Choosing Lure Size

[WallStreetAmigo]

Are there any rules of thumb on how to choose an appropriate lure size for a given fishing situation?

As always, thank you in advance for your help.

[zooker]

not excatly sure what your asking here.. what lure are you wanting to use??

zooker

[JB]

Look at your bait fish and try to Match the hatch, in other words if you dont know what to select, try choosing a crankbait that is close to the size bait fish you see swimming.
In the old days guys would catch a bass and notice any craws or bait fish in their bellys, as they would fillet bass to eat, or just note if any craws or baitfish are puked up in your livewell.

[dampeoples]

Funny you say that JB, we fish a notorious 'dink' lake in our club, it's so bad we tend to start out with a beetle spin or inline spinner to get 4, then go fishin'

The size of the crayfish we find in our livewells in amazing, they are almost as big as the fish!

[Rebbasser]

Amigo, that is where the trial and error part of fishing comes in. You just have to try different baits, sizes, and colors to figure out what the fish want. I will say in clear water small baits tend to work better and in stained/muddy water bigger baits tend to produce more. Reason is in clear water bass feed more by sight, where in stained/muddy water they feed more by feel, the lateral line to be specific, and a bigger bait moves more water and puts out more vibration.

[WallStreetAmigo]

Thanks all. I have tried many lures over the past month mostly trying just to get a feel for them. To clarify a bit for zooker, if I were using a spinnerbait, when would I use a smaller one and when would I choose a larger one (reb may have helped answer this). I have tried to get an idea of the baitfish size but am still working on how to really know.

I tried a 3/8 frog-colored hula popper tonight (I think that's what it's called) and caught myself a four pound LM from shore. Boy were my kids excited to see it take the lure right off the top of the water and then jump out of the water four or five times trying to shake loose. Without a doubt one of my best moments with my kids. For a brief moment, I was their hero for landing what, in their eyes, was a huge fish. They both held it and they named it Clarence. If I can ever figure out how to get the pictures off my cell phone, I will try to post one here. Proud moment for a newbie fisherman.

[ToPwAt'R GuY]

Any time im fishing somewhere that I havent fished before I start with smaller baits. Smaller baits will usually catch a few more fish IMO and bigger baits will catch larger fish.

[zooker]

Originally Posted by WallStreetAmigo

I have tried many lures over the past month mostly trying just to get a feel for them. To clarify a bit for zooker, if I were using a spinnerbait, when would I use a smaller one and when would I choose a larger one

smaller one being 1/8oz. i would work this in ponds or on bright sunny days with lil or no wind..the idea is to work it very fast.. work it slow or even a medium retrive and the fish will get a good look at it either short strike it or turn away..

3/8oz and 1/2oz this being medium sized blade is your all around blade. were you can run the gambit of retrives from slow rollin to bulging it on the surface.

3/4oz to 6oz-yeah thats right 6 oz. spinner baits are made for deep slow rolling -in fact i have only tried to burn one fast only once, it broke the rod- this is a summer time bait when the bass are holding just off a creek channel in 10-30 feet of water..

as a rule a spinnerbait works best in windy overcast days. you can catch fish at other times on them.. spinner baits are the first thing i chunk at visable struture.-grass,laydowns,docks- spinner baits like a crankbait tend to get fish when they contact something.. do not be afraid of putting a spinner bait in the jungle you will be amazed at how much crap it can go thru and not hang-you will learn just how easy it is to hang up with also..

zooker

[keithdog]

One rule of thumb I always took into account especially this time of year is that as fall approaches consider the fact that smaller baitfish, such as young shad, bluegills and whatever have had the whole summer to grow and are larger this time of year than early summer, late spring. I usually use smaller lures in the spring, and as the year progresses, I increase the size of my lures. This does not go without exception, but has been a reliable pattern for me.For example, in the spring time I will usually be using 1/4 oz spinnerbaits, and by now I am using 3/8 - 1/2 oz.

[tenmilefisher]

if using cranks i start a little large(3-4") and work my way down(2-3") if i dont get any strikes on the larger one's. also try burning them by if you dont get any strikes at a slower retrieve. most likely you can get a reaction bite.