Understanding Lure Systems for Better Fishing

As a traveling bass tournament fisherman, I normally try to establish the most productive patterns to find and catch quality fish and not rely on "spots or holes," meaning places where I have caught fish in the past. In doing that I utilize seasonal fish movements, assess weather conditions, factor in water clarity and temperature, study the bottom contours of the lake, think about the currents of a man-made or natural lake, and determine the size and type of primary forage for that time of the year.

It can get extremely complicated and scientific, so to simplify, for our part of the country, I generally try to concentrate on crawfish, shad, and bluegill imitation lures.

Over the years and with the help of other serious fishermen, we have developed fishing systems; choosing the best rod action, reel and line combinations that best present the chosen lures and handle a hooked fish. It's kind of like picking the right golf club for the shot or the right shotgun and shell load for the hunt. We have worked to develop lure systems as well. Systems that will let us adapt to the water and weather conditions, different depths, type of rock, angle of the bank, or the fish's changing mood.

In 2018 Jewel Bait Company introduced to the public a new lure system designed to imitate shad and bluegill called the Gem Series. Gayle Julian owner of Jewel Bait built the Gem Series around the popular Japanese Keitech Swing Impact Fat the soft-bodied swim bait that comes in 8 sizes and 52 colors. Currently, there are no other lures on the market that match the Gem Series. They feature a unique Grip-Tech keeper system, Resin-Tech over-molded injection process, and a lifelike profile that swims, tracks flat and runs true at any speed.

The system starts with the Gem Shad. The first time I threw the Gem Shad, I was amazed at the side-toside rolling action the head produced and that the thumping tail accentuated. This lure is best fished over the top of shallow grass in the spring and dragged along the bottom underneath schools of shad in the fall.

The Gem Shad excelled in ultraclear water. I could see the lure coming through the water, and seemingly out of nowhere would come a fish.

Sometimes the conditions call for your lure to exhibit a little more flash. Maybe the water is more off-color, lower light conditions from a cloudy of a rainy day, the fish are suspended over deeper water or just want something with a little more pizazz. That's when I switch to the second in the system, the Gem Spin. The Gem Spin is an under-spin lure; meaning it has a spinner blade that spins and flashes just underneath the lure's head. It exhibits the same side-to-side action and thumping tail, just with a little more flash to attract the fish's attention.

Sometimes the watercolor is more stained or even muddy and I want a lure with a lot of flash and vibration or when it is windy, and I may need a heavier lure to throw into the wind. That's when I opt for the third lure in the system, the Gem Blade. The Gem Blade is similar to a standard close pin wire spinnerbait, but I think the profile and action are superior to a skirted spinner. Adjusting your blade and swimbait body colors let you customize the lure for your desired look. I might want a bright color like chartreuse or a contrasting color like black.

My trout fishing friends are fanatics about "matching the hatch." They lift rocks from the bottom of the stream to see what stage larvae and crustaceans are in. They watch the feeding habits of the trout and scour the bushes for bugs and flying insects while continually scanning the sky for mayfly hatches.

Something I experience annually in late summer and throughout the fall, bass feeding heavily on this year's hatch of shad or bluegill. There is an abundance of new food and the bass are taking advantage of it. The challenge was finding a lure small enough to match the hatch but heavy enough to make long casts to reach feeding bass.

New for 2020 is the Jewel Gem Shad 2.0, developed specifically for these exact situations. A smaller profile and hook size while still having the same key features as the original Gem Series and colors - Silver Flash, Pro Blue, and White that pair perfectly with the smaller Keitech Swing Impact Fat 2.8 and 3.3 inch sizes.

The Jewel Gem Series paired with the Keitech Swing Impact Fat swim bait was developed to increase your fishing success while giving you a lure system with options to master ever-changing fishing conditions and to match the hatch from 2.8 to 7.8 inches. It will give you more confidence when on the water too.

You can find the Gem Series at www.JewelBait. com and the Keitech Swing Impact Fat at Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, Academy Sports, online at www. tacklewarehouse.com and many other fishing tackle retailers.

Scott Pauley

(Left) The Gem Blade (Photo: Scott Pauley) (Top) The Gem Shad and Gem Shad 2.0 (Photo: Jewel Bait Co.)