As anglers, in order to consistently catch fish, we need to understand what it takes to persuade a fish into biting our baits and lures and what triggers a fish into striking. In this article we tackle the question why fish bite lures and how we as anglers can use that knowledge to our advantage.
Simply put, there are three main reason why a fish will strike a lure or bait; they are hungry (a feeding strike), they become agitated or perceive a threat (a reaction strike), or they are defending an area (a territorial strike). Let’s discuss each one of these strikes and see how we can apply them.
The 3 Primary Reasons Why Fish Strike Lures
1. Feeding Strike
A feeding strike or hunger strike is when a fish is actively feeding and they react to your lure or bait because they think its food. When fish are actively feeding this can be one of the easiest times to catch fish if you are properly imitating their forage.
A feeding strike is one of the primary reasons why a fish will bite your bait and lures because they think its food. However, many novice anglers think that this the only reason. This simply isn’t the case. When fish aren’t actively feeding there are other tactics and techniques anglers can use to trigger bites.
2. Reaction Strike
A “reaction strike” is a response a fish makes to a lure or bait out of aggression, or in response to a perceived threat. The basic idea with a reaction strike is to use a lure that agitates a fish into striking, or presenting them with a situation they can’t help but react
to.
Examples of Reaction Strikes
• A lure annoys and agitates a fish causing it to bite
• A lure looks like a vulnerable bait fish and a fish takes advantage of an easy meal
Being able to provoke a reaction strike is super important because fish aren’t always hungry and actively feeding. Being able to capitalize on the impulses and behavior of fish is key if you wish to consistently have success as an angler.
How to get a Reaction Strike
It takes skill and experience to entice a fish to strike when its not actively feeding, but if learn them you will have far more success out on the water on a consistent basis. Here are some tips that will help you get more reaction strikes:
Noise and Commotion
Agitations is often the name of the game when trying to get a reaction strike. The more commotion and water displacement your lure can make the better. Often times fish can get fired up over a loud annoying bait that keeps swimming by. There are many lures that are designed for this exact situation. Beads, rattles, blades among other things are often added to lures to trigger a reaction response.
Change of Direction and Speed
You can often throw your lure out and run it in a straight line back and fish will ignore it. But when you mix up your retrieval speed, or bank a lure off a rock or stump, the sudden change in direction causes the fish to react and strike. Fish are far more likely to react to erratic
moving lures, they can’t help themselves.
Hot Colors
The color of your lure can also play a huge role in getting that reaction strike. If the fish aren’t actively feeding try using brighter, flashier lures to trigger a response. Bright reds, hot oranges, and chartreuse colors can be super effective in these types of situations. There is something about the color that screams at these fish and gets them to bite.
Repetitive Motion and Action
If there is an area where you know there are fish, for example, you are fishing deep structure, you can repetitively cast and work the bait in front of them and eventually they can’t stand the noise or commotion of your lure and will go out and grab it. If you are in a good spot with lots of structure don’t be afraid to make multiple casts in the same area.
3. Territorial Strike
When a fish reaches a certain maturity level they start to become more territorial. Typically the bigger the fish is the more defensive and territorial it becomes. There are certain areas that fish like to hang out more than others. Bigger fish will become conditioned to the food and area and will do what it takes to defend their territory. If you put your lure in the right spot a fish will hammer your lure in defense of its favorite areas.
Examples of Territorial Strikes
• A fish strikes in defense of their nest or eggs they are protecting
• A bigger fish strikes anything that come into it’s territory to defend its zone
Here is a great video that explains these three different strikes and how it can be applied to bass fishing.
Do Fish Remember Lures?
We as anglers spend hundreds of dollars and time trying to outsmart a fish that can’t think. The truth is most fish don’t have the capacity to think. They survive and react, but they aren’t very smart.
There have been several studies done to see if a fish can remember and most experts have found fish can remember up to 15 minutes. So essentially, you can catch a fish let it go and turn around and catch it again 15 minutes later if is still has the propensity to strike.
Final Thoughts
Many anglers believe that fish only will bite their lures when they are actively feeding. However, as we discussed in this article, that isn’t the only reason. There are three main reasons why fish bit lures: feeding strikes, reaction strikes and territorial strikes. Understanding these as an angler will help you consistently catch fish. We hope you found this information to be helpful and that you will apply what you have learned on your next fishing trip.
Tight Lines!
