The Wonderbread Trend - Fact or Fiction?

Trends in fishing come and go. Electronics, rods & reels, techniques and lures all exist in varying levels of popularity at any given time. We can all think of something specific that was popular a decade ago, but in today’s world is rarely used. As fishermen, it’s easy to buy into certain trends. We see them on television, read about them online, or hear other anglers talking about them at the boat ramp. If something seems to be working for everyone else, why wouldn’t we want to try it?

Nearly every season there’s a new must-have bait that anglers scour the internet in search of, check out their local sporting goods shop for, or maybe even dig through their buddy’s tackle collection hoping to find an extra. With every new bait that hits the market, some anglers immediately jump on the bandwagon, while others sit on the sideline with a level of skepticism. No matter the bait, fishermen want to know – will this bait actually help me catch more fish?

In the ice fishing industry, one of the latest trends revolves around lure color – and in particular, Wonderbread. Yep, you read it right – Wonderbread. As you’re reading this, I can imagine that your mind immediately drifts towards a bag of bread in white packaging with the all too familiar blue, yellow, and red polka dots. In terms of brand recognition, one could argue that there’s never been a more easily identifiable flour-based product to hit the market. But what does bread have to do with ice fishing?

Like every situation, there’s two sides to every story. Some anglers would argue that color doesn’t matter, while others firmly believe that color is everything. Some might say that fish prefer natural presentations, but others are convinced that the fish need to see something different. The question remains – does Wonderbread actually work?  The short answer – yes. The long answer includes a complex combination of situation, specifics, experience, and confidence.

Color has it’s place in the fishing industry. No matter how much we say color doesn’t matter – we all have a specific color or two that we gravitate towards on the water or ice.  White based lures are among the most popular colors in terms of fishing – and that’s for good reason. It’s one of the few colors that works in most water clarities. Additionally, it’s a color palette that’s found in nearly every fish species – and since fish like to eat other fish, it’s not a bad idea to grab something with some white in it. Add a few accent colors to your favorite white lure and you have a version of Wonderbread in some form or fashion.

There are certain conditions that play a role in the success – or lack thereof – of any given fishing scenario. Take weather for example. A warm, flat calm sunny day could be detrimental to a day of fishing for a specific species, while it could be just what was needed to get things going for another.  Environmental factors, as such, really do dictate how effective a technique, or even color, can be on a given day. On some days, you can try everything you own but still go home empty handed, while on others you can feed them anything and everything and they’ll be willing to eat.

Regardless of any scenario or situation, the most important factor in whether or not something works is confidence. If a fisherman genuinely believes that something will work, then odds are it probably will. On the other hand, if doubt is high then expectations should follow suit.  It’s important to remember that fish are fish. We can’t always predict what they’re thinking. There are days things will work and there are days they won’t.

When it comes to Wonderbread, the question remains - will it work for you? Your best bet is to give it a try.

For 2023, Eurotackle is proud to introduce WonderB to it’s Micro Finesse offering. To check out our full lineup of WonderB themed products, visit Eurotackle.net.