By : Katie Rojas
Artificial lures are fishing baits designed to mimic the look, movement, or vibration of prey. Unlike live bait, they're reusable, cover water quickly, and give you control over how and where you present your bait.
Each lure type is built to do something specific — dive deep, stay on the surface, flutter on the fall, vibrate on the retrieve. The differences aren't cosmetic. They determine where in the water column the lure runs, how it moves, and what conditions it's designed for. Picking the right type before you pick a color or brand is what makes the difference.
Which lure types should you know, and when does each one apply? Watch the video and read below to find out.
Spinnerbaits have one or more spinning blades that produce flash and vibration as they move through the water. They run through cover without hanging up and work across the full water column depending on retrieve speed. A strong search tool when you're not sure where fish are.
Crankbaits are hard-bodied lures with a lip that drives them to a set depth on the retrieve. Shallow runners work the first few feet of the water column. Deep divers reach structure at 10 to 20 feet. Use them to cover water quickly and find where fish are holding.
Soft plastics — worms, creature baits, swimbaits — are some of the most adaptable lures available. They can be rigged dozens of ways depending on depth, cover, and target species. Wacky rigs work shallow structure. Texas rigs punch through heavy cover. Swimbaits cover open water on a steady retrieve.
Start with depth and conditions. If fish are deep and slow, reach for a jig or deep diving jerkbait. If fish are shallow and active, try a topwater or shallow crankbait. If you don't know where fish are holding, a spinnerbait or crankbait lets you cover water efficiently until you find them.
Match your lure to what fish are feeding on when you can. Baitfish-heavy water favors crankbaits and swimbaits. Bottom-feeding fish respond better to jigs and soft plastics. Your local bait shop can tell you what's been working — that information is worth more than guessing.
If you're building a tackle box from scratch, a medium-diving crankbait, a spinnerbait, and a pack of soft plastic worms. Those three cover enough situations to fish effectively in most freshwater conditions. Add lure types as you learn what the fish in your water respond to.
For a look at more lure types, take a peak at our article Common Lures, and view our take on the top 5 Spring lures.
