A bass reaction lure kit is for searching out the bass. Use the lures in the morning or evening to find active fish. These lures entice a strike with their action. The wobble, wiggle, and flash are the elements making the lure effective. Having reaction lures is a staple for an angler wanting to catch bass or other fish. Easier to use reaction lures, catch fish at any skill level.
The lures only need basic skills to use effectively. If you can cast and retrieve, a reaction lures will work. A few do take a little twitching or jerking of the rod. The lures work in almost any manner of retrieval. People catch fish using some incorrectly.
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Spinnerbaits Reaction Lures
Spinnerbaits attract fish with flash and vibration. Fish feel the vibrations with their lateral lines. The flash adds a visual element for when the fish is close. The lures use different blades creating different effects. The blades do make a difference in where to use the lures.
A Colorado blade has more of a thumping vibration. The blade’s vibration carries a long distance through the water. In addition, the blade spins away from the shaft farther. This gives the lure a good visual when approaching or going away from the fish. These blades provide more lift also. You can run the lure slower without it dragging the bottom.
Willow leaf blades are slimmer and have a higher pitch vibration. The flash is seen from the side of the lure. A fish will see it as it goes past them. The lures with the blades have less lift allowing faster retrieves. Plus the blades stay closer to the shaft making the lure suitable for use in weeds.
The weight of the lure causes a faster sink rate and helps to run deeper. In shallow water, lighter lures work well. If you are fishing deeper water increase the weight for more depth. In general, spinnerbaits in the 1/4 to 1/2 ounce range are sufficient for bass and most species. Bass will react to a spinnerbait when active when used in the correct situation.
Crankbait Reaction Lures
Crankbaits use a steady retrieve. You cast and crank with the lure. These lures will wiggle or wobble on the retrieve causing vibrations. The choices of crankbaits come in shallow or deep water models. The lures are designed for specific depths. This makes choosing the right one for depth easier. Find the lure that will go to the depth you are fishing. A crankbait works best when glancing or striking the bottom or cover.
Besides the depth, crankbaits come in the fat body, skinner body, and lipless styles. The fat bodies wobble and wander when trolling or retrieving. The skinny bodies and lipless have a wiggle for an action. The lures may or may not have rattles. The rattles help in darker waters from silt or staining.
Use the fat body lures in warmer waters. Cooler water uses skinny or lipless models. Have several for different depths, you need to be down with the fish with a crankbait. The lures are moving fast and fish will not chase a lure far away. This means you need to get the lure near the cover or bottom.
The makers of lures make a big selection of colors. The average angler only needs 3 colors. A dark, bright, and natural baitfish pattern. The majority of colors are to catch anglers more than fish. Find a few that are known to work in the waters you fish. Colors can be different between regions and bodies of water.
Jerkbaits
Although not popular in some areas, jerk baits are effective in many situations. The erratic retrieve alerts fish and appears as an injured minnow. Plus a jerk bait works in cool and warm waters. This makes them a year-round option.
The bait uses twitches and jerks with pauses to act like injured prey. Anglers without experience tend to retrieve the lure with a steady retrieve. This does catch fish, yet a proper retrieve will catch more fish. You need to take the time to learn effective jerk bait retrieval.
Jerk baits come in floating, suspending, and sinking versions. Floating and suspending are the best to use for many people. Sinking jerkbaits are limited to a few situations. Stay with the floating or suspending until you have the experience. You need to know when to use sinking models.
The general rule of color choices applies to jerk baits. A bright and dark color is what you need. A baitfish pattern can be included also. If buying more than 2-3 look at different sizes. The size has a large effect on productive catch rates. At times, a smaller lure of 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches is best. At other times the 4-6 inch models work well. Focus on more sizes instead of a multitude of colors.
Topwater Lures
Topwater lures are very good reaction lures. These are best in the summer months. Use these lures in the early morning or later on in the evening. You need to use the lures when the fish are in the shallows or suspended high in the water column. Plus, the lure must contrast the sky making color selection easier. A dark lure contrasts during daylight hours while a bright one is good for low light levels. The bottom of the lure is all most fish see. This makes a baitfish pattern, not a concern. You need 2 colors, bright and dark.
Size is more important with topwater lures. A smaller lure will catch more fish, yet a large lure catches big fish. Use a small lure of 2 to 3 1/2 inches plus larger lures in the 4-6 inch range. There are several types of topwater also. A few are easy to use while some need a specific retrieve to be effective.
Easy to Use Topwater Lures
These baits are simple to cast and retrieve models. The common lures are a Whopper Plopper and Jitterbug. Each of the lures works well and is the easiest to use. They are recommended for beginners or novice anglers due to their ease of use.
The Plopper has a spinning tail creating sound. The tailspins and slaps the water alerting the fish that it is there. The active fish will check out the lure and strike if the speed is within their preferred range. Try several speeds with the lures to find what the fish desires in the retrieve rate. This lure is good for faster retrieves.
A Jitterbug is the slower lure. The lure wiggles and gurgles on the retrieve. It makes less sound but provides more side-to-side action. This is an older lure many people have experienced their first topwater catch. The black and yellow models are highly productive when used in the morning or evening.
You can go old school with a buzz bait also. These are similar to spinnerbaits but have a different blade. The blade buzzes when you retrieve the lure. Plus the blade does create some flash. The single hook is good for areas with more weed or brush cover at the surface. The lure is a fast mover making it ideal for searching large areas of water quickly.
Topwater Lures Using Skills
A few do need some basic skills to use. The lures use a twitch while retrieving to make the action. These are the walk the dog and popper types. The Heddon Torpedoes and Spooks are the walk-the-dog types. A popper or soft body frog falls into the popper models. Use these types for pressured or finicky fish.
The retrieve is made using twitches with a slack line to get the proper action. The walk the dog lure will zig-zag side to side when you retrieve it correctly. You can maintain a steady retrieve or use pauses. Each technique works in different situations. The less active the fish need more pausing. Active fish will attack the steady retrieve with few or no pausing.
The popper uses a few sharp twitches with a pause. You are trying to mimic a frog or other surface swimming prey. Work the lures around and over weed beds. Pause at the opening or pockets in the weeds. Try long and short pauses. At times, a 30 seconds pause is best, while other times a 5-10 second pause is enough. Practice the method with different lengths of pauses.
Conclusions
Reaction lures are for searching out active fish. The times fish are finicky or pressured a slower retrieve is needed. A few of the lures allow this option. The lures come in steady retrieves or a stop-and-go action. A few work all year and some are for warmer weather seasons. You need a lure for deep and shallow water. Choose two types to start that fit where you fish and the time of year.