Buggin’ Out
Obviously fly fishermen figured out a long time ago that various species of fish eat bugs – it’s kind of their raison d’etre – but that doesn’t mean that they have the market cornered on insect-imitating baits. Indeed, within the bass world alone there are lots of lures that would tickle an entomologist’s fancy, and they’re all castable on “normal” tackle.
Megabass offers the Grand Siglett, which is perfect if your area experiences occasional bursts of cicadas. It rattles and has both natural finishes and clear wings for a lifelike appeal.
They also have the Beetle X, which looks even creepier.
Duo Realis created various sizes of the Shinmushi, a crawler-style bait that’s equally lifelike, with the addition of rubber legs.
They also have a soft-bodied version, the Ninmushi.
JDM manufacturer Tiemco also offers a Cicada.
Rebel, of course, was a leader in this arena with their popular Crickhopper crankbaits and topwaters.
They also make the “Bumble Bug.”
And the “Big Ant.”
Lunkerhunt has a soft plastic Dragonfly meant to be fished on top.
Captain Ken in Florida, whose website explicitly says “noflyrodneeded.com,” makes a hyper-realistic dragonfly as well.
And if you’re willing to go the “as seen on TV” route, there’s always the late night Hover-Lure (which comes complete with its own lily pad)
