Living in the north but having lived and fished in Texas for over four years has taught me a few things about lure size and action. Water temperature matters when it comes to lure action,size and speed and angler imparted retrieve. The lower the temp, the smaller, slower and the less action I believe is needed. This general rule applies to most species especially when ice fishing. Last fall though, one day that I fished, the water temp was 38 degrees midday, but once I found fish, I caught some - about 20 before a cold wind persuaded me to go home. The hits were soft, the fights pretty hard and the lures used were small and light. Bass and panfish both hit.

When it comes to lure size and action, I found over the years a big difference in what different species strike when the water temp is over 60 degrees. Bigger fish seem to become very aggressive when it comes to bigger lures with bigger action, profile, noise and size, but not usually an increase in speed. Large fish such as bass and catfish will strike smaller lures, but I wonder if larger is better because larger fish see them as a challenge to their territory if not instantly irritate them out of a suspended, peaceful, non-feeding state.

The first time I caught bass on a Zara Spook, it blew me away how far a bass would swim forming a wake in shallow pre-spawn water to smash it. Big lure, big noise and action! Pan fish would no way have hit the 4" model but might have struck the mini Spook during the shallow pre-spawn. Generally I've found an upper size limit to what fish will strike depending on species and lure type. Bass may strike the same sizes a crappie will but not the other way around. But along with size, are lure action and speed limitations depending on species. Almost any month of the year (except ice fishing months), panfish strike finesse action lures - not so for larger and greater action lures. Bass on the other hand can be provoked using large blade spinnerbaits, faster falling heavy jigs with larger trailers, wide lipped crankbaits, larger fatter plastic worms and bigger fatter tubes.

I wouldn't say its a law that different species always prefer certain lure sizes, actions and speeds, but in my experience having lived and fished in different states and in over 40 different waters, I found generally the above to be true or in other words: to provoke a strike, a lure must be and act according to the species one expects to catch or targets. When it comes to smaller fish or any species, I choose lures that tickle sense organs such as the lateral line and eye. But when it comes to bass or pike, I want to slam those senses with bigger, noisier and greater action lures because it's in their nature to get - in human terms - anger that's similar to that of a bull being taunted to strike a matador's cape. All species strike IMHO because of a form of anger or an overwhelming irritation and not usually the feeding instinct. Granted you might catch fish after fish that are obviously hitting a school of baitfish, but other than that fish conserve energy, watching the world go by, sensitive to their surroundings and everything in it nearby.

Just a thought on a cold morning in NY. (Hopefully things will be generally warmer in Tn. once I buy a house there.)

Nice write-up Sam. Thanks for sharing.

I have found that fish don't think much of human rules or laws...only one common sense approach: Give the fish what it wants.

200 pound Tarpon will readily take 2 inch cockroach, black death, etc. flies. They don't read the rules...just give them what they want.

Green sunfish in a local pond will hit spinners as large as they are...again give them what they want.

Huge Rainbow trout on the San Juan river readily take flies so small (size 28 and smaller) I can not even tie them on a line without magnifiers...give them what they want.

Same for the recent catch in California:
http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...ik#Post12604044

I use 6 inch sassy shad to catch stripers. Thought they were too big initally until I caught a 12 lber and in his stomach was a gizzard shad that was almost 12 inches.

It all depends on what they want. I've caught over 30 pound stripers on bait shiners. In the spring of the year, in certain lakes, they want those shiners and at other times of the year, you can't fish a big enough gizzard for them.
There are no rules, just common sense giving the fish what it wants.

they get a lot bigger than that.

Plus #1.