| Plugs Plugs -- wooden or hard plastic lures which imitate baitfish -- have come a long way since the crude wooden models that collectors now cherish. They have also gone through phases, from awkward appearance to so unbelievably lifelike you could hardly tell them from real baitfish.
I feel strongly that the natural "photo" finishes that look so lifelike are actually too lifelike to be effective fishing lures. They can be tough for fish to see. You want the fish to see your bait. You should use plugs in basic colors --black/silver, chartreuse, orange/black, blue, etc. A crankbait has a "fatter" appearance than a minnow plug, which is longer and thinner by comparison. In general, crankbaits are for fish like largemouth bass that select shorter and fatter prey than, say, walleyes do. But these are just general guidelines. You should do some experimenting as you fish. Plugs are at their best when the water is warm in summer, especially when the fish are feeding aggressively. When fish are up shallow and feeding on a reef, a minnow bait or crankbait retrieved through them can tear 'em up. That doesn't mean these baits won't work in spring or fall, if you work them slowly. Plugs are excellent for situations where you need to fish a lot of area to find a "hot spot" where the fish are grouped up. Let's say you are fishing along the edges of deeper weeds. The fish might be anywhere, so you don't want to fish slowly. A minnow plug or crankbait trolled along the edge or quickly cast into pockets of weeds "covers a lot of water."
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