Fishing lures are artificial baits that move through the water to provoke a predator into striking. Unlike live or dead bait, lures require the angler to impart action – the retrieve speed, rod movements, and lure design all combine to create the impression of a wounded, escaping, or erratic prey fish.
UK predator fishing – pike, perch, zander, trout, and sea bass – is increasingly lure-dominated. The range of lure types available in UK tackle shops has expanded significantly over the past decade, and understanding what each type does (and when to use it) is the practical foundation of effective lure fishing.
[Image placeholder: A flat-lay arrangement of different UK fishing lure types on a neutral surface – crankbait, paddle-tail shad, spinner, spoon, surface popper, and jig head – showing the main lure categories side by side]
Hard Lures
Hard lures have a rigid body – moulded plastic or, in premium designs, balsa wood – with one or more treble hooks. They maintain their fixed shape during the retrieve. The body design, lip angle, and weight distribution determine how the lure behaves in the water, rather than the angler having to squeeze or work the material the way soft plastics respond.
Crankbaits (Diving Plugs)
A crankbait is a hard-bodied lure with a plastic or metal lip at the front that forces the lure to dive when retrieved. The size and angle of the lip controls diving depth and the character of the side-to-side wobble. Crankbaits are rated by diving depth: shallow (0-1.5m), medium (1.5-4m), and deep (4m+).
The vibration a crankbait produces as it wobbles pushes pressure waves through the water that pike and perch detect via their lateral lines. This makes crankbaits particularly effective in coloured or murky water where fish cannot see far but can feel the disturbance from metres away.
Crankbait variants:
- Square-bill crankbaits: A wide, blunt lip designed to deflect off snags, timber, and rocks. For shallow pike swims with woody cover.
- Lipless crankbaits (rattlebaits): No diving lip; the lure sinks and produces a tight, high-frequency wiggle on a steady retrieve. Can be worked fast or allowed to flutter down on the drop. Effective for zander and pike in open water.
- Jointed crankbaits: A two-section body produces a wider, more irregular action. The exaggerated movement often triggers reaction bites from pike that follow but will not commit to a standard crankbait.
Jerkbaits
A jerkbait is a hard-bodied lure designed to be worked with rod jerks rather than a steady retrieve. Sharp downward rod twitches cause the lure to dart and glide sideways, then hang in the water between movements. The action mimics a disoriented or injured fish – the brief pauses are where most strikes occur.
Two main types for UK pike fishing:
- Glide baits: Single-jointed lures that glide left and right on each jerk and hover on the pause. Best in clear water where pike can see the subtle movement from a distance.
- Weighted jerkbaits: Denser, heavier bodies that sink steadily between jerks. Work best in deeper swims (2m+) where the lure needs to stay near the bottom.
Surface Lures (Topwater)
Surface lures are fished on or just below the waterline, creating visual disturbance and noise that draws predators up to strike. For pike fishing in warm months (May through September), surface fishing can be the most productive method as pike actively hunt near the surface in warmer water.
Surface lure types:
- Poppers: A concave, cupped face that pushes and splashes water on each sharp rod jerk. The pop creates a disturbance that draws pike from considerable distances in calm conditions. Work with pauses of 3-10 seconds between pops.
- Walk-the-dog lures: A pencil-shaped body that zigzags left and right across the surface on a rhythmic slack-line retrieve. For when pike are showing on the surface but not aggressively chasing.
- Prop baits: Small propellers at the front or rear that churn surface water and create bubble trails.
- Hollow-body frogs: A hollow soft plastic body that collapses when a fish bites, exposing the hooks. Designed for fishing over lily pads and surface weed mats where any other lure would snag instantly.
Spoons
A spoon is a curved, elongated metal blade that wobbles from side to side as it is retrieved – one of the oldest lure designs still in active use in UK waters. The flashing reflection and irregular wobble closely mimic a small, wounded fish tumbling in the current.
- Casting spoons: Weighted metal blades that cast and sink. The Abu Garcia Toby (7-28g) has been the benchmark UK spoon for decades and remains effective for pike, perch, sea trout, and wild brown trout. Allow the spoon to flutter on the drop between retrieves – fish very often hit on the sink.
- Weedless spoons: A single hook (not treble) and a straight weed guard allowing the spoon to be retrieved through vegetation without snagging.
Spinners
A spinner uses a rotating blade mounted on a wire shaft to generate vibration, flash, and a distinctive thumping pulse that travels through the water. The blade begins rotating at very low retrieve speeds, making spinners effective at a crawling pace – useful in cold water when fish will not chase a fast lure.
- In-line spinners: The blade rotates around the main wire shaft directly above the hook. The Mepps Aglia (sizes 0-4) is the classic UK trout and perch spinner. Effective in rivers worked across and down the current, or in canals at a slow, steady retrieve.
- Spinnerbaits: A bent-wire V-frame with a rotating blade on the upper arm and a hook with a rubber skirt or soft plastic trailer on the lower. The frame is inherently weed-resistant – the blade guards the hook on the retrieve. Used for pike in weed-heavy swims.
Soft Lures
Soft lures are made from flexible plastic, silicone, or rubber. They require a separate hook or jig head to be fished, unlike hard lures where the hooks are built in. The flexible material produces a natural, lifelike tail action and means fish hold on longer after striking.
Paddle-Tail Shads
The paddle-tail shad is the core UK lure for perch, zander, and pike. A shad-shaped body with a wide, flat tail that beats rhythmically on the retrieve, producing both visual movement and low-frequency vibration. Shads are threaded onto a jig head – a combined lead head and hook.
Size guide: – 4-8cm on 2-7g jig heads: perch and small zander – 8-14cm on 5-21g jig heads: perch, zander, and jack pike – 14-25cm on 21-42g jig heads or soft-bait rigs: big pike
The standard retrieve is a lift-drop: wind in two turns, pause, allow the lure to sink to the bottom, then repeat. Most takes come on the drop as the lure flutters down.
Finesse Soft Plastics (Worm-Style)
Thin worms, slim stick baits, and curly-tail grubs produce subtle movement that works when fish are not responding to larger, more aggressive presentations. Used primarily for perch and zander on drop-shot rigs or light jig heads.
On a drop-shot rig – a drop-shot hook 20-40cm above a tungsten weight sitting on the bottom – the lure barely moves. Water currents and micro rod-tip movements create the action. Effective in clear water where fish can see the lure closely and be put off by heavy gear.
Hollow-Body Soft Plastics (Swimbaits)
Larger soft plastics (15-30cm+) that mimic prey fish with a natural rolling body action. Used for targeting big pike in reservoirs, lochs, and large stillwaters. Mounted on internal wire rigs or purpose-built swimbait hooks with belly-weighting to produce the right swimming posture.
Jig Heads
A jig head is a lead or tungsten weight fused with a hook, onto which a soft plastic is threaded. The weight determines how fast the lure sinks and how deep it can be worked. For UK freshwater:
- 1-5g: shallow rivers, canals, and still water margins for perch
- 5-14g: medium-depth work, most river perch and zander fishing
- 14-28g: deep stillwaters, long casting for pike, fast rivers
Tungsten jig heads are heavier for their size than lead, which means a smaller, neater head with better lure action and improved sensitivity when jigging. Worth the extra cost for drop-shot and deep-water zander work.
Choosing a Lure by Situation
Water clarity: In coloured or peat-stained water, choose lures with strong vibration and bright colours (chartreuse, orange, fire tiger). In clear water, natural colours (roach-pattern, perch-stripe, natural silver) and finesse presentations work better.
Water temperature: Below 8C, predators are lethargic. Use slow-moving lures – light jig heads, small soft plastics retrieved at a crawl, or crankbaits worked at minimum speed. Above 12C, fish are active and surface lures, fast crankbaits, and larger shads retrieved at pace come into their own.
Depth: Shallow divers and spinners for the top 2m. Medium crankbaits and 7-14g jig heads for 2-5m. Deep divers, lipless crankbaits, and 14-28g jig heads for 5m+.
Species: – Pike: large shads (14cm+), jointed crankbaits, surface lures in summer, spoons in rivers – Perch: in-line spinners (Mepps 1-3), small shads (5-8cm) on drop-shot, finesse worms – Zander: paddle-tail shads at dusk and into dark, vertical jigging in deep open water – Brown and rainbow trout: small in-line spinners, spoons (Toby 7-14g), small crankbaits – Sea bass: surface poppers, large soft plastics (14-20cm) on 20-40g jig heads, metal lures
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a wire trace for lure fishing?
For pike, always. Pike teeth cut through monofilament and fluorocarbon without resistance – a wire trace or heavy (25-30lb) coated wire is non-negotiable. For perch, zander, and trout, a short fluorocarbon leader (6-12lb) between braid mainline and the lure is sufficient.
What size lure should I use for perch?
Start with a 5-7cm paddle-tail shad on a 3-5g jig head. This size covers most UK river, canal, and still water perch. Perch have proportionally large mouths and will take lures up to 10-12cm in autumn when they are actively hunting.
Are hard lures or soft plastics better for pike?
Both have their place. Hard crankbaits cast further and produce more vibration – useful for searching coloured water quickly. Soft plastics on jig heads give a more natural action and can be worked slowly for cold-water fish. Many pike anglers use hard lures to locate fish and soft plastics to work a swim once fish are found.
Why do fish take lures on the drop?
A lure sinking and fluttering mimics a dying or stunned fish falling through the water column – one of the most reliable triggering stimuli for predators. Pike and perch have evolved to target easy prey, and a slow-sinking, wobbling shape matches exactly what an injured fish looks like.
Can I use lures on rivers?
Yes. Spinners, spoons, and crankbaits worked across and downstream in current are highly effective for perch, chub, and trout in rivers. Work lures across the current rather than directly upstream so the flow gives the lure additional action. Cast slightly upstream and retrieve at the same speed as the current to keep the lure running straight.