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Can a lure be legitimately called "bait"?
Results so far:
| Yes | 58% | 66 votes | Total: 114 votes | |
| No | 42% | 48 votes |
Yes
by Matthew Fulton
Created on: March 17, 2010
Using an artificial lure instead of live bait is a fun option that challenges anglers of all ages, but is a lure "bait"? The easy answer is no because well, people just do not consider them the same things. However, if you think about the true meaning of the word bait, an artificial lure does qualify. Bait is simply anything that makes a fish or animal come to you.
If we think of deer hunting, then the first thing you would think of as bait for a deer would be corn. The deer is hungry, and it wants food, so it takes the bait. But what about scent lures, calls, and rattling antlers? They are advertised as lures, but they essentially bait the animals into coming to you just the same. The prospect of sex or watching two bucks fight it out is often just as appealing as food to the deer, so in this instance the words bait and lure can be used interchangeably.
Of course you would not call a minnow a lure, so in fishing, the words are not really as interchangeable. However, we would not call a crankbait a "crank lure" or a spinnerbait a "spinner lure". You would get some funny looks at your local sporting goods store for that. But going back to the argument about anything that attracts something as bait, both live bait and artificial lures trick the fish into doing what you want them to. A minnow or worm on a hook baits the fish into striking because they are actual food, and a swim bait or plastic worms bait the fish into striking because they look and move like actual food. For this reason alone, lures can be construed as a bait if you look at the issue purely by the general concept of the word.
Debate aside, I would assert that a seasoned angler should stick to artificial lures for sport fishing. Why? It is more exciting. Sure, it is incredibly relaxing to sit and watch a bobber in the water while you wait for a strike. However, that can get very boring very fast, or you may very well have shown up with the wrong bait. So fish with artificials. Not only is it constant action, but it also demands expert skill to make plastic or metal act just like a real animal. I would say that the satisfaction of knowing that it was your skill that made the fish take the bait is far greater than knowing that nature did all of the work for you.
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No
by Justin Patterson
Created on: April 27, 2010
When the avid fisherman says that they are going to use bait, a worm or cut shad comes to mind. Any avid fisherman will tell you that there is a clear difference between bait and a lure. And they will also tell you that there is no way a piece of plastic qualifies as bait.
Fishing bait is defined as any substance that is used to attract fish that is put on the end of a hook or inside of a fishing trap (Wikipedia). These can includes thing such as night crawlers, earthworms, insects, cut fish, shrimp, artificial bait, (such as Berkley Powerbait,) fish eggs, and I've even seen cut corn used as bait. Anything that a fish is meant to ingest and can go on a hook can be defined as bait.
A fishing lure is defined as a an object that goes on the end of a fishing line that mimics the coloring and movement of the prey of fish. (Wikipedia)
We can clearly see from this definition that a lure clearly does not meet the criteria of bait because it is not actually food that is used to attract a fish, it does not go on the end of a hook or in a fish trap, and a fish is not meant to actually ingest a lure (sometimes they do in accident).
I like fishing both ways. a combination of lures and baits can lead to a successful day of fishing. Sometimes combination rigs can be used and that's fine. but there is a clear difference in bait fishing and lure fishing
Like for example, on the Andy Griffith show, you see Andy or anyone else in Maybury fishing with bait, and not lures. There's something magical about using bait to fish. It targets the fish at the most primal level. It does not rely on flashy colors or enticing motions. Bait fishing pits the human being against the psyche of the fish.
The fisherman has to decide what the fish wants to eat at that moment, and find a way to attract that fish to that bait without using flashy colors or gaudy motions.
Bait fishing can be some of the easiest fishing on the face of the planet. It can be used on the hot days of summer, where all you you want to do is sit in the shade of a soaring oak tree on the bank of the lake and enjoy a few cold brews. All you have to do at that point is cast you line into the lake, set the line, and just wait for the fish to discover the bait. After that, all you have to do at that point is wait for the magical moment to happen where there pole bends or the bobber dips underwater.
Or you can just trail a lazy line behind you boat and let the motion of your boat to attract your fish.
And it can also be the hardest fishing on earth. Using active casting and reeling in can increase you chances of catching your fish. The motion of the jerking of the line makes the fish go wild. The bait also attracts the fish to bite harder and swallow deeper than with a lure because of the natural texture of bait. This gives you a better chance of catching your fish. This kind of fishing is huge mental game and is not for the faint of heart.
Lures have their place in your fishing strategy, but to call it bait is a big shame. Both are different and both have their pros and cons. but useing a lure is vastly different than using bait. And thats that.
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