00Basics

Basics

Lure fishing uses artificial lures that imitate baitfish, worms, shrimp, frogs and other prey to make predatory fish attack. (In Chinese it's called lùyà, a transliteration of “lure.”)

AWhat is Lure Fishing

Lure Fishing vs. Bait Fishing

	Lure fishing	Bait fishing (float fishing, etc.)
Lure	Artificial lures (hard baits, soft plastics, metal lures)	Live bait or prepared bait
Target species	Predators: bass, topmouth culter, mandarin fish, snakehead, etc.	Mostly omnivores and herbivores: crucian carp, common carp, grass carp, etc.
Approach	Keep casting and retrieving, actively searching for fish (“run and gun”)	Chum a spot and wait for fish to come
Attracts fish with	Action, flash, vibration, sound	Scent and taste

The heart of lure fishing: make the lure “come alive” at the right depth and in the right way to trigger a predator's instinct to feed. Every gear choice serves two questions: where to put the lure and how to make it move.

BThe System

The Setup

FIG.1Rod · reel · line · lure must match

Lure weight determines rod power, rod power determines how heavy a line you can use, and line size and length determine reel size. You can choose in reverse too, but all four have to fall in the same range.

Lure weight	Rod	Reel	Line
1–5 g (micro)	UL, 5'–6'	Spinning 500–1000 / BFS	PE 0.3–0.4 + 3 lb leader
5–15 g (light all-round)	ML–M, 6'6"–7'	Spinning 2000–2500	PE 0.8–1.0 + 8–12 lb leader
10–28 g (medium)	M–MH, 7'	Baitcaster 70–100 / spinning 3000	Fluoro 12–16 lb or PE 1.2–2
~28 g and up (heavy)	H–XH, 7'–7'6"	Baitcaster 150–200	PE 3–8 or fluoro 16–25 lb

The lure weight ranges overlap (a ~20 g lure is fine on an MH rod, for example). When choosing a rod, go by the lure weight rating printed on it (Lure Wt.); you don't need to jump to XH for a slightly heavier lure.

CFirst Kit

Your First Setup

Recommended

All-round spinning setup (recommended)

Rod: Spinning 6'10"–7'0", M or ML, fast action
Reel: Spinning 2500 or C3000
Line: PE #1.0 + 10–12 lb fluoro leader (about 1 m)
Lure: 7–10 cm minnows, 10–14 g VIBs, jig heads (5–7 g) + paddle tails, inline spinners

Almost never backlashes and covers most freshwater species, including bass, topmouth culter and mandarin fish.

Second Kit

Bass casting setup

Rod: Casting 7'0", MH, fast action
Reel: Baitcaster size 70–100, 7.x:1 gear ratio, magnetic brake
Line: Straight 14 lb fluoro
Lure: Texas rigs (7–10 g), spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jigs

Your second, more advanced outfit. A baitcaster takes practice with brake adjustment and thumb control; see 02 Reels.

Essential Accessories

Item	Use
Needle-nose / split-ring pliers	Unhooking, opening split rings, crimping barbs
Line cutters	Cutting braid (ordinary nail clippers struggle to cut it)
Snaps, swivels	Quick lure changes, less line twist
Polarized sunglasses, hat	See underwater structure and protect your eyes from flying hooks
Fish grip, landing net	Handle fish safely, with less harm to the fish and fewer stabs to you
Life jacket, non-slip shoes	Safety at the water's edge, especially on rocky shores and boats

DLearning Path

Learning Path

Practice overhead casting with a spinning reel in an open area; aim for accuracy first (consistently landing near a target within 10 m).
Learn two or three knots: the Palomar, the improved clinch, and one braid-to-leader knot.
Start with lures you fish on a steady retrieve (spinners, VIBs, jig-head paddle tails) and feel how the rod tip vibrates at different speeds.
Learn techniques like jerk & pause and hopping, and understand what the pause does.
Read the water: structure, cover, water clarity, wind direction and baitfish matter more than the lure itself.
Once you're comfortable, try baitcasters and soft-plastic rigs, and gradually build your own tackle system.

ESafety

Safety

Important

Carbon rods conduct electricity. Never fish or cast near power lines, and in a thunderstorm put your rod down and get away from the water immediately. Anglers are killed or injured by electric shock every year.

The water's edge is slippery; rocks, dam slopes and mossy stones are especially dangerous. Wear a life jacket on boats, on rocks and when night fishing alone.
Check that no one is behind you before casting; wear polarized glasses to protect your eyes from flying hooks.
If a treble hook goes into your skin past the barb, don't yank it out; get medical help if needed.
In summer, protect yourself from the sun and stay hydrated; on reservoir banks, watch for dam releases and changing water levels.

FRules & Ethics

Regulations & Conservation

Closed seasons and closed areas: China's major river basins generally have spring–summer closed seasons (dates and scope vary by basin and province), and key waters of the Yangtze basin have been under a ten-year fishing ban since January 1, 2021. Rules for recreational angling differ by region; some places limit you to one rod, one line and one hook. Check local fisheries regulations before you go.
Protected species: If you accidentally catch nationally protected wildlife (such as Chinese sucker, taimen or lenok), release it immediately into the same water if it's not visibly injured; if it is, report it promptly to the local fisheries authority so a designated agency can care for it. Don't take it away or deal with it yourself.
Invasive species: Don't move caught fish into other waters. Where the rules are explicit, such as the Yangtze basin's no-fishing waters, caught non-native species (such as largemouth bass) must not be released into natural waters, not even where they were caught; requirements elsewhere vary, so check local rules.
Leave no trash: Discarded line, soft plastics and hooks entangle and injure birds and fish; pack them out.
Harvest in moderation: Keep only what you need, and release spawning fish and undersized fish whenever possible.