ARTI-FISH-IAL INTELLIGENCE
PART TW0
What makes these baits so smart and appealing to fish, and what will the next generation of baits bring?
Text and photos by Angelo Peluso
Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two- part series on the evolution of “smart baits.” The first installment ran in the May/June 2011 issue of TIDE.
N TIDE
OWHERE IN THE WORLD of sport fishing is the “sense appeal” of artificial lures more prevalent than within
the realm of soft plastic baits. Taking a look at the current landscape of plastic baits, we see a wide variety of artifi- cials that have been designed to stimu- late most all strike-triggering sens- es. Determining when, where and how to apply these baits to various fishing situations will enhance one’s ability to consistently catch fish. One of the very first plastic baits to gain in popularity was the plastic worm used for largemouth bass. While there was simplicity of design with the worm, it proved to be one of the most
Soft plastic baits run the gamut from fish fry sizes of 1 inch to eel sizes of 14 inches. Plastic baits take the form of swim baits, jerk baits, stick baits, paddle tails and tubes.
versatile baits to hit the recreational fishing market. Depending on its rig- ging, it could be fished throughout the water column. Initially it was offered in a natural, worm-like coloration but eventually the colors were expanded to an abundant array that matched the spectrum of light conditions from the surface to moderate depth levels.
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For the most part, the first plastic worm was a visual bait. Its soft texture was agreeable to bass that would hold onto it longer and actually move off with like it they would with natural bait. This lead to better hook sets. The worm’s success in freshwater grabbed the attention of saltwater anglers and in the early 1970s it became a popular bait along the East Coast for weakfish, sea trout and other species of the brine. From the early roots of “Crème” and
“Jelly” worms, an entire industry of plastic baits was spawned. Over time, the worm was modified to appeal not only to a fish’s visual sense, but also its ability to detect sound through the addi- tion of rattles, and to the sense of taste through the use of simple and natural scent additives. After more than four decades of research and refinement, the variety of plastic baits available to anglers is almost overwhelming.
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