An artificial fishing lure. The lure has a bifurcated frame that presents upper and lower arm portions. An eye is presented from the juncture of the upper and lower arm portions. A hook means trails from the lower arm portion, and a spinner blade trails from the upper arm portion. A dive plate has a generally fan-shaped outline with a curvilinear rim that converges to an apex. The apex is connected to the lower arm portion. A sagittally oriented, elongate slot is aligned with the apex and extends toward the rim of the dive plate. The upper arm portion extends through the elongate slot, and a ballast is associated with the lower arm portion.
A fishing lure and a guard are provided. The fishing lure may have a lip, a body portion, and at least one hook. The lip may include a front end, and a rear end, the rear end connected to the body portion of the lure, the front end opposite the rear end. The apparatus may also include a means for attaching a fishing line directly to the lip, and a means for attaching the guard near the front end of the lip. The guard may have a first end, which is attached near the front end of the lip, and a second end, which is attached to the fishing line through the second end of the guard. A first loop may be located at the first end of the guard, and a second loop may be located at the second end of the guard.