• 13 parts
  • Checked September 2026

Parts of a Fishing Lure

Three common lures, a crankbait, a spinnerbait and a jig, with every part to name.

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Each numbered ring is a button. Use the arrow keys to move between them and Enter to choose. Names are read out in Study, and once a part is answered.

All 13 parts on the diagram

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Crankbait 5

  1. Body The solid, fish-shaped main part of a crankbait.
  2. Treble hook Three hooks joined on one shank.
  3. Lip (bill) Makes the lure dive and wobble when it is pulled.
  4. Split ring A small ring that joins a hook to the lure.
  5. Line tie The eye the fishing line is tied to.

Spinnerbait 6

  1. Blade Spins as the lure moves, to flash and vibrate.
  2. Skirt A collar of fine strands that hides the hook.
  3. Head A molded metal weight at the front of the hook.
  4. Swivel Joins the rear blade to the arm and lets it turn.
  5. Wire arm (overhead arm) The upper leg of the wire frame. It carries the blades.
  6. Clevis A C-shaped link that holds the front blade on the wire.

Jig 2

  1. Hook Catches the fish. On a jig it is molded into the head.
  2. Weed guard Keeps the hook from snagging on plants.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30 and kept only where at least two of these use it. (1) Wikipedia, Plug (fishing), Spinnerbait, Jigging, Fishing lure and Fish hook, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug_(fishing) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinnerbait : the bill or lip of a plug; the wire frame and overhead arm of a safety-pin spinnerbait, its blades, swivel, clevis and skirt; the weighted head of a jig and its weed guard; treble hooks. (2) The Total Fishing Manual (Field and Stream, 2013), full text at https://archive.org/details/the-total-fishing-manual : crankbait lip, line-tie eye, split rings, treble hooks, blades, swivels, jig heads, skirts. (3) C. B. Livingston, Luremaking: The Art and Science of Spinnerbaits, Buzzbaits, Jigs, and Other Leadheads, full text at https://archive.org/details/luremaking-the-art-and-science-of-spinnerbaits-buzzbaits-jigs : head, wire, line tie, clevis, swivel, blade, skirt, split rings, weedguard. Licence: own work

The drawing: Own drawing from plain geometry; nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

The parts of a fishing lure depend on its kind. The drawing shows three: a crankbait with a diving lip, a spinnerbait with blades on a wire, and a jig, a weighted head on one hook.

Read the full guide

The crankbait

The body is shaped like a small fish. The lip at the nose makes it dive, and how deep depends on the lip's size and angle. The line is tied at the line tie, and split rings hold the treble hooks.

The spinnerbait and the jig

A spinnerbait is a wire bent like an open safety pin. The arm carries the blades, one on a clevis and one on a swivel; the head and skirt sit on the lower wire. A jig is a head molded onto a hook.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a fishing lure called?

On a crankbait: the body, the lip or bill, the line tie, split rings and treble hooks. On a spinnerbait: the wire arm, blades, clevis, swivel, head and skirt. On a jig: the head, the hook and sometimes a weed guard.

What does the lip on a crankbait do?

The lip, also called the bill, is the paddle at the front of the lure. It makes the lure dive when it is pulled through the water. The lip's size and angle set how deep it dives.

What is the difference between a clevis and a swivel?

Both hold a blade on a spinnerbait. A clevis is a C-shaped link that rides on the wire and carries the front blade. A swivel joins the rear blade to the end of the arm and lets it turn freely.

What is a treble hook?

Three hooks with their shanks joined into one, so the three points face different ways. The crankbait drawn here carries two, each hung from a split ring.