Fishing Thoughts

Soft plastics aren’t rubber — they’re engineered PVC systems where plasticizer ratio and formulation control determine whether a bait feels alive or stiff. What are soft plastic fishing lures made of? Soft plastic fishing lures are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) resin suspended in liquid plasticizer, a material system known as plastisol. When heated to approximately 320–350°F, the PVC resin particles absorb plasticizer, fuse into a homogeneous melt, and then solidify into

Part 7 Best Soft Plastic Lure Colors: How to Apply Color Theory for Consistent Results By now, the pattern should be clear. Successful soft plastic colors aren’t about guessing, trends, or flashy names. They’re the result of understanding how fish see , how light behaves underwater , and how contrast and visibility change with conditions . This final part of the series brings everything together into a simple, repeatable system you can actually use on the water—or in the shop

Anglers often debate lure color endlessly, but in real fishing conditions, lure action frequently triggers strikes before color ever does . Understanding when action matters more than color—and when color becomes critical—helps eliminate guesswork and improves consistency. This article breaks down the role of lure action versus color and explains how to prioritize each based on conditions. What Is Lure Action? Lure action refers to how a bait moves through the water. This inc

Part 6 UV fishing lures generate a lot of debate. Some anglers treat UV as a secret weapon, while others dismiss it as marketing hype. The truth is that UV can help—but only when it’s understood and used correctly . To make sense of UV, we need to start by clearing up a few misconceptions. Some Fish Can See Ultraviolet (UV) Light Ultraviolet (UV) light sits just outside the visible spectrum for humans. We can’t see it, but many fish species can —especially in shallow water an

Part 5 By now, you know that lure colors change underwater and that fish vision depends heavily on light conditions. In this part of the series, we’re going one step deeper—literally and scientifically—by explaining wavelengths  and how they determine which lure colors stay visible and which disappear. You don’t need a physics background to understand this. Once you grasp the basics, lure color selection becomes far more predictable and far less guesswork. How Light and Wavel

Part 4 Fish don’t see color the way humans do. How Fish See Lure Colors in Different Light Conditions  While anglers often focus on how a lure looks above the water, fish experience a very different visual world—one shaped by light availability, water clarity, and biology. To understand why certain soft plastic colors work in some conditions and fail in others, you first need to understand how fish eyes actually function . The Two Types of Visual Cells in Fish Eyes Most preda

Part 3 Water doesn’t treat all colors equally. Some colors fade quickly, while others remain visible at depth. This is why a bait that looks bright above water can look completely different to a fish. Understanding why lure colors change underwater  starts with how light behaves as it passes through water and how different wavelengths are absorbed with depth. What Happens to Color Underwater As depth increases: Red disappears first Orange and yellow fade next Green, blue, and

Part 2 Understanding fishing lure color contrast  helps explain why some soft plastic lures stand out instantly while others blend into the background and get ignored, especially in low-visibility conditions Contrast is the ability of a bait to stand out from its background. It matters more than color name, brand, or flake pattern. If a fish can’t separate your bait from its surroundings, it won’t strike. High Contrast vs Low Contrast High contrast makes a bait easier to dete

Soft plastic lure color selection is one of the most debated topics in fishing. Many anglers change colors constantly without understanding how fish actually perceive contrast, visibility, and forage patterns in different water conditions. Color does not act alone. It interacts with water clarity, light penetration, depth, forage behavior, and fish activity levels. In some situations, color increases visibility. In others, it creates silhouette. In others, it triggers reactio

Rainbow trout caught on a ribbed trout worm, demonstrating how proper color selection produces results in clear water conditions. Most trout anglers overthink color — or worse, pick it randomly. In reality, selecting the best trout worm colors  becomes predictable when you understand three variables: water clarity, light penetration, and seasonal forage behavior. After repeated testing in clear Ozark streams, stained runoff, summer glare, and winter low-light conditions, cons

Hand-tied marabou jig in olive and black, a proven finesse option for cold, pressured trout. When trout get pressured, cold, and selective, most anglers downsize soft plastics and slow their presentation. But in clear water and tough conditions, marabou jigs often outperform plastics — not because they’re old-school, but because they solve a specific performance problem trout present. Marabou moves without force. It breathes without speed, and it produces strikes when trout r

Jig heads with different hook eye bends. The angle of the eye affects how the lure pulls through the water and how it behaves during retrieves. How Jig Head Geometry and Design Change Your Catch Rate Two jig heads can weigh the same, look nearly identical, and be tied to the same soft plastic — yet one catches fish while the other gets ignored. The difference usually isn’t weight. It’s geometry . The angle of the hook eye  and the shape of the jig head  determine how a lure m

⚠️  Safety Disclaimer Plastisol formulation and processing involve industrial chemicals, high heat, and specialized equipment. These materials can release hazardous fumes and require strict ventilation, protective gear, and regulatory compliance. Readers should not attempt to make plastisol at home. The information provided here is for technical and educational purposes only, intended for controlled laboratories or manufacturing environments. Do not use phthalate-based plasti

For decades, salmon eggs have been a staple in trout fishing. They’re bright, natural, and they’ve caught fish for generations. But fishing isn’t just about tradition — it’s about results. Anglers today want baits that last longer, perform consistently, and respect the waters we fish. That’s why synthetic salmon eggs are quietly becoming the smarter choice.

My favorite ways to fish a small (trout) worm