Once you’ve picked your fishing location (saltwater or freshwater), your rod, and your reel, there’s still one thing left to decide on: your lures. Picking the perfect lure can be pretty complicated, so we’re offering this guide to help you figure it out. It depends on the type of fish you want to catch and the type of casting you prefer, but we’ll also offer a few tips for beginners.
The perfect lure can only be perfect for the right fish. For example, trout prefer the minolure, while bonefishes prefer Millies Bucktail. Mackerels prefer diamond-shaped lures, whereas bass prefer lures shaped like other fish or snakes (of course, if you’re fishing for bass, make sure you make your lure act like a fish or snake, or else no bass will ever be tricked into taking the bait). Dorado, sailfish, and tuna all like squid bait, so you need the right lure for that.
But which lure you use also depends on the type of casting you do. If you use a spinning rod, a conventional rod, or a fly-fishing rod, you cast in different ways. In the same way, you need different lures for each type of cast. You can’t just throw the same lure on all of your different fishing rods and expect to get the same results. It just doesn’t work that way.
If you’re a beginner, though, you can always go with spoon bait. It’s the cheapest and easiest to use, making it great for people who are new to fishing. A spinner lure is good for beginners, too. The rotating spindle and blade always end up resembling bait fish, so you don’t need the finesse and fine touch it takes to make your bait look like food to a fish (instead of just bait).
Once you’ve decided on your style, your location, your fish, your rod, and your reel… then you can decide on your lure. Make sure it works with all of those earlier decisions, or your fishing trips will keep coming up empty.
