Another attribute of soft plastics is their ability to absorb scents. You can treat soft plastics with bottled fish attractants or buy them with scents molded in. Scents quickly wash off hard-bodied lures, but soft plastic holds scent much longer.

Often, soft plastics look almost exactly like natural fish foods. Legs, feelers and even minute details like scales add to the realistic appearance. Many have translucent bodies that allow light to pass through, much as it passes through common foods like baitfish, worms, shrimp and insect larvae.

Modern soft plastics vary in hardness from almost jellylike to relatively firm. The softer lures look and feel more natural to fish. But the harder ones are more durable and stay on the hook better, especially when fished in snaggy cover. Most manufacturers use a plastic between these extremes.

To cast the smallest soft plastic lures, you will need light spinning tackle, light line, sinkers or a casting bubble. Or you can use fly tackle. To cast soft plastics less than 6 inches long, light spinning tackle and 4- to 8-pound mono usually work best. For larger lures with exposed hooks, most fishermen prefer spinning or baitcasting tackle with lines from 8- to 15-pound test. For larger soft plastic lures with hooks buried in the plastic, use baitcasting tackle with lines from 12- to 25-pound test.

Some manufacturers make powerful rods, called worm rods, specifically for driving the hook point through a soft plastic lure and into a fish’s jaw. When working soft plastics through weeds or brush, use abrasion-resistant line.