A few tips if you’re using artificial lures when fishing

I’ve been writing about live bait as of late, but that doesn’t mean it is not the time for artificial lures.

If you are using artificials, I’d recommend purchasing a file so you can keep the hooks sharp on your lures. Tackle stores sell them for well under $10. You can buy better ones at the hardware store, but you don’t need to break the bank.

I always sharpen my hooks, even on the lures that I just take out of their packages. Sometimes, new lures can be much duller than you would ever think. Bill Lewis Rat-L-Traps are one of the bestselling lures on the market, and I was always shocked to find out how dull the hooks were that came connected to them.

Now you may find electric hook sharpeners on the tackle shop shelves. Don’t buy them. They have a little hole in them for you to stick the tip of your hook into. The sharpener spins and grinds the hook to a sharp point.

The problem is that the machine takes off a lot of the metal, making the hook weaker in the long run. A file does a better job without damaging the hook.

To sharpen your hooks, take your file in one hand and hold the hook in the other hand. Rub the file on the hook lightly, in an up-and-down motion. Think of the hook as having three sides. File it on three sides and you will be in great shape.

Thinking about artificial lures, what exactly are these things supposed to look like? To be honest, I don’t know.

I know that many lures are supposed to look like minnows, which are high on the list of favorite edible treats for fish. Some artificials don’t look like anything I’ve ever seen swimming in the lakes I go to. What is the difference, as long as a fish will bite it?

Please realize that fish don’t only attack lures because they are hungry, and the lure looks delicious to them. Sometimes a fish will hit a lure because it is aggravating the fish and they just want to get it out of their territory. Lures that rattle and make noise really do the job in this circumstance.

These fish inhale the lure and spit it out at a blinding pace. They don’t swallow the lure and you have to really set the hook hard and fast when you get your lure hit by a fish in this mode. It’s much easier to catch them when the fish are feeding.

· Thanks to Barrington optometrist Dave Tabak for catching a mistake I made in last week’s column about eye protection.” Just a heads up. There is one “glaring” mistake in the article. Polarization does not protect your eyes from the sun.

While great for glare and essential for fishing, make sure your sunglasses have UV protection to block the most dangerous sunlight. Any high-quality sunglasses will have UV blocking with or without polarization.” Nice catch, Doctor Dave.

· By the way, the strong coho salmon run on Lake Michigan is still going strong. It won’t last forever, so make your reservations as soon as possible. Make sure you have plenty of freezer space available for your catch when you get home. You will be surprised at how much fileted fish you’ll be able to take home.

Next week, I’ll give you my list of 10 favorite lures to use this fishing season. Now get out there and enjoy some of our fantastic Northern Illinois spring fishing.

• Daily Herald Outdoors columnist Steve Sarley can be reached at sarfishing@yahoo.com.