The quest to discover an artificial lure that will work better than any other to catch more and bigger fish may last until the end of time.

Over the years, thousands of lures have been invented and offered in nearly every shape, color, size, and action. And just when you think we've thought of every possible option, inevitably something new evolves. There's just too many good minds spend countless hours fishing and trying to figure out a way to catch more and bigger fish for something not to eventually evolve.

Here's a defined overview of the most popular and effect artificial lure categories used to catch all fish.


Crankbait: Lipped lure designed to dive, wobble, vibrate and move like a baitfish.

Rattlebait: Hollow-bodied, sinking, lipless crankbaits that rattle loudly due to shot and slugs in the body cavity.

Minnowbait: Long, thin, minnow-shape wood or plastic lure designed to be fished on or near the surface.

Topwaters: Lures designed to be worked on the surface.


Prop Bait: Topwater plug with one or more propellers at the front or back. Push Pole: Long (12- to 16-foot) wood, fiberglass, or graphite pole used for propelling a boat through shallow water or dense aquatic weeds.

Chugger: Topwater plug with a cupped face designed to make a splash when pulled sharply.

Twitch Bait: Long, thin, minnow-shape lure of wood or plastic, designed to be fished on or near the surface.

Buzzbait: Lure composed of a leadhead, rigid hook, and wire that supports one or more blades; designed for surface fishing.

Jig: Lure composed of leadhead with rigid hook, often with hair, plastic, rubber, or other dressings. Select categories include roundhead-, specialty-, hair-, bass-, panfish-, and ice jigs.

Jigworm: Plastic worm rigged on an open-hook jighead.

Metal Baits: Made using mostly metal, bladebaits and in-line spinnerbaits create lots of flash and vibration that attracts fish.


Softbaits: Any plastic or biodegradable soft bait with a specific shape and design intended to imitate food. Popular softbaits include worms, lizards, frogs, grubs, jerkbaits, craws, tubes creatures, trailers, and panfish sized morsels.

Swimbaits: Rigged on a jig, premolded with weight, or molded out of hard plastic, swimbaits are designed to imitate real baitfish, even on a straight retrieve. Swimbait categories include: hard swimbaits, Rigged

Spoon: Any of a wide variety of metal, plastic, or wood lures with a
generally spoonlike shape and a single hook.
Spinners