it.

 

[mikench]

Whilst waiting for my car yesterday and to avoid the rain I popped into Decathlon Just down the road and bought this little chappy;

View attachment 4227

I hate frogs but this is hard plastic and inoffensive to me! It's a surface lure for pike or perch so will give this a go later in spring! It's a rebel buzz'n frog of 14g and 6cm in length! It was reduced to €8 so hard to resist! These lures are addictive!!!

 

[103841]

That looks a winner Mike but doesn't look weedless, unless I'm missing something?

 

[dorsetsteve]

That looks a winner Mike but doesn't look weedless, unless I'm missing something?

I believe the idea is the legs rotate creating a wake that the hooks sit in.

 

[mikench]

It's described as mainly weedless because the hooks face backwards and are at the top!! We shall see! I now have a small tackle box just for lures!

The legs do rotate when the frog is reeled in and when not it floats on the surface with its head up like a real frog. Someone recommended it on this post and when I saw it I couldn't resist!

 

[David Gane]

I think it might have been me that mentioned them.

I've got a couple of them. The hooks are rubbish, so I've trimmed the third hook off a couple of decent, sharp size 1 trebles and replaced them. Like that they can work really well on a warm summer's day. Seeing a pike leap completely clear of the water taking them from underneath is a real blast!

 

[JackGE]

I can see lure fishing becoming more popular in the future for a few reasons. It's quite engaging as has been mentioned, casting that lure and getting a take is such a great feeling, similar to carping on the surface.

I also think YouTube plays a large factor here due to the amount of American anglers that lure fish for bass, pike and muskie. More and more people are using YouTube (myself included) for information, tips and guidance.

I also believe that people get hooked (punny) on lure fishing due to the vast array of lures in all shapes and sizes, and being able to switch lures as much as you'd like to get a result.

I think it attracts a younger generation, too (like myself) due to it being more engaging, walking around, looking for those sweet spots that may hold fish.

I love lure fushing as it allows me to find the fish, and I get to explore more, too!

 

[mikench]

I think it might have been me that mentioned them.

It was David and thanks! I was killing time in Decathlon and remembered you saying that the lure was best sourced from them when I saw them and others in a sale! I bought a few different types including the frog and look forward to giving it a try with my new lure rod and reel!

 

[103841]

Are Decathlon and Athletes shop one and the same?