The Best Fishing Lures for Every Angler

Buyer’s Guide: Finding Your Great Fishing Lure

Picking fishing lures can feel like quite a challenge, with so many sizes, colors, styles, and varieties to choose from. In this buying guide, we’ll look at some of the most important aspects you need to consider when shopping for lures, as well as answer questions about why lures matter and how to use them.

Why Are Fishing Lures Important?

If you’re new to the world of fishing, you may not be aware of what lures really do or why you should be using them. Let’s begin with a look at why fishing lures actually matter and why you should use them in the first place.

Attracting fish

Obviously, the main benefit of using fishing lures is to attract fish. When you try to catch a fish, you need to attract their attention somehow. This is where bait and lures come into play. Lures are specially designed to attract predatory fish with their unique colors and realistic designs. They can draw more fish toward your hook and allow you to catch more fish in each session.

Reusability

Another big important factor with lures is that they are reusable, and this gives them a lot of value. With bait, you can only use each piece once and have to stock up regularly. Lures, on the other hand, are a one-off purchase you can use for years and may help you catch countless fish.

Variety

There are lots of different types of lures, including spinnerbaits, plugs, jigs, and spoons. They come in lots of different sizes, colors, styles, and designs, and they all have their uses and advantages. This impressive level of variety allows anglers to adapt to different scenarios and target different kinds of fish more easily than simply throwing out a piece of bait.

Effective hooking

Another big reason why so many people make use of lures is that they’re great for hooking fish. They have hooks attached to them already. So, when a fish attempts to bite the lure, they end up biting the hook. This is different from bait, which may fall from the hook more easily.

What To Look for in Fishing Lures

With so many different fishing lures to choose from, picking the perfect lure for your needs may seem like a challenge. Here are some important factors to think about when shopping for lures in order to select the right options.

Design

One of the first things to think about with fishing lures is the design. You can find lots of different kinds of lures. Some have hyper-realistic designs that make them look just like fish, while others appear more like colorful, feathered pieces of metal.

It’s important to choose the right type of lure to match the kind of fish you want to catch. For example, if you’re planning on doing some trout fishing, look for lures that closely resemble the kind of prey that trout like to target.

Features

It’s also wise to pay attention to the individual features of each lure. Again, some are quite basic and don’t have many features to speak of, but others are much more advanced, with things like segmented bodies, 3D eyes, and even robotic programming.

If you’re targeting fish that are quite challenging to catch, these extra features may be very useful for you. Lures with segmented bodies, for example, move more realistically underwater and can therefore be more effective at attracting larger predators.

Weight and size

Lures come in a wide range of weights and sizes. These are important factors to think about, too, and it’s important to try and match the lures you use with the type of fishing you plan to do.

For example, if you’re planning to fish in quiet, calm waters, you can use smaller and lighter lures. However, if you’re fishing at sea where the waters can get choppy, it’s better to use heavier lures that are more able to resist the current and waves.

Color

There are lots of different colors of fishing lures you can buy, from bright yellows and reds and golds to softer colors like greens and grays. Many anglers have their theories about the best colors to use for different conditions and different fish.

In general, experts agree that it’s a good idea to have a nice mixture of lure colors. This allows you to experiment with different lures in different situations and water conditions. Darker lures may be useful on gray days, while bright lures are good in sunny spaces.

Tips for Using Fishing Lures

Next, let’s look at a few top tips to keep in mind when using your lures.

The right size

Always choose a lure of the appropriate size for the type of game you’re after. Smaller lures are good for attracting perch and crappies, but bigger lures are best for the likes of lake trout and salmon.

Think about depth

You may fish in waters with different depths, and this can impact the type of lures you should use. Fish often live in deeper waters during the summer, so you’ll want to use deep, heavy lures for this. Surface lures are better in shallow patches.

Weed guard

One of the problems with lures is that they can snag on weeds and other plant life. If you plan to fish in areas with lots of weeds, consider using a weed guard. This can help to avoid snags and accidental lure losses.

Temperatures

Consider water temperature when picking lures. Fish move less in cold water. So, if you’re fishing in a cold area, you don’t want to use lures that have lots of movement. In warmer waters, lively lures like spinnerbaits work well.