루어낚시 입문: 소프트베이트와 하드베이트 차이, 채비와 액션 주는 법

Lure fishing means using an artificial bait that imitates a baitfish or the movement of prey, instead of natural bait, to trigger predatory fish. This guide covers the difference between softbaits and hard body lures, a starting setup for saltwater softbaiting in New Zealand (reel, braid, leader and jig head), the names of common hard lures such as poppers, stickbaits and minnows, the basic ways to work a lure, and how the rules differ between sea and freshwater (a Fish & Game licence for freshwater, and a separate DOC licence for Taupō). Gear figures come from official bodies and a beginner guide on a New Zealand fishing publication, checked on 30 September 2026.

What is a lure, and why start with one?

A lure is an inedible artificial bait. Its shape, movement, vibration, colour and flash provoke a strike. There are two main ways to use one: cast and retrieve, or trolling behind a boat.

Compared with bait fishing, lure fishing:

• needs no bait to buy or keep fresh, so you carry less;
• lets you cover water quickly, because you keep casting and moving;
• depends heavily on how you move the lure, so the retrieve is a skill in its own right.

Lures split broadly into softbaits and hard body lures.

A beginner saltwater softbait setup

Softbaiting for snapper is widely recommended as a way into lure fishing in New Zealand. The beginner guide on The Fishing Website suggests the following. It is one writer's recommendation, so treat it as a starting point.

The same guide suggests a simple baitfish shape rather than crab or prawn patterns at first, and notes that a light jig head will not reach the bottom in current or wind. So the order is: start heavy, then go lighter.

Tails come in several styles. Twister (curly tail) softbaits, whose curved tail flutters on the retrieve, are common in shops, and there are paddle tails too. The guide's writer, though, recommends a fork-tail shad for beginners, so if you are unsure, start there.

Depth and moving on

The guide suggests 18–25m as an easy depth for beginners. Beyond 30m, current and wind make it hard to get a lure to the bottom. If five to ten casts produce nothing, move. Lure fishing rewards searching more than waiting.

Hard body lures: a glossary

Hard lures come in many styles. The table below uses common angling terms, not an official classification, and brands name them slightly differently.

A jig is a lure with a heavy head and a hook. Unlike lures that move horizontally, it has an up-and-down, hopping action, and most fish take it on or near the bottom. A softbait jig head works on the same principle.

Four basic ways to work a lure

A lure does not move on its own; you create the action with the rod and reel. Start with these four.

1. Hop along the bottom: Let the softbait reach the bottom, then lift and drop the rod so it hops. The guide describes the easiest method as dragging the lure behind a drifting boat and hopping it along the bottom.
2. Cast ahead and let it fall: Once comfortable, cast ahead of the boat's drift and keep the line tight as the lure sinks. According to the guide, bites often come as the lure falls or when it rests on the bottom. If the boat drifts too fast, slow it with a drogue (sea anchor).
3. Vary the retrieve: Fish & Game's spin fishing guide advises changing speed rather than winding steadily, so the lure looks like an injured or fleeing baitfish. This suits minnows, spoons and spinners.
4. Twitch the rod tip: Stickbaits and poppers are worked with short flicks of the rod tip, then winding in the slack, in a steady rhythm.

When you feel a bite, lift the rod firmly to set the hook.

The drag lets line pay out once the pull passes a set force. Fish & Game's spin fishing guide says to set it like this:

• When you pull line off by hand, it should come off steadily, without slipping.
• It should not be so tight that the line cuts into your hand when you test it.
• Nor should it be so loose that there is barely any tension.

Give it a pull and adjust it before you start fishing.

Freshwater spin fishing: get a licence first

To target sports fish such as trout with lures in rivers and lakes, you need a Fish & Game licence. This is the biggest difference from the sea. Fish & Game states that everyone, of any age, must carry a valid licence. There are licences for children, so check the types and prices on the official Fish & Game website. The Taupō fishery needs a separate DOC (Department of Conservation) licence, not a Fish & Game one. For DOC licences, a child means someone under 18 on 1 July; check prices on the DOC page.

Fish & Game describes spin fishing as casting a lure that imitates a small fish with a spinning rod and spinning reel, and recommends it as a way into freshwater fishing that needs little gear, experience or technique. It also advises telling the tackle shop staff you want the rod for freshwater spin fishing, so you don't end up with a saltwater softbait outfit by mistake. Its guide suggests:

The saltwater softbait setup above (10–20lb braid, 20lb fluorocarbon leader) is a snapper recommendation. Freshwater trout call for much lighter line and a nylon leader, so don't mix the two tables.

Some waters are fly fishing only, so spinning is not allowed there. In some regions, scented soft plastics may only be used where bait fishing is permitted. These rules vary by region, so check your river or lake in the regulations guide issued with your licence or on the Fish & Game website.

Saltwater rules: no licence, but check size and bag limits by region

You do not need a licence to fish in the sea. You must follow MPI's (Ministry for Primary Industries) minimum sizes and daily bag limits, which differ by area. For example, MPI's Auckland and Kermadec rules (checked 30 September 2026) set snapper in the Auckland East area at a 30cm minimum and 7 per person per day, and kingfish at 75cm and 3. Kahawai have no minimum size but count towards the combined daily limit of 20 finfish. Rules can change, so check the MPI page for your area or MPI's NZ Fishing Rules app before you go.

MPI suggests switching to a bigger hook and bait if you keep catching small fish; with lures, that means stepping up a softbait size. Keep fish you plan to release on a wet, soft surface, and use a landing net where you can.

Safety and etiquette

• Treble hooks catch hands and clothing easily; use pliers to unhook fish.
• If you plan to release fish, consider swapping trebles for single hooks. Fish & Game says this reduces damage to the fish and mostly makes no difference to the hook-up rate.
• Check behind and beside you before every cast.
• A lure left dangling from a standing rod can swing and snag someone; hook it onto a guide when not in use.

Handy English phrases

Summary: where to start

• At sea: Rig a 3000–4000 spinning reel with braid and a fluorocarbon leader. Put a 5-inch shad on a 1oz jig head, fish 18–25m and hop it along the bottom. Move if nothing happens, and check any catch against MPI's size and bag limits for that area.
• In freshwater: Buy a Fish & Game licence first, whatever your age (a DOC licence for Taupō). Confirm spinning is allowed on your chosen water. Use light line (a 3–4m nylon leader if your main line is braid) and try a 5–10g spinner or minnow with a varied retrieve.
• Hard lures next: Think of poppers and stickbaits as tools for when fish are chasing baitfish on the surface, and early choices get much simpler.

Photo credits

• R. Henrik Nilsson, CC BY 4.0, source — resized and converted to WebP