Best Freshwater Lures: A Beginner's Guide for 2024

Best Freshwater Lures: A Beginner's Guide for 2024

Choosing fishing lures for freshwater is important, because they are the ones that will help you hook the prey you want. Some models are good for angling in thickets, others are effective for catching fish on the surface of the water. We will tell you about the main types, their design features and their ways to attract fish.

Crankbaits

This is a popular type of artificial lure that has a streamlined shape. This design helps to move effectively in the water and attract prey by movements and vibrations. Some models also create sound effects. Crankbaits are used to catch predators, such as catfish, pike, perch and trout, as they imitate the victim well.

Crankbaits

There are different variations:

  • Suspending with neutral balancing and depth-specific locking;
  • Lipless without paddles, which creates a powerful vibration;
  • Deep-Diving, which dives to 16-20 feet or more;
  • Shallow-Diving, which moves close to the surface of the water.
Jigs

Jigs

This is a universal model. It can be used for angling at different depths: lighter jigs dive to 3-16 feet and heavier jigs to 33 feet or more. It is suitable for water bodies with difficult terrain and dense algae, as it easily bypasses obstacles thanks to its streamlined form.

The main parts of the design:

  • sinker. Thanks to the weight of it the bait is lowered to depth;
  • variety of soft silicone parts: worms/frogs/paddle tails etc;
  • hook. 

It is best used with spinning fishing rods. This species effectively imitates wounded or frightened prey due to its appearance and specific movements. Therefore, they become a target for predatory fish. The main fish species are perch, pike, bass and zander fish.

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Spinnerbaits

Spinnerbaits

These are lures that perform well when angling in difficult conditions such as dense vegetation and murky water. Goes well with medium to high stiffness spinning/baitcasting rods.

Spinnerbaits have a unique construction consisting of:

  • elastic skirt made of silicone. Due to vibrations in the water, it attracts predators;
  • wire frame to support the structure;
  • spinner blades. They create glare & vibration;
  • head with a hook. 

Soft Plastics

These are elastic and flexible lures that are created from rubber/ silicone. They mimic the movements of fry, crayfish and other fish food. Soft plastics are also attracted by color and often by scent. The shapes are different, depending on what they imitate: crayfish, worm, fish. They are particularly effective in freshwater (rivers, streams, lakes, marshes) but can also be used in inshore areas.

Soft Plastics

Main fish species:

  • Bass;
  • Zander fish;
  • Carp;
  • Perch.
Spoons

Spoons

This is an easily submersible bait with a curved shape. Smaller models are suitable for minnows and larger models for predators. Most often made of metal. Thanks to their shape they oscillate in the water and create glare, attracting prey. These simple freshwater fishing lures are best paired with baitcasting and spinning fishing reels. Spoons are versatile in terms of bodies of water.

Buzzbaits

These are durable and sturdy models that attract fish with noise, water oscillation and glare. This effect is created due to the blade mechanism. The materials used are copper, brass, aluminum, and plastic for making the body of the lure. There are lighter models for hunting in shallow water and heavy for greater depths. But best of all buzzbaits have proved themselves for fishing on the surface of the water. They attract active and predatory fish (bass, catfish, pike and perch).

Buzzbaits
Plugs

Plugs

This is a type of hard and rigid bait, which outwardly resembles small fish. Due to their design, they imitate a wounded victim, moving chaotically and creating vibrations in the water, so they easily attract predators. Often plugs also have noise elements, such as balls, which create a sound effect when moving.

A distinction is made between these types depending on their buoyancy:

  • floating;
  • sinking;
  • suspending.

Swimbaits

This is a universal type of bait with a realistic appearance. They are most often used for hunting large predators. They often consist of several sections, due to which swimbaits realistically imitate the movement of wounded fish. The size varies from small to large, buoyancy is also different. There are two types: 

  • hard from hard materials, such as plastic;
  • soft from silicone.

Such baits are especially effective in clear water. The main types of fish: are pike, perch, zander, catfish and trout.

Swimbaits
Blade Baits

Blade Baits

It's a flat rigid lure. It is made of metal to ensure sufficient strength and easy sinking to depth. For example, copper or brass are popular. It attracts predators due to vibrations & reflections. They proved themselves well in low temperatures and murky water.

Thanks to their design, they quickly descend to the desired depth and are suitable for catching the fish that live on the bottom of the pond. It is most often used in vertical angling techniques, but other styles of fishing will do.

Poppers

This type of lure is used to catch surface feeding fish such as chub, pike or perch. When moving, poppers make gurgling sounds and water splashes, which attract predators. 

Some anglers choose this particular type of fish baits and lures because hunting with them becomes more spectacular, as you can watch the fish attack on the surface of the body of water.

Poppers

Key features:

  • The poppers have a rounded shape and are made of plastic;
  • Often this type of bait is painted in bright and unnatural colors, as they arouse interest in predators. For example, bright green, yellow, purple;
  • It is best to use poppers on a clear day, so they will be visible to fish from afar. They are less effective in cloudy weather;
  • The water can be either standing or with strong currents.

The Best Freshwater Lures Based on Popular Freshwater Species

In our fishing gear shop, you can find a variety of baits, but all of them are made of quality materials. Best lures for freshwater fish have a reliable construction, so they are characterized by durability. Each type is available in several variations, so you can choose the artificial lure for specific conditions and types of fishing.

How to Choose the Best Freshwater Lures & Baits

When choosing the right lure, you should be guided by the conditions of the planned angling, style of fishing and type of prey. Some lures are universal and suitable for trolling and jerking. Others are most effective for a specific type of hunting, such as twitching or steady retrieve. Decide whether you want to use the lures in standing water or in strong currents, what will be the bottom topography. 

Our consultants will find the best model for your specific type of angling and suggest additional fishing tools and accessories to complete your equipment set.

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