Size can be crucial in my opinion but a lure's action in combination with size most times matters most for fish size and quantity. Fish are attuned to object motions first and then confirm everything else visually.
Thinking is for higher forms of animals;
reaction bites are what I need for fish to strike.
So, when I cast confidence lures most times of year, I'm thinking,
what action/size/shape - in combination will get the most fish to react and chomp down.
A friend just sent me this mop-strand lure he made and the action was unique and hopefully catch fish as good where I fish as he has experienced.
Once I catch fish with it, it's added to my list of confidence lures such as these:
The Claw:
As you can see, it's kinda bulky but fish slam it as they do this chubby body/ wide flat tail grub (lure attached to outside for my records):
On the same day,
longer & tapered on a light jig caught many crappie:
...as well as a smaller flat body and tail:
The worst thing an angler can do is limit lure selection based on what fish strike according to the most prevalent prey species. All of the lures above caught fish on the
same day and on the day that followed. That's all I needed to know because I lean towards fish-motivation vs fish
motives.
Pre and post front can make all the difference - especially around the spawn, not to say that post-cold front conditions in spring are to be avoided. Even when water temperatures drop to the upper 50's doesn't mean fish slow down. Cold-blooded is as cold-blooded does, which is an advantage for fish when it comes to strikes or feeding activity. Being warm-blooded will probably keep me doing chores around the house until the chill wind dies down.