Access digital copies of guides and regulations publications from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Issue link: http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/i/606672
PLUGS OR CRANKBAITS A plug (also called a crankbait) is basically a lure designed to resemble a fi sh. It can have between one and three hooks attached to the body (typically treble hooks). Depending on its design, a plug usually wobbles and sometimes also rattles in the water. Plugs come in all sizes, and many of them have a plastic lip that makes them dive as they are pulled through water. The bigger the lip, the deeper the lure will dive. Some crankbaits are made to fl oat when not being retrieved, others will sink. Crankbaits are available in a variety of body styles, each representing a different type of baitfi sh. Shad body plugs have a large, rounded head and belly that tapers to the tail. Shad baits are generally shorter than minnow baits and have a tight wobble. Most have two treble hooks hanging from the belly and the tail. Black bass (largemouth and smallmouth) are good targets for a shad body bait. Minnow bodies are long and thin (sometimes called stickbaits), and have a wider wobble than the shad body. Walleye, smallmouth bass, pike and muskie can be caught with stickbaits. Lipless rattle-baits are thin and weighted to sink instead of using a lip to dive. The tip and tail come to a point and they rattle when retrieved. Many species will be attracted to rattle bait. SPINNERBAITS Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits are awkward looking lures, consisting of a wire that looks like an opened safety pin attached to a lead head body that is essentially a jig. The jig body usually is camoufl aged with a rubber or fur skirt and the opposite wire has one or two blades like those seen on spinners. The line is tied on at the bend in the wire. Spinner baits are popular with bass fi shers. How to fi sh with spinnerbaits: The most common way to fi sh a spinnerbait is to simply cast it out and retrieve it at a moderate speed, keeping the lure at a depth between the surface and 5 feet. How to fi sh with jigs: Unlike many other lures, all the "action" (how a lure moves in the water) comes from the angler. If you don't do anything, the jig just sinks. A classic method, often referred to as jigging, is to cast out, let the jig sink, then pump the rod by lifting and lowering the tip while retrieving the line. Varying the speed and size of the pumping action will affect how the lure moves. As the jig jumps up, it looks like fl eeing prey to a predatory fi sh, and as it falls, the bait looks like it is weak or resting. Most of the time, the strike will occur as the jig falls. Tip: If the line becomes too slack while jigging, it will be diffi cult to feel a strike. Jigs can also be fi shed by using a slow, steady retrieve. The jig will fl ow smoothly through the water like a swimming baitfi sh. How to fi sh with crankbaits: As their name suggests, crankbaits should be "cranked" or reeled through the water to create action. Similar to spinners and spoons, cast and reel in with a steady retrieval. Pausing during the retrieve will give the lure more action. They can also be retrieved rapidly and allowed to bump and bounce off of underwater structure to create an unpredictable zig-zag action that mimics a bait fi sh trying to escape a predator (warning: this method can result in losing lures to snags). Rattling plugs can be effective in murky water when other lures are not. der dy. s, pike and th stickbaits. zzbaits g lures, that o a is e 13 CHAPTER 2 ● EQUIPMENT