An artificial fishing lure includes a substantially hollow body having front and rear ends, walls defining an internal firing chamber, and an escape notch formed with the hollow body at its rear end. A one-piece spring-biased hook assembly is located substantially within the firing chamber of the body in a loaded condition, and is adapted for sudden rearward linear movement from the loaded condition to a released fish-catching condition. A pivoted actuation lever has a proximal end joined to the hollow body, and an opposite hook-engaging end adapted for moving the loaded hook assembly into the escape notch of the hollow body, thereby releasing the hook assembly into the fish-catching condition.
