is being close to the shore not good for fishing using lures instead of bait? do I need a boat to be effective with lure fishing to reach deeper waters?

Your question is quite general — we don’t know where you’re fishing or what you’re fishing for, or even if you’re fishing in the sea or freshwater, but if someone told you that you can’t fish lures from the shore, they’re crazy.You can fish lures anywhere you fish bait, and vice versa. You can also fish lures WITH bait, like a bit of worm on a jig.

Lures don’t necessarily need to reach deep waters. Lures just need to reach the fish! If a lure looks and acts like something a fish would eat, the fish will consider taking it. If you’ve had luck fishing with bait in a certain area, try a lure in the same place and see if you have any success. For example, let’s say you’ve caught fish on live minnows or shad chunks off your favorite point of land — try a lure that looks and acts like a live minnow in that same area. The fish are only interested in food, and if you can fool the fish into thinking your bait is food, chances are you can fool the same fish into thinking your lure is food.

Your main challenge will be selecting lures that imitate natural forage. You won’t have much luck with a purple squid lure if there are no purple squids in that water. Look in the water and see if you can tell what the fish might be eating — crawdads? baitfish? insect larvae? grass shrimp? You may have to get wet, turn over some rocks, etc., but it’s worth it. And, as I’ve often said — ASK THE LOCALS. If you see some other folks fishing, ask them about what the fish feed on in that area. Ask them what lures (if any) they use. Most anglers are happy to trade information, especially if you’re respectful and observe proper fishing etiquette.

I mostly fly fish, so I don’t do much with bait nowadays, and I can tell you that catching fish on an artificial lure is somewhat more gratifying than baitfishing. I know baitfishing has its place, and I would never criticize anyone for using bait. However, when everything else is equal, fishing with a lure will require a more informed presentation, and this makes me feel like I’ve done a little more to "earn" my catch.

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