Choosing the Right Soft Plastic Lure

By
Ethan Smith
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Video best soft bait colors for bass

by Dietz Dittrich, Mister Twister® Field Staff

Fishing is a lot of fun, however, choosing the right lure to throw for the day can often be overwhelming. Few, if any, of us has the disposable income to buy just one of every lure, let alone a pack of them. So, here’s a few tips on colors and styles to best fit your soft plastic fishing needs.

Fish Species

It may sound silly, but the first thing to decide is what you’re fishing for. It would be silly to cast a 9” Sassy Shad® if your goal for the day is to catch Crappies. “Match the hatch” is a motto that applies to more than just stream trout anglers. Once you have decided the species of fish you are after, you can narrow your search for the right lures.

Water Clarity & Light Penetration

The clearer the water and the brighter the sky, the brighter your lure should be. This may seem contrary to some, but I and many pro’s, are convinced this is what works best. Natural and dark lure colors include black or June bug. Natural and brighter colors include Watermelon seed, Pumpkin Pepper, and of course, white. Colors that are good for partly cloudy days include Watermelon seed/red flake, Goby or Smoke.

When fishing stained water use colors that are less natural. A couple of colors I would use in stained water on a bright day would be chartreuse, and pink. You need something bright to get the fish’s attention. On darker days, black/blue or red shad should do the trick.

See also  .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum for Whitetail Deer Hunting? Best Ammo (Round, Load, Cartridge) for a Successful Whitetail Deer Hunt Hunting Calibers 04 Apr, 2020 Posted By: Foundry Outdoors Is the .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for whitetail deer hunting? The accurate answer is “it depends”. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest whitetail deer. As with anything, the devil is in the details. To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the whitetail deer, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the whitetail deer in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots – the list goes on. [Click Here to Shop .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum Ammo]What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a whitetail deer in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically. Let’s dive right in. In the question of “Is the .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum within the ideal range of suitable calibers for whitetail deer hunting?” our answer is: Yes, the .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum is A GOOD CHOICE for whitetail deer hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.Let’s look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table. Assumption Value Caliber .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum Animal Species Whitetail Deer Muzzle Energy 3170 foot-pounds Animal Weight 210 lbs Shot Distance 150 yardsWhat is the average muzzle energy for a .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum? In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum round is approximately 3170 foot-pounds. What is the average weight of an adult male whitetail deer? Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. In this case, the average weight of an adult male whitetail deer is approximately 210 lbs. [Click Here to Shop .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum Ammo]What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in whitetail deer hunting. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. This phenonemon is known as drag or air resistance. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for whitetail deer to be approximately 150 yards. What about the other assumptions? We have three other primary assumptions being made here. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum. The second important assumption is ‘slightly-suboptimal’ to ‘optimal’ shot placement. That is to say, we assume the whitetail deer being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet.Various calibersA common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions. Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest whitetail deer - and to this question, the response again is yes, the .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum is A GOOD CHOICE for whitetail deer hunting. [Click Here to Shop .270 WSM Winchester Short Magnum Ammo]This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Please feel free to agree, disagree, and share stories from your own experience in the comments section below. Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting whitetail deer to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option.Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online.We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings. Leave a commentComments have to be approved before showing up Your Name * Your Email * Your Comment * Post Comment

Water clarity will also play a role in what shape plastic you choose as well. Again, the clearer the water, the more natural your lure color should be. Match the hatch, but keep in mind, fish living in clear water feed more by sight than a fish that lives in murky water. It is attracted by sound and vibration.

A good example of a natural looking lure for bass is the Exude® RT Slug. This lure resembles a baitfish. However, the color of that baitfish will be different depending on which part of the country you live in. In the South, the color alewife may do a good job of looking like a small shad, however, many states do not have shad. I prefer to use Croaker Shad, which I feel looks a lot like a small sunfish. Another natural looking lures is the FAT Tube.

When fishing stained water you need a lure that attracts fish with sound, so use a lure that produces vibration. Most soft plastic lures will produce some vibration, however, some produce a lot more than others. Big lures move more water so they produce more vibration. Lures with Twister tails, like the Curly Tail® Grub, or paddle tails, like the Sassy Shad® will also produce additional vibration. Pay close attention to subtle differences. The Ribbon Tail, because of the length of its vibrating tail, will produce considerably more vibration than other similar products. The B-A-Hawg and Super Lizard™ also produce a lot of vibration.

Weather

Finally, weather plays a large role in lure selection. Cold fronts call for a smaller, slower presentation so you should fish a lure with a smaller profile. During a cold front a fish’s metabolism slows down. It is generally not looking for a meal, but it will eat a snack. Stable weather calls for larger lures. “Big lures catch big fish.” For example, suppose you’re catching walleye on a 4” Mister Twister® Tail and a cold front moved in. Downsizing to a 3” Twister Tail could be your ticket to continued success. If the weather remains nice but you’re looking to catch bigger fish, switch to a 4” Sassy Shad® as this lure has a larger profile.

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So, by paying attention to the details:

    • Species of Fish
    • Water Clarity &Light Penetration
    • Weather

By choosing a plastic to match these conditions, you should catch more fish! Lastly, rules are meant to be broken. I have had many a day saved when I broke the rules and used a lure the fish should not have liked for the day. However, I will most always start with the basics I mentioned here. Good luck out there and have fun!

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