Some of our most useful lure-fishing lessons have started with noticing the small fish and other life around us. Matching the hatch is simply a way of using those observations to choose a lure that resembles prey available at the mark.
It does not mean finding an exact replica or proving what every bass is eating. Size, shape, movement and where you present the lure can be just as worth considering as colour.
If you’re comparing lure profiles, browse our soft plastic bass lure sets and check each product’s size, shape and rigging options against what you’ve observed at your mark.
Sand smelt in the estuary
On one windy, sunny session, I was fishing around bladderwrack during a strong spring ebb. When I lifted my floating landing net, I found around twenty small fish caught in the mesh. I worked to free and return them.
I had been waist-deep in the water. That detail is part of the original account, not advice to copy: strong tidal flow and unfamiliar footing can make wading dangerous. A floating net is not a current gauge or a safety device. Choose a secure position and safe exit rather than using the pull on a net to judge whether to stay.
The fish were identified to me as sand smelt. Their silvery sides and purple-blue sheen gave me something concrete to compare with the lures in my bag. The splashes I had heard suggested feeding activity, but did not prove what was making every splash or what bass would eat over the following weeks.
Comparing notes with Robin Bradley
My friend Robin Bradley, of A Bass Angler’s Life, sent me a photograph of a bass from one of his local marks. His lure had the slim baitfish profile and pale belly that made me think of the smelt I had seen.
After exchanging messages, we found that we had both noticed similar small fish in the river systems we fished. Robin has often helped me think through baitfish identification and observations, drawing on his experience and work with BASS, the Bass Anglers’ Sportfishing Society.
The current 120mm Supersoft Shad in Khaki and 120mm Natural Mix set are options to compare with that slim, reflective baitfish appearance. Check the current set contents and rigging details before choosing.
The resemblance gave us a useful idea to test. It did not establish that matching the belly colour was the reason for a particular catch.
A rockling-inspired colour choice
Another example came from a rockling encountered in our estuary fishing. Its brown and reddish tones reminded us of a soft plastic we had enjoyed using there.
The weighted 4.5-inch Cornish Shad in Root Beer Glitter is the current linked option. It is a colour-and-profile comparison rather than an exact imitation of the fish’s movement or anatomy.
A look at what one bass had eaten
The photograph below came from a bass we took home for the table. It shows the prey remains alongside the lure used in that catch. It was a clue about that fish’s recent feeding, not a complete picture of what the other bass at the mark were eating.
For a current slim-bodied presentation to compare, see our weighted sandeel range. Use the current size and weight options rather than treating the older photograph as a specification guide.
Creature baits offer a different shape
Steven from Kernow Bass supplied another memorable catch example, pictured below with a creature-style lure.
A current creature bait set offers a different profile from a slim shad. That gives you another presentation to explore around suitable ground, but the photograph alone cannot tell us what the bass thought the lure was.
How to put the idea into practice
Pause and watch from a safe position before making your next change. If you can see small fish or other prey, consider their approximate size and shape, where they are in the water and how they move. You do not need to catch or disturb them to make useful observations.
Start with a lure you already own that gives a reasonable match. Compare its profile and action, then choose rigging that lets you control it at the intended depth. A familiar, affordable lure may do the job without an expensive new purchase.
Try changing one part of your approach at a time where practical, and keep notes on both catches and blanks. If a close-looking match does not produce, consider location, depth and retrieve as well as colour.
Matching the hatch is a useful starting point, not the only way to catch bass. For us, its real value is the habit of paying attention to the water rather than constantly searching the tackle box. Good luck and tight lines from the lads at Bass Lures UK.