We've all read or heard that fish bit this or that lure that imitated this or that prey animal. But many lures, including spinnerbaits, Chatterbait, wide-lipped deep-dive crankbaits, double-bladed spinnerbaits, the cigar-shaped Zara Spook as well as a vast number of other lures, past and present, caught bass, pickerel and many other species. I wouldn't tell anyone they were wrong the reason they believe fish struck their lures, but as one who has caught thousands of fish for over 60 yrs. on most lure types and then started making and modifying lures that proved fish catchers, lure recognition by fish comes up short.

Fish senses that detect moving objects is a starting point vs. what fish think a lure is, especially when many lures catch fish in the same area regardless of the predominant prey. As I said, lures affect fish senses in a way that draw their attention and hold it long enough to provoke a strike. What is it about a lure that provokes a fish to strike? First and foremost - lure action. The lures mentioned above each demonstrate various actions, all of which provoke fish to strike regardless of why anglers insist they were struck.

Take the Zara Spook for example. At rest on the surface, it looks like nothing in nature yet the rhythmic back & forth swish make bass go berserk attacking it. Same for the Heddon Torpedo and buzz bait. The surface splash is key. But how about more subtle action lures? I call them lateral line ticklers. A hair or feather jig has strands in its skirt that pulsate and flow with the least motion imparted - even under a float. All species of fish attack them due to a very subtle action.

The Senko has the unique wobble of body and tips as it sinks, but so does this design:


Instead of rounded tips, the fine tips quiver on the way down or can even be twitched mid-depth. Could it be the twitching ends tickle the lateral line, getting fish wanting it to stop?!! Here's another slightly different shape but the same concept:




Wacky rigged just like the Senko and just as effective. But note one thing: different colors. Lure action speaks loudest most of the time.

We've all caught fish on curl-tail grubs but many assume the reason is the tail that simulates a bait fish's tail action. Ever watch a video of any fish's tail action? A subtle flutter when fish suspend or a flick when it moves fast for whatever reason. This lure design demonstrates the same subtle tail-action of a suspended fish:



Note the thin straight tail and clear plastic.
This chubby flat tail resembles a guppy, but so what?

Apart from what fish supposedly think, body thickness and tail action combined provoke strikes.

Granted, the curl-tail does great, thumping the lateral line as it swims past, but for a different sense-stimulation reason - the wide curl tail vs the thin tail of a Mr.Twister grub that tickles the lateral line:


Also note the spinner attached to the jig which provides a double whammy to the fish's lateral line and eyes.

Aren't grubs supposed to have smooth rounded bodies? Not this one which is one of my best producers:

Lure texture is not lost on fish, though some of my best-producing plastics are smooth on their surfaces.

I don't expect anyone to agree with the above because anglers that do well (regardless of why fish strike) do so only so long as a lure is worked in the right place, the right way. The above frees anglers - especially newbies - from focusing lure choice based on what fish think lures are, to what it is about a lure that pisses it off - (as if anger is ever a reason).

Informative post. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks.
Just another way of looking at what fish strike and maybe why. It kind of frees anglers from limiting lure choice based on what lures (supposedly) simulate.
Interesting comparison:
I have a pond that I stocked with panfish and bass. I remember feeding sunnies with bits of bread when I was young and figured why not see what sunfish will go after?
Soon over 2 doz. sunfish would swim to where I was chucking bits of bread and slam into one another going after them on the surface. This turned into a daily feed regardless of the season.
School of sunnies - many of which have grown in size since the photo was taken

Soon enough, small turtles, after hearing the surface commotion, would also come to me waiting for bits of bread. They also fight each other just like the sunfish for those tiny snacks. [Note: as of this week, up to eight turtles are as close as 3' to where I'm standing.]
Sunfish and turtle waiting for bread:


The above indicates a few things:
1. fish like starch - something unnatural in their diet - just like soft plastics
2. fish learned to trust the source of those bits of bread - me - and sometimes go after them almost at my feet in 3" of water!
4. Other than the fish born in the pond, the largest sunfish must have forgotten who caught them - many lining up at my feet for bits of bread.
5. a 1.5lb bass and sometimes a few others I put into the pond, swim over to see what all the commotion is all about - also having forgotten who put them there. They do not attack the feeding sunnies or eat bread, but one did bite one of the turtle's heads!

Most amazing is that these wild aquatic animals could be taught to act in a certain way via an unnatural reward. Lures IMO fall into that category of moving objects fish at times have no choice but to attack due to the right combination of shape/ action/ speed / lateral line detection. Whether or not fish attack lures to consume them is not relevant. - that they do for whatever reason, is!

Good read. Thanks for sharing.