Does realistic shape matter in soft plastics?

[PressuredFishing]

So I'm sure everyone here has had great luck on plastic worms of all varieties, but do you believe you get more bites on realistic looking soft plastics like a

 

Craw imitator

 

Realistic fluke minnow imitators

 

Paddle tail baitfish imitators

 

Berkley gilly bluegill imitators 

 

Specifically in clear water

 

Thanks friennds

[Smokinal]

The Yum Crawbug was one of the most realistic looking baits to have come along in a long time.

I still have some and I don't think I've ever caught a fish on one.

[Eric 26]

3 minutes ago, Smokinal said:

The Yum Crawbug was one of the most realistic looking baits to have come along in along time.

I still have some and I don't think I've ever caught a fish on one.

I’ll second this.

[Darth-Baiter]

not entirely sure how big a LMB bass brain is.  mine is huge and I still get info wrong.

 

all my theories went to crap when the Deps Scat came out.  that thing is supposed to look like what?  I heard it is a bed fish's worse nightmare and they slam that thing.  I guess if someone pooped in my bed I too would swipe at it.  

 

I am a fan of the Hazadong Shad, but even that realistic thing isn't my magic silver bullet.  

[Will Ketchum]

I've read that a fish will strike a lure out of aggressiveness, or strike a lure to feed because it's hungry. With the former, appearance may not matter but with the latter it might, but who knows for sure?

[ironbjorn]

Senkos are literally shaped like cigars. End of story.

[Tatulatard]

1 hour ago, PressuredFishing said:

So I'm sure everyone here has had great luck on plastic worms of all varieties, but do you believe you get more bites on realistic looking soft plastics like a

 

Craw imitator

 

Realistic fluke minnow imitators

 

Paddle tail baitfish imitators

 

Berkley gilly bluegill imitators 

 

Specifically in clear water

 

Thanks friennds

I used to think so until the tube and later zoom brush hog came out.  Once "creature baits" were a thing and our heads stopped exploding we began to fish all sorts of unrecognizable flappy and wiggly soft plastic objects for bass and still do.  It's not what it looks like but how it moves or doesn't move that  matters.  

[PressuredFishing]

Great insight guys, thanks!

[Jig Man]

I say no.  I catch fish on brush hogs, stick bait, TRDs, etc that look nothing like what I have seen in the water.  However, I have made this bait in many colors and varieties and never had a bite on it.

 

 

[BigAngus752]

Is this realistic?  If this lands on me you better not be in my way when I take off. 

 

 

 

 

 

Or this

[Deleted account]

Most of the time no, It's mostly about the profile size and action, but situationally in clear water where they are keying in on a particular forage, with a presentation with little or no movement, yes. 

[PressuredFishing]

2 hours ago, ironbjorn said:

Senkos are literally shaped like cigars. End of story.

That is a good point. I wonder why thet tend to hit things like a senko, or creature bait like a brush hog

[ironbjorn]

Just now, PressuredFishing said:

That is a good point. I wonder why thet tend to hit things like a senko, or creature bait like a brush hog

They're like a woman seeing something shiney. Ohhhhh it wiggles.

[Columbia Craw]

Realistic?  Not really but there are times that the Bass have shown a preference for a short wide profile like a beaver over a long slender profile like a Brush Hog.  

[Mr. Bassin II]

nope

[Catt]

Uhh nope ?

 

Does this look like a crawfish?

 

[Mike L]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

Uhh nope ?

 

Does this look like a crawfish?

 

Catt;

What are those?

You posted about them before and forgot to ask. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[MickD]

Great question.  I've put a lot of thought into it in light of the conflict of theories of matching the hatch vs.  colors and shapes that simply are not in nature and yet they can be at times effective.  My theory is that fish respond to a variety of stimuli which tweak their instincts (they don't reason, think) and the combination of stimuli plus the "mood" of the fish determine whether they bite.  The stimuli are shape, size, color, movement (both on a micro and macro level) , sound, and maybe others that I cannot think of right now.  The importance of each probably changes with season, water color and temperature, "mood," lake/stream characteristics,  etc etc etc.  

 

We probably all have experience with fish in certain lakes seemingly having preference for certain colors.  I've heard guides on Lake St Clair say the only color they need to fish there is green.  I think the best Ned color there is Canada Craw, which has a lot of green in it.  What in fresh water looks like a tube?  But a tube can be made to move a lot like stuff in nature.  

 

Edit:  Forgot smell. The old garlic Chompers always did well on smallies. 

 

 

[Mobasser]

I don't think realistic shape matters a whole lot. I catch fish each year on plain Zoom finesse worms. As near as I can tell, they imitate bluegill swimming near the bottom. But, they look nothing like a real bluegill. Same with my plastic craws.

[PhishLI]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

Does this look like a crawfish?

No, it looks like a blowfish?

[Jig Man]

59 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Catt;

What are those?

You posted about them before and forgot to ask. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

Gene Larew salt craw.

[Jigfishn10]

I don't think any "lure" looks realistic.

 

I see it this way:

A fish see's something moving and that something doesn't belong here. Either I'm going to get it or it's gonna get me. The fish decides that it wants that thing out of here and strikes it. 

 

May or not be true, but that's how I compartmentalize it.  

[flyfisher]

17 hours ago, PressuredFishing said:

That is a good point. I wonder why thet tend to hit things like a senko, or creature bait like a brush hog

because fish have three ways to check something out.  One is their lateral line, two is their eyes and the third is eating it. Not like they have hands to examine it or check it out and their primary goal is to stay safe, eat and bang a few mama basses in the spawn.  It may be food or it may not be but the only way to find out is to try to eat it.

[Tackleholic]

Madman used to make a Craw Tube, very similar to the Yum Crawbug.  I caught a ton of smallmouth with the Madman, not so many with the Yum.

[Mike L]

39 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

Gene Larew salt craw.

Thank You

 

 

 

 

 

Mike