Often Imitated, but Ever Duplicated?

Charlie Chaplin

According to lore, silver screen star, Charlie Chaplin, once entered a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest in Monte Carlo only to come in a distant third.  


Flash forward a few years to food industry giants. Commercials featuring mouth watering slow sweeping shots of steaming hot juicy burgers, pop splash landing into a frosty mug, and towering shots looking up at Mt.Ice cream, complete with molten topped fudge lava flow.  The fake food depicted in commercials, although the best looking representation of all things scrumptious, are not as tasty as they might seem.  Marketing agencies use chemicals, shellac, waxes and compounds to maintain the aesthetic qualities of a plate of fresh deliciousness that is going to stand up to the heat of the stage lighting, and the 100's of takes needed to achieve the perfect look.  As good as that burger and fries may look, have no doubt that even a nibble would leave you less than satisfied.


As strange an idea as it may seem to the conscious mind, to the subconscious, fake is often more appealing than the real deal.  


Like the airbrushed models splashed across magazines everywhere.  The human form in its idealized form has too been drooled over, little did the drooling know that the beautiful form  was anything but natural.



In fishing, artificial baits too have had a home, tied to the ends of our lines, for quite some time, Even when the genuine article is also available, pulls more than its share of fish into the boat.


After all it only stands to reason that the idealized form of a big delicious mouth watering rice grub would be too much to keep from taking a taste for most any hungry bluegill.  Soft plastics can push the attraction level to new heights, taking all the colors, scents, and movements which fish associate with a belly full of satisfaction, and amp up the message.  Essentially begging a fish to take notice and indulge in the most delicious looking meal they have ever wrapped their bony little lips around.

Steelhead are often regarded as the most distinguishing of all freshwater game.  With underwater eyesight capable of testing the presentation of fly and gear fisherman alike, steelies have been guilty of lusting after the supple allure of soft plastic as well.  Floating a jig and any pink plastic through the current seams of a known steelhead waterway will likely result in an aquatic tug of war.


Similarly, drop a Black and Chartreuse crappie jig, fitted with a Fuzz-E-Grub, up next to a willow stump and you'll likely feel the successful thump of hook meeting paper-mouth.





Plastics are great for doing a few things.  Like most fishing lures, they are not the catch all.  Plastics are the star of the show when the bite is hot.  Keeping a plastic on the hook assures that you'll keep the action stoked.  


Tough days,when all else fails, live bait is certain to be the top producer.  When it takes a free sample, to convince a passive walleye to finally commit to the entire offering there is no substitute for a slip bobber or Lindy rig live bait setup.  


Keeping in mind that both soft plastic and live bait have a home under the water is key. If you can understand when and where each of the two presentations shine, you'll assure that you're bait du jour will find its way firmly inside the mouth of your targeted species


-mc

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