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The Most Exciting Moment

  Written By Nick Smith My favorite articles are almost always those which are technically oriented, articles that help us learn and improve.  But I also like great titles.  They sorta get you thinking, even get you excited. So, the most exciting moment is something most of us will agree on.  It the raise, the tease, and then . . . the BITE!  It only takes seconds, but weve waited for it . . . .  Minutes, hours, even days!  Weve waited for it!  That moment is so special to me that I convinced ace photographer Pat Ford to spend two days just getting bite shots of sailfish eating my fly! (and they were great) Everything that follows in this article is intended to help you get to those special moments.  Though this is all about teasers, most of the article applies to lure fishing in general.  The only real difference is whether or not hooks are attached. As I was thinking about this piece, trying to develop a theme, it occurred to me that this billfishing-with-lures thing we do is a lot like what Ive done most of my in the automobile business.  It about attracting customers and eventually closing the deal.  The oldest marketing adage in the book is AIDA.  It was coined by some marketing genius way back in the late 1800s.  It stands for:  Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. Isnt that exactly what were trying to do with our spread of teasers or lures?  These hunks of plastic and rubber have to accomplish AIDA and do it consistently for us to have success with the billfish that we pursue so fervently. The most important thing the lure must do, and before anything else can happen, is get the ATTENTION of the fish. Next, there got to be enough INTEREST aroused to stimulate the chase. Then the DESIRE to eat (I know, this might, be a stretch). It all happens so fast, but if it to culminate in the desired ACTION the BITE that lure needs to have all the right attributes to close the deal. Sounds simple doesnt it. But think about it. The attention part should be relatively easy. Lots of splash and noise, right? But then what? Now the fish is eyeball to eyeball with a lure. If it doesnt look and act just right then that fish is outta here. That lure has to be good enough to eat! And because we know billfish behavior is not consistent not from day to day, not from one fish to another no single lure is going to maximize our productivity. So now we have to analyze all the factors that enter into lure selection. These are the things that somehow can magically combine into a formula that not only attracts the fish, but also stimulates it to attack the lure. There are seven factors that I consider in determining which lures to use as well as when and how to use them. And by the way, none of those factors necessarily relates to the maker of the lure. We all have our favorites, sometime even for good reasons. I believe that most manufactures have effective lures on their shelves. Consider the factors Ill discuss, put in your trial and error time, use good judgment, and ….(To continue reading this article click here) You can also subscribe to InTheBite The Magazine to get more industry leading editorial.

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