If you’re learning to fish one of the first questions you’ll have is what lures catch what fish? There are so many options that it can be tough if someone doesn’t walk you through. In this article I’ll discuss what the best types of fishing lures are to use for any particular job, as well as what makes a good fishing lure in the first place.
Simply put, every species of fish out there will chomp on any object that they perceive as food if it is small enough to fit in their mouth. Therefore, technically speaking, all lures will catch all fish. However, some lures are definitely better than others depending on what species you are targeting. For example, certain species like northern pike are very likely to break your line if you use lures that don’t have any kind of guard against their teeth. Likewise, other lures like giant jerkbaits are unlikely to be attacked by all but the pluckiest of panfish.
Use this article as a guide, but not a be-all-end-all. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is show the fish something they haven’t seen before, so never be afraid to “think outside the tackle box!” Also, bear in mind that this article will deal specifically with fishing lures. If you’re curious if you should use live bait instead, read this article.
The Best Lure for the Job at a Glance
Below you’ll find a handy table that will help you understand what lures to use for what fish. In the first column you’ll find the type of fishing lure. In the second, the primary species of fish the lure will catch (note that an “*” denotes the fish is likely to cut the line without a leader on this technique). Finally, I break down whether or not I feel the lure is easy for a beginner or child to use.
Following this table, I will provide a detailed analysis of each lure, explain why I ranked it as “easy,” “moderate,” or “difficult” to use, and offer recommendations on which ones you should buy.
| Type of Fishing Lure | Primary Species of Fish the Lure Will Catch | Ease of Use for Beginner or Child |
|---|---|---|
| Spinnerbait | Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, chain pickerel, bowfin | Easy |
| Buzzbait | Largemouth bass, northern pike, chain pickerel, bowfin | Moderate |
| Swim Jig | Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike*, chain pickerel*, bowfin* | Easy |
| Squarebill Crankbait | Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike*, chain pickerel*, bowfin* | Moderate |
| Drop Shot | Panfish, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, anything with teeth* | Easy |
| Plastic Worm | Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, anything with teeth* | Easy |
| Jerkbait | Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye | Moderate |
| Bass Jig | Largemouth bass | Difficult |
| Roundhead Jig | Panfish, walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, anything with teeth* | Moderate |
| Swimbait | Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike*, chain pickerel* | Moderate |
| Fluke | Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike*, chain pickerel*, bowfin* | Moderate |
| Popper | Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bowfin | Moderate |
| Hollow Bodied Frog | Largemouth bass, chain pickerel | Difficult |
| Spoon | Northern pike*, salmon, lake trout | Moderate |
| Creature Bait | Largemouth bass | Difficult |
| “Gimmick” | Could catch everything, or nothing. Often, nothing. | Varies. |
The Lures in More Detail
Here I’ll discuss each lure or presentation in more detail to help you make a decision if it is one that you’d like to purchase. I’ll also recommend a product if I have used it and particularly believe in it.
Note that there are hundreds if not thousands of options for each of these lures so don’t feel as though you need to purchase what I recommend. I’m just offering some help on what works well to try and cut through the fog a bit and clear a path for you.
I’m also going to write a bit about why I consider certain techniques “easy,” “moderate,” or “difficult” for beginners or kids. This is purely subjective but is based on my observations over the years and basically boils down to how easy the lure is to use without getting it snagged or fouled, and how much action one must input in the technique. Generally speaking, the more finesse or technique a lure requires, the less suitable it is for beginners or children.
Spinnerbaits
I don’t care what kind of freshwater fish you’re seeking, a spinnerbait is one of the best lures to catch them. They are easy to use, fairly weedless, and offer at least some protection from sharp teeth right out of the box.
All you need to do to catch fish with them is find a bay with submerged weeds and start tossing them out, and reeling them in. I’ve found if you twitch your rod now and then to give your spinnerbait a little “pop” it really helps trigger strikes.
Spinnerbaits are a great lure for catching largemouth bass, northern pike, and chain pickerel. The latter two rarely bite the line while throwing these as the bent wire frame in front of the spinnerbait offers a bit of a distance from the hook and some protection for the line.
There are thousands of these lures out there and almost all are good. I’ve highlighted a Strike King Bleeding Bait above because it is reasonably priced and durable. Here’s a photo of a fish caught with one to show you I actually use these products!
Buzzbait
A buzzbait works similarly to a spinnerbait in that you toss it out and reel it in. The difference between the two is while a spinnerbait typically is retrieved submerged, a buzzbait is meant to skim along the surface of the water as a topwater lure. Because of this topwater nature, I’ve rated this lure as “moderate” difficulty. To be candid, however, it is one of the easier topwater lures to use, because fish tend to hook themselves on the first strike. All the same, you need to start reeling in almost immediately once it hits the water, and this can be difficult for kids especially to do.
Buzzbaits are interesting in that they’re one of the few lures that actually seem to get better as they get worn out. You want these things squeaking and rattling and generally causing a great commotion as they go through the water. Older joints and attachments work much better for this. This is one lure you should be happy if your kids beat up.
Swim Jig
Even those these are jigs I’d rate them as considerably easier to use than true “bass jigs” described further below. This is because a swim jig is meant to be retrieved quickly through the water, just like a spinnerbait and buzzbait above. This makes them easy to use for beginners and kids as all you need to do is cast and retrieve.
Swim jigs work well in a bit thicker cover than spinnerbaits can handle. The blades on a spinnerbait will often get snarled with weeds that a swimjig will pass right through.
A downside to swimjigs is that they lack the wire frame of spinnerbaits. This means they have absolutely no protection between the hook and the line, so pike and pickerel ravage them. But for this reason, I’d have them tied on much more frequently.
Crankbait
Crankbaits aren’t that difficult of a lure to catch fish on, but I still rated them as “moderate” because they need to be used under specific conditions. They have treble hooks which makes them a poor choice for kids. As most models dive, these can be very difficult to use along weed beds.
Crankbaits come in many models which dive to various depths. I mostly fish the shallows so I favor square bill crankbaits such as the one shown above. If you fish deeper water, they make cranks that will dive to 20+ feet on the retrieve.
These lures are meant to be cast and retrieved, though they do draw many strikes when there is some interruption. Many anglers deliberately drive them towards cover to get their crankbait to bump it, hopefully drawing a strike. Because the lure dives, it is angled in such a way that (theoretically) the hooks will be protected from the cover. This works 100% of the time 50% of the time.
You’re going to want to buy a good lure retriever if you use crankbaits! These are tools that are designed to follow your line down to your lure and then pop it off whatever it is stuck on. I keep one in my boat and it paid for itself the first trip. I recommend the Frabill 15 Foot Telescoping Fishing Lure Retriever
Drop Shot
I write about the drop shot often on this website. I am a firm believer that it should be the first technique you use when introducing children to fishing. This technique works great with the best kids fishing rods. They are also easy to tie, versatile, and is the type of lure that will catch a wide variety of fish in all sizes. I have caught everything from a 2″ sunfish to 20lb carp on a drop shot rig.
The hook above is made by Gamakatsu. It’s a good brand and one I trust. If you use too thin of a hook on your drop shot and run into a larger fish, it could be bent, so I wouldn’t skimp there. You can, however, skimp on what weight you use, as you will often lose the sinker. I would use the least expensive ones that I could find in appropriate size (use the smallest ones you can get away with).
To fish a drop shot for panfish, all you need to do is cast it out and wait. If you were anywhere near them in the first place it won’t be long before they take a nibble. This makes this a good lure to explore with, as you’ll quickly be able to tell if a certain area holds fish.
You can learn more about how to tie and use a drop shot in my article on the basic skills you need to take a kid fishing.
Plastic Worm
One of the easiest lures out there to use is a plastic worm. This lure will catch just about any fish that sees it and can fit it in its mouth. The only downside is that if the fish that happens along has sharp teeth, it’s very likely your line will be cut.
Plastic worms can be rigged in a variety of ways. You can rig them weedless, such as via a Texas Rig, or you can rig them “wacky style” which lets them fall awkwardly (fish would say enticingly) through the water.
When using a Texas Rig, you tend to hop the worm along the bottom through cover like you would a jig. Wack rigged worms are intended to splash down and then fall vertically, with fish often biting it on the descent. If you get no bite on the initial fall, lift your rod tip up to bring the worm towards you and then lower it to let it fall again. Reel in your slack and repeat.
Because all you need to do is let the worm fall, and bass often home in on it immediately, plastic worms are one of the best types of fishing lures for smaller kids to learn on.
Jerkbait
Jerk baits are hands-down one of my favorite techniques. I first learned how to use them on a fishing charter with Captain Mick over at Lake Champlain Angler. The jerkbait in the photo above is an X-Rap by Rapala and is the first jerk bait I used.
These cast a mile, are extremely durable, and catch a ton of fish. You use them by retrieving them in a cadenced series of jerks such as “twitch…twitch…pause….twitch…twitch…pause” until you figure out the rhythm and pattern that the fish want that day.
Jerkbaits work all year round as they mimic dying or distressed baitfish, but they’re mostly known as an early-spring lure. Part of this, I imagine, is because they will pick up weeds very easily later in the year, so there simply isn’t as much water that you can fish them with as summer goes on.
They are dynamite vs. spawning smallmouth and huge northerns will crush them too. Frankly, you can expect to catch just about any kind of fish on this lure. I’ve had perch not much bigger than them crush them.
The only downside is their hooks are sharp and plentiful. In addition to catching all the weeds I discussed above, they’re also known to snag anglers. Thus, they aren’t a good fishing lure for a small child or beginner.
Bass Jig
If there is one lure I’m going to catch grief for defining as “difficult” it is the bass jig. This lure is one of the most popular out there and nothing that common can be difficult, right? Well, if you judge by the number of folks scouring fishing forums seeking help using these, I’d beg to differ.
While jigs are extremely versatile, they do rely heavily on feel which can be difficult for someone just starting out, especially if you don’t have proper equipment like sensitive rods. This is because you need to determine if that pressure you suddenly feel is a fish, twig, rock or leaf all in a split second. It’s far easier said than done.
Regardless, you should invest some time learning these eventually as you’ll often catch your biggest fish of the year on them. They tend to be large offerings that have skirts that flair out making them look even bigger. Big bass absolutely crush these.
To use a bass jig you’re usually going to hop or crawl it along the bottom s.l.o.w.l.y., but occasionally fish want a faster presentation. Be aware that many strikes will come as the lure falls through the water.
Don’t be afraid to throw jigs into nasty cover. Their brush guards do a good job of helping them come back home, often with some lunker attached.
The jig in the picture above comes with a rattling sound chamber which is handy if you fish stained or murky water, which I often find myself doing on Lake Champlain. If you’re fishing clearer water, you might want to select a model that is silent.
Roundhead Jig
One of the first lures Dad tied on for me was a roundhead jig with a straight tail grub attached to it. We used to drift along the shores of Lake Champlain near Bridport, Vermont casting these out and reeling them in with little “pops.” We would catch a ton of smallmouth and largemouth bass.
Roundhead jigs come in a large variety of weights and hook size. The smaller ones are great for panfish. Larger ones are a good lure for walleye and bass.
You can tip these with anything you want. Dad favored straight tailed grubs, and marabou feathers (shown above). Other anglers prefer live bait, or artificial minnows.
These can be hopped along the bottom or horizontally retrieved like a spinnerbait. Both work well for catching fish, but you’re best bet is to combine the two. Reel in the jig while popping your rod up and down to give it some action. The fish love it!
A downside to this lure is that it can easily be bitten off by pike and pickerel. Luckily, roundhead jigs come in packs and aren’t that expensive.
Swimbait
Swimbaits come in many styles. The one pictured above is a soft plastic designed to be threaded onto a swimbait hook. You can also find ones that feature photo realistic paint jobs and look just like live fish. I don’t use these because they’re too expensive for my taste, especially since my waters are filled with northern pike and pickerel. Some folks swear by them and claim they are one of the best types of fishing lures for large bass.
Swimbaits are typically used by throwing them out and then reeling them back in. I favor the soft plastic type above as it can be rigged weedless and thrown into the shallow flats I frequent. The more expensive model that I linked has treble hooks and would need more open water.
Fluke
I caught my personal best largemouth bass on one of these fishing the Harris Chain of Lakes with Captain Mick (he gets around — if you want to a great fishing charter service near Orlando, go ahead and schedule a charter with him in Florida during the summer months).
While the fluke looks much like the swimbait above, it is mean to be worked more like a jerk bait. The same “twitch…twitch…pause….twitch…twitch…pause” cadence will work here, though you’ll want to be softer with it when working a fluke as there isn’t as much bait to use.
You can rig these weightless and fish right near the top of the water, or add some weight to it and have it sink down a bit. These work well in areas where you want the look of a distressed bait fish, but can’t get a jerkbait through do to the weeds.
Popper
Poppers are one of the easier topwater lures to use, but I still rated them as “moderate” because it might take you a few tries before you catch anything. Many people get too excited seeing the fish suddenly crash through the water and so they jerk the rod back before the fish is hooked. Try to count “one-thousand-one” after you see the splash before you set the hook. This will help increase your hookups.
These lures are best used early in the morning or later in the evening. You’re looking for a low light situation where the fish are cruising shallow water.
There are many companies that make poppers but I favor the old standard Rebel Pop-R shown above. This lure has a long history of catching fish and I can attest that it works. I’ve tried other models from other brands and while many cast farther, I just haven’t had the same success as with the Pop-R. Perhaps it’s placebo but you have to roll with what you trust.
Because poppers tend to have multiple treble hooks, they can be a poor choice when fishing with kids.
Hollow Bodied Frog
I love fishing with hollow bodied frogs. I also hate fishing with them. These lures will drive you absolutely crazy.
What frogs can also do is catch enormous bass. These are top water lures that lead to some spectacular moments. You’ll see bass propel themselves out of the lily pads like great white sharks going after your lure. Unfortunately, they’ll miss it a fair amount of time. Until you get the hang of things, you’ll miss the hookset even more!
Frogs are also one of the best lures to use if you’re fishing in heavy cover. Most models float (until a pickerel tears them up) and are entirely weedless. You can throw them into the densest of cover without worrying about getting stuck.
Unfortunately, hollow bodied frogs require very specialized equipment. You’ll need a stout rod with heavy or extra heavy power, and at least 50lb braid (most recommend 65lb). Because of this, you’re talking baitcaster territory. When I was just getting started fishing I tried fishing with frogs in a loaded pond with a medium spinning rod and monofilament. I had the most frustrating day of fishing in my life as I must have had 50-60 bass and pickerel blow up on them and didn’t land a single fish. I went straight home and bought a baitcaster!
For these reasons, I consider frogs to be a very poor choice of lure when fishing with kids. You can read me rant more about that here.
Spoon
Spoons are almost forgotten nowadays, but when my grandfather was plying the waters, they were the main lure out there. They work very well casting for northern pike and can be trolled for salmon and lake trout.
If casting, you can try a straight retrieve or “flutter” it by raising your rod tip up high and then dropping it quickly. Reel in the slack as the spoon flutters down. As with many presentations, many strikes will come on the fall.
Consider using a wire leader with a spoon as northern pike love them and will break you off if they take the lure too deep.
Creature Bait
Creature baits are almost a blend of jigs and plastic worms. They’re soft plastics that you can rig on a jig head or with most types of worm hooks. You can fish them the same way you fish either of those techniques. If you rig them Texas style, then they can be very weedless and good lures for throwing into heavy cover.
I rank them as a difficult lure to use right there with jigs because they do take a bit of getting used to before you understand if a fish bit. Once you get the hang of things, they can make for a very fun day.
“Gimmick”
Remember at the start of this article how I told you that sometimes it’s worth showing the fish something they’ve never seen before? Well, manufacturers feel the same way about fishermen. It seems like every year there is some crazy lure coming out that’s just different than anything anyone has ever seen before or used.
That’s not to say they don’t work. After all, every fishing lure known to man started off its first season as a “gimmick.” Some have stood the test of time, and then… Well… Some didn’t.
If you’re an early adopter you can rush out and buy these and try them. Sometimes this work very well. While I wouldn’t call a variation on a jerkbait a “gimmick” persay, Rapala came out with a new jerkbait several years ago (I want to say 2015) called the Shadow Rap. It had a unique action that was different than their other jerkbaits, and the first year I threw it, I lit them up. The point is, the fish had never seen it and weren’t wary of it. I couldn’t keep them out of the boat. Chances are the fish haven’t seen a “true” gimmicky lure either, so you might fill your livewell!
Oh, and full disclosure, I don’t own the duck lure above, but after looking at it, I’m itching to! The Bait Monkey is REAL!
What Makes A Good Fishing Lure in the First Place?
Above I provided several examples of different fishing lures that you could purchase via the affiliate links I posted. While I won’t claim they’re the only brands or designs that work, I do believe in them and feel they make solid choices.
Works Well For Intended Use
Use a lure that is going to catch whatever species of fish you’re seeking. If your lure won’t do that, it can’t be considered “good,” at least not for the job at hand.
You also need to consider if that crankbait you just tied on is really best for the area and conditions. If you’re near many weeds growing right to the top, you’re going to spend more of your time cleaning your hooks than fishing.
Finally, “think of the children.” If you’re out fishing with kids, the best types of fishing lures to use are going to be the ones that are easiest for them to handle.
Durability
In my mind, a good fishing lure needs to be durable. These things take a lot of abuse. They are cast far and wide, smashing down into the water, if you’re lucky, or tree branches if you aren’t. Once submerged, they will bang against rocks, laydowns, and other structure. They’ll snag lillypads and brush and need to be ripped loose. Not to mention, they might be bit – a lot if they’re any good!
I prefer to purchase lures that will hold up to some abuse. For example, the x-rap that I recommended above in the jerkbait section is the kind of lure that can last an entire day. It is a durable jerkbait that is well manufactured and features strong hooks. About the worst thing that might happen is its tail feathers could take a little trim, but it will catch fish without them, anyway.
In contrast, the shadow rap I mentioned above in the gimmicks section is not nearly as durable. While it too is a jerkbait (and an impressively effective one at that), it features extremely thin wire hooks that hold up to nothing, frankly. If you’re headed to the lake with a shadow rap tied on, you’d better have replacement hooks.
In fairness, however, the hooks bend when fish bite and you’ll be replacing bent hooks often as the fish really do seem to love that lure. Nothing against it – just warning you that it won’t hold up as well as an x-rap.
Reasonable Prices
A good fishing lure ought to be reasonably priced. There are plenty of extremely expensive fishing lures out there, but then again there are plenty of northern pike too. The two need only cross paths once for your lure to be gone. I don’t know about you, but I go fishing to relax and don’t want to worry if I can make rent when I get back.
Because prices often fluctuate I’m uncomfortable listing what any of the lures above go for today, but I will tell you that none of the lures I recommended above are anywhere near the most expensive models in their respective categories. I fish far too many pike-filled waters to bother with that!
Runs Right From the Box
I know I’ll catch some flak for this because many fishermen would tell you that nearly “no” lures run just right out of the box, but they ought to be pretty close. Most name brands do a fair job with this but if you’re purchasing knock off lures on the internet you often get what you paid for.
Companies pay engineers a lot of money to help design their fishing lures, so it is important they run right and as intended. If not, you need to do some tweaking or tuning. You’ll be able to tell they aren’t running right because they’ll pull to one side or the other. This usually also means they’ll have an unnatural look and won’t catch as many fish until you do something about it.
Don’t give up on a brand just because you needed to do some tuning. Most are going to have slight variations that can be easily fixed. Much of this information is readily available on the internet. Perhaps one day I’ll draft an article of my own addressing it, but until then, wired2fish has a great article about how to tune crankbaits.
Conclusion – What Type of Lure You Should Choose
As you can see, you have many choices when it comes to figuring out what type of lure to use to catch a certain kind of fish. If you’re just getting started, I’d recommend sticking to the lures I think are easy for beginners and kids to use:
- Spinnerbait
- Buzzbait
- Swimjig
- Drop Shot
- Plastic Worm
Once you get comfortable throwing these you can move up to those that are rated as moderately difficult before eventually trying some of the more difficult lures I listed.
Or, you could live on the wild side, go crazy at your local sporting goods store, and fish like there is no tomorrow! (Just don’t tell your significant other I told you to).
If you do decide to take it easy and have a little cash lying around, consider picking up a copy of my book, Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide
Thanks,
John Paxton
