lures

[reelstripper]

does anyone use lures this early in the season? an if so what lure do ya think would work well this time of year from the beach or peirs? thanks :confused:

[busted eye]

this time of year I only use fresh bait. water still to cold for lures.

[surfrat]

I've read that some guys have had success on plugs but nthing confirmed. i have caught fish this early on artificials but nothing consistent. if ya have to use artificials i would go with a 4" shad body on a 3/8oz jig. bounce it on the bottom, tight to jetties and adjacent to sodbanks.
Nick

[Brian E. Mullaney]

MY GOLDEN RULE OF THUMB IS NO LURES EXCEPT BUCKTAILS UNTIL WATER HITS 50 DEGREES.

[bunker]

All sounds right. Seems to me Ratt'l traps, those shad tails someone mentioned, maybe some swimshad lures by Storm, and like someone said the almighty bucktail (perhaps sweetened with a mackerel strip). All of these have caught some this year but are not that effective, perhaps, until the water warms up a bit. Could all happen in a couple of days. I'm sure there are some other early lures, like ava lures with tails, but these other ones seem to be used with success in the spring.