Content deleted Content added
No edit summary |
Citation bot (talk | contribs) Add: date, title. Changed bare reference to CS1/2. | Use this bot. Report bugs. | Suggested by Eastmain | #UCB_webform 27/47 |
||
(32 intermediate revisions by 20 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|Type of fishing lure}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2023}}
[[Image:Assorted cranks.JPG|thumb|300px|right|A variety of plug lures
'''Plugs''' are a popular type of hard-bodied [[fishing lure]], characterized by a specially designed [[foil (fluid mechanics)|foil]] at the front end known as the ''[[beak|bill]]'' or ''lip''.
==History==
The concept of an attractant tied to the end of a line to entice fish goes back to prehistoric peoples, but the modern concept of the plug lure is attributed to James [[Heddon (brand)|Heddon]], a beekeeper from [[Dowagiac, Michigan]], who was whittling a piece of wood one day in the late 19th
==Construction==
Line 11 ⟶ 12:
*A thin sheet metal or plastic lip attached to the front of the body, sometimes adjustable to change the diving ability and wobbling movements of the lure.
*Two, or occasionally three, [[Fish hook|treble hook]]s.
*An [[grommet
*Generally, a painted or imprinted color and/or design, to make the plug appear as close as possible to a natural food of the aquatic environment. However, some very effective plugs occasionally have a design or color unlike anything seen in such an environment.
==Action==
Classic plugs float on the surface or suspend in the water, but will dive under the surface of the water and swim with a side-to-side wobbling movement (hence the alternative name ''wobbler'') upon retrieval, which usually consists of slow to medium fast reel in. This makes the bait
Other [[
== Types ==
=== Crankbait ===
A crankbait has a short, stocky body typically with two treble hooks, but also an elongated elliptical bill that often equals or even exceeds the body length. When retrieved, the large bill will cause the lure to [[pitch (aviation)|pitch]] down and dive, often accompanied by small, fast side-to-side twitches. The rate and depth of the dive depends on the design of the bill and the [[specific gravity]] of the lure's body (usually lighter than water). The name "crankbait" refers to the steady speed of the fisherman's [[fishing reel|reel]] [[crank (mechanism)|crank]]ing during retrieval, which imparts a linear dive on the lure, until the reeling stops (which causes the lure to float up).
Crankbaits can be further classified into shallow-diving (or floating) crankbaits, which maintains a shallow depth (a few feet below the water surface) when reeled, and floats to the top if reeling stops; suspending crankbaits, which dive when reeled but will stay at a specific depth when reeling stops; and deep-diving (or sinking) crankbaits, which sink when not being reeled but stay at a consistent depth when reeled.
=== Jerkbait ===
A jerkbait <ref>{{cite web | url=https://eatthatfish.com/best-suspending-jerkbaits-for-bass-top-7/ | title=Best Suspending Jerkbaits for Bass – Top 7! | date=30 October 2020 }}</ref> or "minnow" has a [[swimbait]]-like slender body that resembles a small bait fish (e.g. a [[Alosa|shad]]), a short steeply angled bill, and usually two (or sometimes three) treble hooks. A jerkbait's bill is not large enough to make the whole lure dive, but if the fisherman flicks the rod and line during retrieval, the sudden brief acceleration causes the nose of the lure to easily decelerate, [[roll (aviation)|roll]] and [[yaw (aviation)|yaw]], thus imparting a stop-and-go, random "darting" motion ("jerks") that resembles the [[spasmodic]] struggle of an injured or dying fish.
=== Wobbler ===
A wobbler resembles a crankbait, but has a much shorter and stockier bill that is not design to impart diving motion, but rather to cause the lure to roll and yaw reciprocally to create a "wobbly" motion when reeled.
==Size==
Plugs range in size from around an inch (~3
Most plugs have their "action" built into them by design, but good fishermen give nuance to the plug's action in many ways, such as varying the speed of the retrieve, occasionally "twitching" the rod tip during
Theoretically, any plug design will catch fish (most anglers use them to catch bass)
▲==Fishing Technique==
▲Most plugs have their "action" built into them by design, but good fishermen give nuance to the plug's action in many ways, such as varying the speed of the retrieve, occasionally "twitching" the rod tip during retrieve, or even letting the plug stop completely in the water, then resuming retrieve at a very high speed. Plugs are often cast so they land next to places where fish may be hiding, such as a [[snag (ecology)|snag]] pile or an overhanging tree and worked back enticingly. A skilled fisherman can methodically explore many possible hiding places for fish by continually casting and retrieving a plug.
== See also ==
▲Theoretically, any plug design will catch fish (most anglers use them to catch bass) — fish will, out of anger, hunger, territorial protection or simple curiosity, occasionally strike at any small object moving or falling through the water. But some plugs have become famous for their high degree of effectiveness in the hands of a good fisherman, while others come and go from the market quickly when found to have limited success.
* [[Swimbait]]
* [[Jigging|Jig]]
* [[Spoon lure]]
* [[Plastic worm]]
==Notes==
|