Buying Fishing Lures for a Gift

Fishing lures can make great gifts. Purchasing fishing lures gives you a lot of flexibility because there are so many choices covering so many price ranges. You can buy small inexpensive lures for stocking stuffers, or you can buy more expensive lures to stock your fisherman's tackle box. When you are looking for lures, there are several things to take into consideration. Here are a few suggestions to help you find the perfect lure for a gift for the fisherman in your life.

Look for lures for the right species. If your recipient likes to fish for bass, then you will have a very easy time finding the right kinds of lures. Any lure that mimics small baitfish, salamanders, frogs or worms will be a great choice. If pan fish such as bluegills are the species of choice, look for small terrestrial imitations such as grasshopper lures, cricket lures, or beetle lures. There are some amazingly realistic lures available in this line now, and they are deadly on small pan fish.

If a fish like crappie is chosen, then you will need to look for small fish imitations, and jigs that can be fished with either live bait, or soft artificial baits. If your recipient likes to fish for larger predatory fish, such as muskie and pike, you will have to look for the larger, more durable lures designed for these types of toothy fish. If you expand into saltwater species, the number of lures available to you will be multiplied.

Next, you have to choose a style of lure. We will consider bass lures, since that is the most fished for species (other than bluegill) in the country. There are several choices when it comes to bass lures:

1. Hard baits. These are lures that are made from wood, or plastic, and have usually been fashioned to look like a small baitfish. These lures come in many styles and colors. Many are now photo-printed, so that they look more like live fish than ever before. You can choose from crank baits, floating lures, diving lures, or top water poppers, all of which are very effective lures.

2. Spinner baits. These are baits that are designed to look like a swimming fish. It is usually made with a rubber skirting (this looks like large rubber threads coming out from the hook, which pulsate in the water when being retrieved), and either one or more metal spinner blades.

This type of lure is very effective as it causes a lot of disturbance in the water, drawing the attention of the fish. One particular kind of spinner bait is a buzz bait. This is designed with a large spinner on the front of the lure, which displaces a lot of water on the retrieve. The lure is designed to stay at or near the surface of the water, and will cause bass to strike, believing it to be a wounded bait fish.

3. Soft baits. Soft baits cover a lot of imitations. Worms, salamanders, frogs, and fish are all mimicked by different soft baits. Soft baits can be fished on worm hooks, or put on a jig for fishing deeper water. Soft baits are very effective, and are inexpensive so you can buy several different colors and sizes. Some retailers, such as Cabela's sell some soft baits in bulk. You can buy a whole bucket of salamanders of different colors and sizes for a very reasonable price.

All of these baits can be purchased in different sizes, and colors. You can purchase different lures for many different circumstances, and make a great gift for the fisherman in your life. Buy one for a small gift, or stocking stuffer. Buy many to restock your fisherman's tackle box, and set him up for the rest of the season!