Sportfishing Bait, Lures and Flies Key Terms

Cast aside the differences between bait, lures, flies, and other sportfishing terms

By Cathy Salustri

Bait, lures, and flies are a crucial component in sportfishing. To a novice angler these words may seem interchangeable or may not make any sense. Whether your company wants to work with sportfishing bait, lures and flies or set up a company fishing trip, learning the different terminology is just the start of an angler's education.

Bait, lures, and flies

The first step in understanding the terminology surrounding bait, lures and flies is understanding the difference between the three. Bait can mean live bait, such as squid, worms or shrimp. A lure is simply an artificial copy of live bait. Flies are either real insects or lures made to look like insects.
Try: The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation describes bait and lures and also has links to related sportfishing terms to help explain how the different sportfishing key terms interrelate. The Arizona Game and Fish Department explains flies and fly-casting.

Jig and jigging

A jig is a type of lure weighted with lead. Jigging refers to working a jig in the water so as to attract fish.
Try: The Squidoo fishing glossary explains both jigs and jigging.

Spinning and fly casting

Casting, spinning, spincast and fly are four different ways of casting a fishing line and lure, bait or fly in the water.
Try: Cyber Web and Bumblebee Works explains spinning while Orvis explains fly casting.

Hooks

Anglers put bait on hooks, which have barbs on the end that hold the fish on the hook when it strikes the bait. Hooks come in all sizes and have several different parts, including the shank, barb, eye and bend.
Try: The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation has a complete description of fish hooks, including a diagram explaining the different parts, a history of the fish hook, and the uses of different types of fish hooks.

Plugs

Wooden lures that look like bait are called plugs. Plugs come in two basic varieties: surface and subsurface.
Try: The Outdoor Network defines and explains the different types of plugs.

Buzzbait, jig-n-pig, flukes, sluggos, surface poppers, crankbaits, jigging spoons and spinner baits

Buzzbait, jig-n-pig, flukes, sluggos, surface poppers, crankbaits, jigging spoons and spinner baits are all different types of lures. Each of these have different purposes and work in different weather, bodies of water and depths of water.
Try: Woods & Waters Magazine describes each of these lures in depth. The magazine's website also offers tips for using each type of lure.