Surface lure: a captivating technique

Surface lure fishing is probably the most fun you can have luring predators. Whether you're fishing at sea or in freshwater, you'll be hooked in no time.

To do this, you'll need to learn how to animate a few large groups of lures. These include stickbaits, poppers, crawlers and lures that aren't quite identified.

You can rely on the decades of development in its use to turn to particularly accomplished models that are setting the standard:

Berkley Bullet Pop 8cm
Abu Garcia Rocket Popper 9cm
Xorus patchinko surface lure
Yo Zuri 3DB Pencil Surface Lure
Adam's Pop 8cm Surface Lure
Surface lure Savage Gear 3D
Volkien Soul Kearu Pop Surface Lure
Zenith Z Claw Ratting
Savage Gear 3D Minnow
Zacrawl Yojirobee 9cm floating lure Adusta
Tsurugiya Pop Jr 5cm
Surface lure Zenith Z claw
Surface lure Vagabon Iwashi Popper
Surface lure Megabass Popping Duck
Ioda Popper Bass surface lure

All you have to do is choose the right lure rodyou'll just have to choose the right lure, with a tip that's not necessarily too strong for the right action. Also choose a reel with an intermediate retrieve so as not to break your lure's swimming action.

Depending on where you're fishing, you'll have to opt for equipment that's more or less resistant. In fact, you'll need to adapt differently whether you're using a berkley bullet pop surface lure or a tuna popper.

The different lure manufacturers

Popular and effective, surface lures quickly won over anglers. Its playfulness and sight fishing tend to appeal to a wide range of anglers. As a result, many manufacturers have turned their attention to the subject.

At Berkleyyou'll find mainly freshwater lures. One example is the Berkley Bullet pop 8cm surface lure. In the same Pure Fishing group, the Abu Garcia Rocket Popper 9cm is a lure of choice.

On the Japanese side, the choice is also quite varied. Some of the big names in Japanese fishing are vying for a share of the market with a host of new technologies and magnificent colours. The Xorus Patchinko surface lure is a firm favourite with French anglers, as is the Megabass Popping duck surface lure.

Still in the land of the rising sun, you could turn to the more economical Yo Zuri surface lure or the 9cm crawler floating lure adusta.

The choice of our French designers is not to be outdone. You'll find brands of swimming fish created in France where you'll find surface lures. The Adam's Pop is one of them, as is the Ioda Popper Bass surface lure.

As you can see, you'll find models from every manufacturer. Even those who are farthest removed from these practices will offer you choice models such as the Savage Gear 3D Minnow.

How do you choose a surface lure?

First of all, it's essential to choose a surface lure, because you're fishing for predators that are likely to rise to the upper layers. You won't be able to fish for pike-perch, for example.

There are several forms and techniques of surface fishing. These lures can be divided into 4 main categories: poppers, stickbaits, crawlers and the rest.

Thanks to their hollow mouth, poppers produce a certain sound and splash. An 8cm popper surface lure will seduce both perch and pike, but also sea bass like an adam's pop surface lure.

Stickbaits are shaped like fish. They float and move in a zig-zag pattern with varying degrees of speed and noise depending on your action. A Zenith Z Claw Rattling or its surface lure cousin Zenith Z Claw will make wonderful playmates.

The crawlers, on the other hand, imitate large insects on the surface of the water. The aim is to send out as many different signals as possible borrowed from the other models, to create an aggressive reaction in the carnivorous fish targeted.

Finally, there's a whole range of lures that don't fit into these boxes. These include propbaits with their devilish propellers, as well as ploppers from the famous River2sea brand.

Which animation for which lure?

Each model of lure can have several animations. This will depend on the environment you're fishing in, the season, the temperature and even the time of day.

Poppers like the Berkley bullet pop surface lure will animate in two different ways. You can use a stop and go action to make it look like you're hunting. But you can also use longer pulls to give the carnivore the impression that the fish is on the run.

Stickbaits like me 3Dpencil surface lure can also support several different animations. They can be reeled in linearly and take advantage of the furrow they leave in their wake.

Repeated short pulls will make them do a walking the dog dance to imitate a fleeing fish, but longer pulls will avoid the distrust of educated fish.

Crawlers and propbaits will also tend to retrieve in a linear fashion. You can easily vary the speed to give your lure a more natural swimming action.

One very important point: don't neglect breaks. They are an integral part of surface fishing. You have to imagine that predators will be attracted by noise and flashes. They will move for this reason.

But once they're close, they'll prefer a fish that's stationary to grab it. This will require less energy and be easier.

Other carnivorous lures :