What is Survival Fishing and what is the best artificial lure for it? Survival Fishing, as the name implies, is fishing to sustain yourself. Not Sport Fishing (which I Love!), but fishing to eat and survive. In Sport Fishing, the goal is to catch the most or the largest fish. Not what I’m talking about here.
So, if you are creating a fishing kit for survival, what would you have in it? The obvious choices are line, hooks, sinkers, etc. Then you find natural baits (worms, bugs, minnows, etc.) to use as bait. But, if you had to choose an artificial lure, what would you choose? The choices are overwhelming! Just go to your local Walmart or Bass Pro Shops and see how many different types of lures there are. Size, color, shape, top water, diving, soft baits, hard baits and on and on…
I have over 40 years of fishing experience. I have fished in Alaska to the North, the Amazon Basin to the South and many points in between. So, I have some opinions on this topic. Fish love soft plastic lures. They are realistic looking and. have revolutionized fishing. But, they are too fragile for survival. Top water lures are a blast, and for me, the most fun. But, fish will not always hit top water. So, my choice is the minnow imitation, commonly known as the Jerkbait. Why is it called a Jerkbait? Well, you jerk the lure to create action! By using a sporadic swimming motion, the lure looks panicked or injured, which is attractive to predator fish.
So now which Jerkbait? So many sizes, colors, brands? I prefer a floating lure in about a 3 1/2 inch size. Yes, generally a larger lure will catch larger fish, but we are trying to catch something to eat. A smaller lure will still catch large fish, but usually not vice versa. I assembled an assortment of popular lures, for this piece, to see which would be best for survival.
- Rapala Floatiing Minnow- the original minnow bait made of wood.
- The Rebel Minnow- Also a long time favorite, made of plastic.
- Bomber Long A- Also made of plastic.
- The Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow- the most modern of the group.
Going in, my favorite is the Rapala. It is my “go to” lure, catching lots of fish. Being made of wood, with a separate glued on plastic bill, it is certainly the most fragile of the group. The other three, being made of plastic, are more durable and therefore better choices for survival. But, in a fishing shoot-out,which will prevail and become part of my Survival Kit? So, for a Field Test, I headed to a local lake. My plan was to fish with each lure for about one hour. This is a typical lake in my area, with boat docks as the major target to catch fish. While this lake has many different species, I was targeting Largemouth Bass and Peacock Bass. A Medium/Light Shimano Spinning Outfit with 8 lb. monofilament was used for fishing.
Field Test Results:
Lure One: Rapala Floating Minnow= Two Largemouth Bass and One Peacock Bass Lure Two: Rebel Minnow= One Peacock Bass and One Largemouth Bass
Lure Three: Bomber Long A= Four Largemouth Bass
Lure Four: Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow= Two Largemouth Bass and One Peacock Bass Total Fish= 12 (All Fish were released)
Final Thoughts: I really prefer the action of the Rapala over the other lures, but it is out of contention due to how fragile it is. Hit one dock and the lure can be ruined. The Rebel is too chunky and does not have good action. It’s wide, wobble action is not for me. The Bomber is very durable and I consider it to be a good runner up.
The Yo-Zuri is my pick. It’s durable, one piece design, great action and super flashy finish are winning qualities for me. I believe there are few places I could not catch something to eat with this lure.
— Grey Viking