One common question anglers have, and especially new anglers, is how to catch more fish. One important fact to understand are the different ways to attract fish to your hook. No matter how you choose to fish, be it bait, artificial fly, spinner and beyond, it’s important to understand what attracts a fish’s attention. Fish use several senses to find their food, including vision, scent, and taste. Knowing this can help you determine the most successful methods of fishing, no matter if you’re fishing from a dock on the Ocean to the Colorado River!
In this article, we look at 4 ways anglers attract fish to their hooks so that they catch more and bigger fish. We learn how fish hunt for food and different methods to try. Just because one method works really well one day doesn’t mean the next fishing trip to the same body of water will yield the same results. Variables such as the time of year, water temperatures, and weather can affect the fish’s behavior and feeding patterns!
Attracting Fish Basics:
Fish are pretty smart. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been busted by a fish, either by them seeing me, feeling the unnatural vibration my body makes on the water, or putting on old and spoiled bait. Fish know what’s real and what’s not pretty quickly. You have to have good timing, use the right methods, and know what the fish in your area are and are not attracted to biting. I can remember fishing trips where a simple change in size and type of a fly made the difference between getting skunked and catching multiple fish, or a change in tactic on a slow day led to a fast fishing one! It’s all about knowing what attracts fish so you can adjust accordingly!
#1 – How to Attract Fish: Using Scents
One common way fish find food is through scent. Fish have been found to be attracted to common scents in their natural environment, such as the smell of other fish, bugs, fish eggs, and other marine life in their area. It’s exactly why powerbait smells so fishy! Fish are opportunists: they are always looking for the quickest, biggest meal possible! Common baits that produce results with catching fish are:
- Powerbaits (TIP: Pay attention to the different scent options when looking for powerbait to buy! Buy different scent types and make notes on which ones work best)
- Earthworms, mealworms, and/or wax worms
- Salmon Eggs
- Scented Marshmallows (Not the kind you buy for smores! We mean Marshmallows made exclusively for fishing, which are NOT for eating!)
- Cheese
- Minnows or other live bait or pieces of fish (check for what is legal in your area regarding live bait)
- Pieces of Shrimp
- Scent Applicators (a gel or spray put on things with an unnatural taste, such as a jig or spinner, or to enhance the smell of the bait) which come in scents such as shrimp, fish, or garlic, among others. These are effective in getting fish to bite and taste something good instead of something metal or plastic.
It’s good to speak to local fishing shops, watch for local fishing reports, and do some research online to see which scents generally work for the fishing spots in your area. Fish pick up on the scents produced by these baits and will follow the smell to the location of the food. If something smells good, they are likely to bite!
MAJOR TIP Regarding Scents: Make sure you avoid having other scents on your hands when applying bait or scents, such as gasoline (such as from pumping gas), sunscreen, or bug spray. It’s recommended you wear rubber disposable gloves when applying any of these to your vehicle or body to prevent that smell from getting on your bait. If a fish smells any of these, they are likely to drop their interest! Make sure there are no other odors that may tamper with your presentation!
#2 – How To Attract Fish: Using Visual Attractors
Another way to attract fish is by using baits that attract visual attention to the fish. Spinners, spoons and pop gear, for example, are silver or golden colored metal attractants that shine brightly in the water and make it easy for a fish to spot. They demand the attention of anything swimming near them. Fish are attracted to the light and will strike at the spinner, mistaking it for a smaller fish or an easy meal. These tend to work best during daylight hours because there is more sunlight for the gear to reflect from.
Anglers can also use visual attractants on baits, spinners, jigs and artificial flies. For example, powerbait options use glitter in some of their products to make the bait sparkle on top of smelling like a potential meal. Artificial flies can be tied using glittering twine or gold or silver bead-heads. All these efforts are to make the fly stand out in the dark water to attract a hungry and curious fish to come over! Catching the attention of the fish is an important strategy, especially in waters where there are plenty of food options for the fish to choose from.
#3 – How to Attract Fish: Using Movement and Vibrations
Believe it or not, fish can be very sensitive to movements and vibrations in the water. Many fish, especially ones that feed on other fish, are sensitive to movement because it is one of the ways they find their prey. When using movement and vibrations as a means to attract fish, trying different speeds in which you reel and different movements with your pole can get a fish to bite. Sometimes fish prefer slower. methodical movement from the bait, while others are attracted to fast-moving bait near the surface. The vibration in the water can simulate prey or dying fish movements, which tend to attract big fish to the scene.
When fishing in deep or low light water, fish are often paying attention to movements in the water. For example, when ice fishing, many times there is low light for the fish to find their food. Doing occasional, repetitive jigging motions (incremental short, rapid upward movements, then letting the bait sink) can attract fish that otherwise would have swum by. Think of it as a way to say “lunch is over here!” over and over again. Pay attention to the speed, depth, and type of baits, flies or spinners the fish are biting and take notes so you remember what has worked for you in the past.
#4 How to Attract Fish: Using Artificial Imitation
Another proven way to attract fish is by using baits, jigs, and flies that visually imitate natural food in the environment. For example, artificial flies imitate bugs such as mayflies or caddis. Jigs can look and move like prey fish. Plastic worms can fool a fish into thinking they’re about to gobble an earthworm dinner! The point is to use what looks like the food the fish are feeding on.
The most important part of this strategy is to become familiar with the naturally occurring food for the location and time of year in which you are fishing, and then using bait and flies that appear and/or act similarly. It’s important to pay attention to details, like the exact colors and sizes of the naturally occurring food sources, and then using the same colors and sized baits, jigs, spinners, and artificial flies. One thing I do is look under rocks, watch what is in the water, and watch what food sources are on or near the surface, and use whatever I have that is similar. Once you find the right patterns, colors, and sizes of artificial iminations, get ready for a fun day of fighting fish!
Conclusion
Understanding what attracts fish is crucial to having a fun and successful fishing trip. Knowing these 4 ways to attract fish will help you figure out any fishing spot and will help you adjust to possible changes in weather, feeding patterns, and time of day changes. Knowing this infomraiton will help you in any fishing situation. They can be generalized to any fishing location, style of fishing, and type of water you’re trying. Just remember: Scent, Sight, Vibration, and Presentation are the keys to attracting more and more fish to the end of your line!
Good luck out on the water and happy fishing!