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FROM A PIECE OF BALSA WOOD CARVED into the rough outline of a minnow to a softplastic shrimp that requires you look twice to make sure it’s not the real thing, the wide range of incredibly lifelike artificial lures that has become available to anglers over the years is truly astounding. It’s understandable why lures are made to look and swim like the real thing, but are the newest imitations more proficient at hooking fish or fishermen?

Lures with even the most simplistic designs have been trusted by anglers for years—in some cases for almost a century—and are still productive today. However, lure manufacturers continue to fine-tune new products down to every last little detail to the point where they look, swim and even sound just like the forage they were designed to imitate. Still, for every lure that flawlessly matches the hatch there is likely an alternative that’s less appealing to you but just as effective underwater.

Cedar plugs have been considered among the most relied upon trolling lures across tropical seas worldwide and are as archaic as it gets. Even though numerous manufacturers produce soft plastic trolling lures that perfectly emulate ballyhoo, flying fish and other common offshore forage species, many argue tuna and dolphin are more likely to hit the old faithful, yet seemingly impractical piece of wood.