When it comes to fresh water fishing I love nothing better than a good old artificial lure. However, the main problem will lure fishing is that lures comes in many different sizes, shapes and colours. So, if you are just starting out in the world of lure fishing you will probably find it very difficult to decide on the best fishing lure for your style of fishing. Therefore, I have decided to write this blog post to help narrow down your options and hopefully help you catch some monsters. Well, we can all dream like England did against Croatia.
For years lure manufactures have been telling us that their latest new ‘HOT’ lure is going to catch all the fresh water fish we target. However, in reality many of them are one hit wonders which quickly end up at the bottom of our tackle boxes or fishing tackle shops archive corners. On the other hand some lures have stuck around and continue to be the best sellers year in year out. Therefore, we can all assume that these lures actually catch fish.
So for this reason, I have put together a list of the 5 best fishing lures for fresh water fishing.
But why should you trust my opinion? Well, simply because I have been lure fishing for a good part of my life but most importantly I have actually sold lures through my own Fishing Tackle Shop business.
#1 Soft Bait With Lead Head And Single Treble Hook
This is my personal favourite lure of all time. With this lure I have caught pike, perch and even trout. The reason this lure is so successful comes down to it’s soft shape which moves through the water like a real fish. The small treble hook at the front does not stand and the glittery body is just irresistible to any meat loving fish. However, this lure does have it’s downsides as it’s very light and therefore not that easy to cast out into the distance. So for this reason you should be using this lure on small rivers or canels where casting distance is not of great importance.
#2 Mepps Metal Spinners
Oh boy are these deadly. Now some would not agree that spinners come into the same category as lures. But I have to agree to disagree! I love these not only because they have produced some of my personal bests but because they are just awesome all round lure. This type of spinners is designed to look like a insect under water. The metal shield around the body spines as it’s pulled through water at speed. The silver colour around the edges creates a lovely reflections which is irresistible to trout, salmon and perch.
You will find these spinners in various different weights, sizes and colours. It’s worth having few different ones in your tackle box to cover all situations. Also highly recommend you go for Mepps brand as they produce some of the best lures and spinners on the market. The market is full of the cheap and nasty spinners which can be found on Ebay and Amazon. However, you will quickly find that the quality is way below the standard of Mepps and many other reputable brands.
#3 Multi Jointed Fish Like Lures
If you are going specifically after fish which target other smaller fish than this is the lure for you. Multi Jointed lures move through the water like a injured fish. This action attracts predatory fish such are pike and perch as it’s a easy meal for them. However, the lure is equipped with 2 very strong treble hooks which will hook a small or a big mouth fish. A very enjoyable lure to use on both rivers and lakes.
#4 Shakespeare Big S Floating Plug
The Shakespeare Big S is one of the best known plugs in fishing and still my first choice plug/lure. The Shakespeare ‘S’ is available in a range of sizes from the diminutive 60mm Mini to the 120mm Mega (which features over sized eyes) and continues to catch fish thanks to its combination of a fast vibratory action, realistic colours and internal ‘rattler’ ball bearings. So many copies have been produced of this lure but the quality and catch success rates have never been matched.