Rubber fish

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Two rubber fish equipped with jig heads

A rubber fish is an artificial bait made from rubber or soft plastic that is used when fishing to catch predatory fish . Angling with rubber fish is part of spin fishing , in which the bait is only captured by active movements of the angler after it has been cast, instead of being presented passively in the water as in stand fishing. The most common method when fishing with rubber fish requires special bait guidance, in which the bait is guided in hopping movements over the bottom of the water, and which is known as jigging or jigging ( English to jig - bounce, wiggle).

In addition to the term rubber fish, the pseudo- Anglicism Shad (English term for a genus of herring-like species ) has also become established in German-speaking countries . In the English-speaking countries themselves, however, rubber fish are generally only referred to as soft lures or soft plastic lures .

functionality

How it works is illustrated graphically

A rubber fish in the narrower sense is simply the actual bait made of rubber or soft plastic, which is similar in shape and size to a prey fish. For use in jigging, however, a rubber fish must be pulled onto a long-legged fishing hook that is provided with a lead weight. The rubber fish is pulled onto this hook in such a way that the tip of the hook protrudes from the "back" of the rubber fish, while the lead weight sits directly on the "mouth". These lead hooks are known as jig heads .

The combination of jig head and rubber fish enables the bait control typical of jigging, in which the angler lets the rubber fish lift off the bottom of the water with a quick movement with the aid of his fishing rod or fishing reel . After the end of the movement, the rubber fish sinks back to the bottom due to the lead weight, whereupon the movement sequence is repeated. This creates the impression of a small fish "hopping" over the bottom of the water, which is supposed to fool the predatory fish into a worthwhile prey.

Usually rubber fish have a flat, disc-shaped paddle tail , which protrudes at an oblique angle from the body of the rubber fish, instead of a realistic tail fin . When jigging, this shovel tail creates a vibrating or wagging movement due to the water resistance, the pressure waves of which are intended to additionally stimulate the predatory fish's lateral line .

Technical progress in rubber fish production

As with all everyday objects, technical progress does not stop at rubber fish. In recent years, the anglers have been presented with ever more sophisticated developments by the major manufacturers. Soft bait producers from Japan in particular are pioneers here. While these innovations were initially limited to adding flavorings and various salts to the rubber mixture, more and more complex stimulus elements, as known from wobblers , are being transferred to the rubber fish . There are now rubber fish with a semi-transparent body, inside which reflective foils are installed. Similar to the frequently used glitter particles, also called “flakes”, these should imitate the light falling into the water in a particularly realistic manner and as a kind of flash of the flanks of a fleeing prey fish. In the case of predatory fish, for example, an additional, natural hunting reflex should be addressed.

Some smaller dealers and manufacturers have now even started to measure natural prey fish with the help of highly complex 3D programs with millimeter precision and to reproduce them 1: 1 on the computer and very faithfully. From the recorded data, special molds are created with which very realistic rubber fish are individually poured by hand. The liquid rubber used here is often mixed with lacquers with pearl and glitter effects in order to achieve the most seductive appearance possible. In order to perfect the image of a natural prey , details such as scales or biologically correct coloring are worked out in a final work step by applying with an airbrush gun .

literature