Hard Baits

Lips, Bodies and Rattles Explained

A rigid lure keeps its shape on every cast and every strike. The body is moulded plastic, metal or a mix of both, and the shape alone decides how it moves. That is the main difference from soft plastics, which need a jig head or a hook and the angler's retrieve to bring them to life. Most come with the hooks already on split rings, ready to tie on.

Three parts set the action. The lip (the plastic bill at the nose) makes the lure dive and wobble, and a longer, flatter lip digs deeper. The body shape sets the roll: a slim profile flashes from side to side, a short, fat one thumps, and a flat body with no lip shakes hard. Inside many bodies, loose steel balls rattle and slide towards the tail on the cast, which adds noise and distance.

Buoyancy is the last setting to check:

• Floating: rises at rest and dives on the retrieve, as on the 4.5cm 4.2g floating crank and the 14cm 23g floating seabass model.
• Suspending: holds its depth when the reel stops, so a pause leaves the lure hanging in front of the fish, as on the 9cm 9g suspending bass model.
• Slow sinking: drops slowly and can be counted down to a chosen depth, as on the 6cm and 7cm slow sinkers.
• Sinking: drops fast and holds deep water or current, as on the 9cm 25g sinking seabass model or the 9cm 14g sinking rattle VIB.

Hard Bait Types in This Range

The 126 lures split into five groups. Each group has its own grid above, and the notes below give the sizes, weights and prices that each group covers today.

Jerkbaits and Minnow Lures (48)

These are long, slim baitfish shapes. A sharp twitch of the rod tip makes them dart to one side and flash, and the pause after the twitch is when most fish hit. Long-lip models dive deeper, while short-lip models and sinking pencils stay higher. Jointed bodies, built in 2 to 8 segments, swing their tail even on a slow wind.

The 48 models run from 3.7cm and 1.5g up to 19cm and 55g, at $5.99 to $38.99.

• Micro: 3.7cm 1.5g with a single hook and 4.5cm 2.6g floating, for trout, perch and panfish on light line.
• Mid size: 9cm 9g suspending and a 12cm 14g long-lip model that dives 1.5-2.5m.
• Jointed: 3 segments at 7.5cm 9.2g, 5 segments at 125mm 20g and 2 segments at 18cm 55g.
• Saltwater long cast: 8.5cm 25g and 13cm 35g.
• Trolling: 16.5cm 29g, 17.5cm 40g and 19cm 50g with a glow belly.
• Sinking pencils: 8cm 13.5g, plus slow sinkers at 3.8g and 5.8g.

Crankbaits (13)

This type has a short, fat body and a lip that pulls it down as soon as the reel turns. A steady wind gives a tight wobble, and the lip knocks off rock, wood and gravel. That sudden change of direction often triggers a strike from a fish that ignored the straight run. Lip length sets the depth: short lips run shallow, long lips dig deep.

The 13 models here weigh 1.5g to 18g and cost $5.99 to $16.99.

• Micro: 3cm 1.5g and 4.5cm 3.5g, for small rivers and ponds.
• Small fat bodies: 6cm 4.2g with a laser finish and 4.3cm 8g with a rattle.
• Deep: 9.5cm 11g, 11cm 18g and a 16.8g suspending model rated to 7m, sold in a pack of 3.
• Low light: 5.5cm 8g luminous and 5cm 3.5g glow, the second in a pack of 3.

Lipless Crankbaits and Blade Baits (31)

Lipless models, often sold as VIB lures, have no bill. The line tie sits on the back, so the flat body shakes hard and the rattles carry a long way. They sink, so one lure covers every depth: count it down, then wind it back fast, or lift it off the bottom and let it fall in a yo-yo retrieve. The blade type is a thin metal plate with a weighted belly. It buzzes on a short lift of the rod and flutters on the drop, which suits cold water and deep holes.

This group holds 31 lures from 2.5g to 35g, at $5.99 to $24.99.

• Micro metal: 2.5g, 3.5g and 5g, plus a 4cm 4.3g Z-shape.
• Plastic: 5.5cm 7.5g for bass and 9cm 14g with a rattle.
• Metal and saltwater: 15g, 25g and 35g, a 9cm 35g sea model and a 9.5cm 30g long-cast model.
• Blades: 6cm 20g, 5.5cm 11g with a feather, and copper rotation blades in 8g, 16g and 21g.
• Spinner hybrids: 8-21g with a spinner blade, and a rotating spoon type from 7g to 30g.

Topwater Lures (28)

These lures float and work on the surface, so every strike is in plain view. Cupped faces throw water on a short jerk. Slim pencil shapes glide left and right on a steady rhythm of the rod tip, a move called walking the dog. Insect patterns copy the cicadas, bees, grasshoppers and dragonflies that drop onto the water in summer. Dawn, dusk and calm, warm days are the classic surface windows.

The 28 models run from 4cm and 3g up to 12cm and 42g, at $5.99 to $28.99.

• Cupped face: 4cm 3g for streams, 8cm 13.5g and a large 12cm 42g model.
• Walkers: 9cm 9g, 12cm 18g and a 10.5cm 11g zigzag model for saltwater.
• Insects: a 5cm 6g cicada with moving wings, a 4.5cm 6g bee and a 5cm 5g grasshopper.
• Noise: a 7cm 8.5g model with a steel ball and a 4.5cm 3.3g clear body with a rattle.

Fishing Lure Sets (6)

Sets put several types into one order, which makes it easy to test what works on a new water. The 6 sets cost $5.99 to $22.99.

• A bass kit of 16 poppers and minnow shapes at 4-5g.
• A 3-piece combo with one VIB, one minnow shape and one popper at 4-7.5g.
• A 5-piece glow kit for night sessions.
• A mixed kit of rigid and soft lures with a Texas rig.

Choosing the Right Hard Bait

Four checks narrow 126 lures down to the few that suit one trip: depth, weight, size and colour.

Match the Running Depth

Start with the depth where the fish hold, then pick a lure that runs there. As a rough guide:

• Surface: cupped-face, pencil, walker and insect models.
• 0-1m: floating and short-lip models.
• 1-3m: long-lip models such as the 12cm 14g at 1.5-2.5m.
• 3m and deeper: the 7m suspending deep diver, plus VIBs and blades counted down to the bottom.

Match the Weight to the Rod

Every spinning or casting rod has a casting-weight rating printed near the handle, such as 5-20g or 1/4-3/4 oz. A lure inside that range casts cleanly and loads the rod. A lure far outside it casts short or puts strain on the blank. For reference, 7g is about 1/4 oz, 14g about 1/2 oz and 28g about 1 oz.

• 1-7g, ultralight: micro models of every type and most insect lures.
• 7-21g, medium: most bass-size models and plastic VIBs.
• 21g and up, heavy: long-cast saltwater models, metal VIBs of 25-35g and big jointed or trolling bodies up to 55g.

Match the Size to the Fish

Size the lure to the prey that the target species eats. These ranges are a starting point, not a rule:

• Trout, perch and panfish: 3-6cm.
• Bass: 6-12cm.
• Pike, snakehead and catfish: 10-18cm, often jointed.
• Seabass and other saltwater predators: 9-15cm in long-cast weights of 20g and up.
• Offshore trolling: 16-19cm.

Match the Colour to the Water

In clear water, natural colours and see-through finishes look right. In stained or murky water, bright colours, laser foil and rattles help fish find the lure. At dusk and at night, glow models charge in light and then give off a soft glow. This range has a luminous diver, a glow VIB pack of 3 and a 5-piece glow kit for night sessions.

Retrieves for Each Type

The right retrieve matters as much as the right lure. These are the standard starting moves:

• Slim twitch models: 2 or 3 sharp twitches, then a pause of 1-5 seconds. Make the pause longer in cold water.
• Fat-body divers: a steady wind that keeps the lip digging. Slow down for a moment after the lure hits cover.
• VIBs: cast, count down, then wind back fast, or rip off the bottom and let it fall.
• Blades: lift the rod tip 30-60cm, then follow the lure down on a slack line.
• Cupped-face surface models: one short jerk, then a pause until the rings on the surface settle.
• Walkers: an even rhythm of tip twitches on slack line, so the nose swings from side to side.
• Insects: drop next to cover, let it sit, then give it small twitches.

Freshwater and Saltwater Models

16 of the 126 lures are named for the sea, as seabass, big game, trolling or saltwater models. Most of them weigh 15g to 50g and measure 8.5cm to 19cm, which suits long casts into wind and surf or towing behind a boat. Another 12 are named for freshwater species such as bass, catfish and pike, and the micro sizes from 1.5g suit streams and small lakes.

The names are a guide, not a limit. Most models cross over between fresh and salt water when the size and weight suit the target. Salt water corrodes split rings and hooks faster than fresh water, so lures used at sea need a rinse after every trip, and rusty trebles should be replaced before the next one.

Hooks, Split Rings and Line Ties

Most rigid lures come with two or three treble hooks on split rings. Check the points before each trip and replace any hook that is bent, blunt or rusty. Split-ring pliers make the swap quick. Some anglers change trebles for single hooks to cut snags and make releases easier, and some waters require it.

Tie on with a loop knot or a small snap rather than a tight knot on the eye, so the lure can swing freely. Use a wire or heavy leader where pike are present, because their teeth cut normal line. After a saltwater session, rinse the lures in fresh water and let them dry before they go back in the box, so hooks and rings do not rust. Spare hooks, snaps and swivels are in the terminal tackle range.

Ordering Hard Baits From Jig & Lure

All prices are in USD. Single lures start at $5.99, and 106 of the 126 lures in this range cost under $10. Packs of 2, 3, 5 and 16 bring the price per lure down further. Orders over $50 ship free, and we ship worldwide.