Diving Minnow vs Lipless Guzz Lure: Which to Troll When
The difference between diving minnows and lipless high-speed Guzz lures, which fish each one targets and the trolling speed each needs.
Shop the lures in this guide
Africa Lures makes two kinds of trolling lures: diving minnows and lipless Guzz lures. They look quite different, they swim differently and they're made for different speeds. Picking the right one for the day makes a big difference.
What is a diving minnow?
A diving minnow has a plastic lip at the front. As you troll, the lip pushes the lure down under the surface and makes it wobble from side to side like a swimming baitfish.
Best for:
- Normal trolling speeds of around 5 to 8 knots
- Dorado, couta, tuna and many other gamefish
- Reaching fish a couple of metres under the surface, over reefs and near structure
Most of our range is diving minnows, in natural and bright patterns, including glow colours. The Pearl Tiger and Purple Mack are two favourites. You can see both in our catch photos: a dorado on the Pearl Tiger and a wahoo on the Purple Mack at St Lucia.
What is a Guzz lure?
A Guzz lure has no lip. It has a heavy, streamlined body that cuts through the water and stays in, even when the boat is going fast.
Best for:
- High-speed trolling at around 12 to 18 knots
- Wahoo and other fast predators that react to a lure flying past
- Covering lots of water quickly to find fish
Our Guzz lures, the Kingi and Orange King, are built for this kind of fishing. A normal diving minnow would roll and skip out of the water at these speeds.
Side by side
Diving minnow
- Has a lip
- Trolled at about 5 to 8 knots
- Tight wobble below the surface
- Main targets: dorado, couta, tuna and more
- Best for working reefs, structure and bait
Guzz lure
- No lip
- Trolled at about 12 to 18 knots
- Fast, darting run
- Main targets: wahoo and other fast predators
- Best for searching big areas quickly
How to use both in one day
Many skippers use both:
- Search with Guzz lures. Run high-speed lures to cover ground along drop-offs and reef edges.
- Slow down when you find fish. Once you get a strike, see bait or birds, or find floating debris, switch to diving minnows and work the area properly.
Tips for both
- Check the swim next to the boat. Before letting a lure out, watch it for a few seconds. It should swim straight and not roll over.
- Use the right trace. Use wire for wahoo and couta. Keep the trace short and light on diving minnows so they swim well.
- Keep hooks sharp and replace rusty or bent hooks.
Quick summary
- Diving minnow: lip, about 5 to 8 knots, for dorado, couta, tuna and most gamefish
- Guzz: no lip, about 12 to 18 knots, for wahoo and searching fast
Want to know more about the fast stuff? Read our guide on wahoo lures and trolling speeds.
