What is an incentive lure?
As opposed to an imitative lure characterized, among other things, by the production of soft, natural vibrations, a lure is called an "incentive" lure in that its purpose is to generate a reflex attack by a predator. Very well, but what really characterizes an "incentive" lure?
The incentive of a lure will play at several levels:
1) the sound of the lure (noisy or not)
2) the size of the lure
3) the volume of water displaced (which is most often the result of the size of the lure)
4) the color of the lure
A big, flashy, noisy lure that moves a lot of water will be the ultimate incentive lure.
Its objective: to arouse the aggressiveness of fish and trigger reflex attacks. Sometimes a lure that ticks all the "incentive" boxes will be the solution and often you will have to adjust the cursor.
Here, we will crystallize the discourse around the choice of color and vary the various other parameters.
Pike, color perception and colors that cannot be ignored
Pike is a fish that is particularly responsive to color contrasts. The Marlboro type contrast, to name but one, is a sure value and a very popular color for pike anglers in France for many years (many lure anglers of my generation have had Sandra, Rapala Jointed, Magnum, etc., of this livery).
Also, it is also admitted that some flashy colors work particularly well on pike, Fire Tiger, chartreuse and orange in mind.
Of course, if these flashy colors are generally consistent in terms of results on pike, this is not an absolute truth and therefore will not exempt from thinking (a little but not too much) at the water's edge. Natural colors also work very well on Mister Esox because the choice of colors is above all a question of the situation.
Flashy colors in winter
Natural colors are also productive on pike, but they are usually on active fish. Outside of these periods of activity, flashy aggressive colors often unblock the situation by provoking aggressive reflexes in the fish.
In winter, with the significant cooling of the water temperature, the feeding activity of Esox is largely reduced. The use of such colors in cold waters in winter makes sense and you should not hesitate to use these flashy colors even in clear waters!
Adjust the cursor
As I said before, even if the fish are much less active and it is often necessary to arouse their aggressiveness, it will not necessarily be necessary to fill up with aggression and it will always be necessary to adapt to the conditions of the moment, to certain characteristics of the biotope fished (in particular the fishing pressure) and to the mood of the fish, because, once again, it is they who have the last word.
You can then vary and adjust the "Incentive" slider by choosing a particular type of lure, from the noisiest (Jerkait noisemaker = big presence/flashy lure to be aggressive) to the softbait with the most subtle vibrations (Grub) according to the weather conditions and the level of fish (in)activity. The fine vibrations of an Eel in clear and cold water are often formidable in the absence of wind and/or on wary fish!
Flashy Grub in cold water
The strength of the Grub, as I mentioned in a previous article, is its ability to come to life and be fishable on minimalist animations. This will allow you to fish very slowly, to stay as long as possible on a promising "Strike Zone" with the objective of thwarting the suspicion of old fish.
High volume + fine vibrations + ability to fish very slowly + aggressive color = very productive cocktail for cold and clear waters. To try urgently !
In summary
As we have seen, the incentive of a lure is not limited to its color. Natural colors will allow you to catch fish in winter, but the fact of using flashy colors is a plus that will allow you to convert some fish that would have potentially remained indifferent to a more natural color, less inciting. In winter, the conditions are often difficult so it is better to put all the chances on your side!
