Choosing the Right Saltwater Fishing Lures

Put ten fishermen in a room, and you can get at least fifteen opinions about the best saltwater fishing lures to use! Not only that, but a typical aisle at your local outdoor sport retailer holds a bewildering array of brightly colored, flashy, high-tech, rubberized, weighted gadgets, all of which look equally enticing to an angler with money in his or her pocket. But which ones look enticing to the fish? Unfortunately, as with most such questions in life, the answer is… it depends. What is attractive to saltwater game fish varies by season, water temperature, time of day, and the type of baitfish that are present in the environment. But there are a few basics you can learn that will at least help you get started collecting the saltwater fishing lures that will form the backbone of your "go-to" tackle box choices. And besides… it wouldn't be any fun if you just had two or three lures, now, would it?

Read the Reports

Most active saltwater fishing areas will generate several regular reports from anglers, including the type of fish being taken, the bait that seems most prevalent, and the saltwater fishing lures that seem to be working at any given time. These reports are usually available online, because, let's face it: one thing fishermen love almost as much as fishing is talking about fishing! Read these reports, noting especially what sort of baitfish are being seen. This will tell you what the game fish are looking for, and should narrow down your choices about which saltwater fishing lures to present in a similar location and situation.

Saltwater Fishing Lure Types

Are you a confirmed fly fisherman, or do you like jigs? Is a plug (crankbait) your favored tool, or would you rather use spoons, or spinning lures? All of these types of saltwater fishing lures have their devotees, and all of them can be effective at various times. What you've got to decide is which one works best for you, and in which fishing situations. And the only way to do that is by spending some time on the water, trying various approaches. As time goes by and as you observe other anglers and the choices they make, you'll start to develop a working knowledge of which saltwater fishing lure is right for you in a particular setting. It's pretty easy to get an overview of the various types of saltwater fishing lures: just do an Internet search on a term like "saltwater lures," and explore a few of the web sites you'll discover.