Plug (fishing)

Plugs are a popular type of hard-bodied fishing lure, characterized by a specially designed foil at the front end known as the bill or lip.

Plugs are widely known by a number of other names depending on the country and region, including crankbait, wobbler, minnow, shallow-diver and deep-diver.

When he rose to leave, he tossed the carved scrap of wood into the pond, and a large bass struck at it as it wobbled down through the water.

The rate and depth of the dive depends on the design of the bill and the specific gravity of the lure's body (usually lighter than water).

A jerkbait [1] or "minnow" has a swimbait-like slender body that resembles a small bait fish (e.g. a shad), a short steeply angled bill, and usually two (or sometimes three) treble hooks.

A jerkbait's bill is not large enough to make the whole lure dive, but if the fisherman flicks the rod and line during retrieval, the sudden brief acceleration causes the nose of the lure to easily decelerate, roll and yaw, thus imparting a stop-and-go, random "darting" motion ("jerks") that resembles the spasmodic struggle of an injured or dying fish.

Plugs are often cast so they land next to places where fish may be hiding, such as a snag pile or an overhanging tree and worked back enticingly.

But some plugs have become famous for their high degree of effectiveness in the hands of a good fisherman, while others come and go from the market quickly when found to have limited success.