Shallow And Deep Divers

A look at some of the bright and beautiful plugs you can buy, and what they will do to catch you more fish.

tcf Top Tip
A floating plug with a long, straight vein is a deep divers when retrieved, whereas a plug with a downward pointing vein will be a shallow diver.

Shakespeare CFR Lure This deep-bodied plastic plug actually lights up when in contact with water and rattles when retrieved. It’s a floating plug but has a wide, shallow vein which means it dives deep when ‘cranked’ by the angler, and the lighting-up effect makes it extra effective.	Rapala Super Countdown Shad Rap Perhaps the classic plug pattern of all time, the Shad Rap works brilliantly in fresh- and saltwater. Available as a floating lure in a multitude of patterns, the Countdown is a sinking version with the vein at a sharp angle, allowing you to count the lure down to the required depth and keep it at that depth on the retrieve.
Abu Hi-Lo Famous floating wooden predator lure, the thing anglers love about these is that the angle of the vein can be altered from almost horizontal to nearly 90 degrees, so the depth at which this classic plug is fished can be varied.	Rapala Magnum Divebait The long, straight vein tells you that this is a lure that dives deep when cranked in – up to 30 feet in this case. This particular lure floats, but is ideal for trolling behind a boat on large stillwaters at depths from 15-25 feet. Comes in 10 patterns.
Cora Z Rivalo Pike will happily eat their own kind and pike-patterned lures have become all the rage in recent years. This realistic floating plug from the Cormoran stable has a vein at about 30 degrees to the horizontal and will work at about 10 feet deep. It comes in four patterns, all resembling pike with large eyes.	Rapala X-Rap Jointed Shad Once again the classic shad pattern, this lure has a near-neutral buoyancy and as it’s jointed has an exaggerated action even on a slow retrieve, which can trigger finicky fish into an aggressive take. A short, downward pointing vein sees this lure working at three to six feet. Comes in nine patterns.