Fishing Lures : What's the Difference?

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When it comes to fishing lures, it seems like there are more choices than can be found when trying to order a cup of coffee at Starbucks. And for those of you who have never had the pleasure, that's A LOT of freakin choices! Fishing lures come in all shapes and sizes, so other than the obvious, what's the difference?

In this article, I'm going to try to explain the difference between fishing lures, and why it should matter to us as fishermen. When I use the term 'fishing lure' in this article, I'm going to be referring mainly to minnow (or baitfish) imitations. These are the most popular form of fishing lure, mainly because bigger fish eat smaller fish. This concept is pretty simple to understand, so what's the difference between all of the 'fishing lure' choices?

The bottom line is that we want the fishing lure that we use to look as much like a real baitfish as possible. In other words, we want it to look as much like a real baitfish as possible, under the water, rather than in the packaging. Keep in mind that fishing lures are sold to people, and people aren't the ones that need to be fooled by the lure, fish are. This means that packaging and such shouldn't make a difference, what matters is how the fishing lure will look underwater to the fish.

This is where it can become hard to choose which lure is the best, because without buying and using the lure, how the heck do you know how it will perform. A good rule of thumb is to stick with a lure manufacturer that's been around for awhile. Rapala is a great example of this. Rapala has been making balsa wood fishing lures for a very long time, and the lures that they make are of the highest quality. Their minnow imitations look very much like real bait fish as well.

Another rule of thumb is a manufacturer who can show you what their lure can do before you make a purchase. That's exactly what the manufacturers of the Kick Tail Minnow do. On their website, they show you exactly what their lures look like underwater before you make a decision. The Kick Tail Minnow looks as realistic as it gets as well.

The bottom line is that you want a fishing lure that looks as realistic as possible, underwater (where the fish are), rather than looking good in the packaging. Look for money back guarantees as well. Any manufacturer that will stand behind their products with money back guarantees, normally makes a quality product. The difference between fishing lures is how realistic they appear under the water.