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Writer's pictureTim Swanson

The Only Fishing Lures You Need

So you want to get into fishing but don’t know where to start? Or you have been fishing a bit but need a little advice to catch more fish? I’ll let you in on my secret, but the deal is that you got to get out there and try these lures out for yourself! I have fished my entire life, being raised by a father who is a crazy fisherman who was taught by his grandfather, Roger, an expert fisherman who handmade his own gear and fished daily. I want to start this article by saying that I fish for whatever will bite my hook, although I generally try to target fish that qualify for the Massachusetts Sportfishing Award, or fish that I can eat. I am also not affiliated with any fishing brand and am posting these lures out of using them throughout the years and want to spread my experience to you to help you catch fish. 


Walk into any fishing store, sporting goods store, or anywhere there's fishing lures and you will instantly become overstimulated by the huge variety of fishing tackle. Some lures are specific to certain species, while others are good generalist lures that have been around for ages. This list of lures have served me well and if I could only bring these, I’d be very happy and have tight lines all day. Try these out, and try out any other lures that just simply look cool to you. I usually pick out new lures that look cool or may be different. In the end, fish will either bite anything, or nothing, depending on the day. Read on and enjoy. Get out there and try these! Remember that a big part of fishing is experimenting and figuring out what works best for you.


1: Al’s Goldfish

If I could only choose 1 lure to catch a wide variety of fresh water and saltwater fish, it would be the simple gold colored Al’s Goldfish. Originally made in 1952 by Al Stuart in Massachusetts, this lure has withstood the test of time. It's just a simple spoon style lure that has a great “back and forth” action when you reel it in. I usually purchase the 3/16 oz plain gold option, although the larger sizes work great, as well as the other colors. This lure works great in ponds, lakes, and rivers or streams and I have caught bass, trout, sunfish, crappie, mackerel, and pickerel on this lure.




2. The Eppinger Dardevle 

Developed in 1906 by Lou Eppinger in the Canadian wilderness, the “osprey” lure proved itself to be a wonderful multi-species lure. The osprey lure was renamed to the Dardevle in 1918 to honor the US Marines. The Dardevle lure comes in a wide variety of sizes and colors, try them out for yourself, but make sure you get the original red and white painted with a silver underside. I find that this lure catches the most fish with a slow and steady retrieve in rivers and lakes. I use the tiny sizes on my fishing handlines for small brook trout. 




3. Arbogast Jitterbug

I think this is the most exciting lure and it brings me to summer nights, fishing in the pitch black out of my canoe, catching monster bass! The jitterbug is a topwater lure, meaning that it floats as you reel it in. Cast it out, let it sit for a few seconds, then give it a steady reel in. you’ll quickly know what speed you need to reel it in as it wobbles and lightly splashes through the water. Cast this near lily pads and you’ll entice the big boys to come play. I go for the all black colored one for the night time and the white one with the red head during the daytime. As usual, I pinch the barbs on both treble hooks as soon as I get new ones. I find having the two hooks can be really annoying when they have barbs. 




4. Mepps Aglia

My Massachusetts Sportfishing Award largemouth bass was caught on one of these lures and I usually go for the spinners with red and white coloration. Fish tend to love anything gold, silver, red, yellow, black, or white. Mepps has all the options and this simple spinner comes in many sizes and options. Cast it in a pond, wait a few seconds to let it sink and reel it in. Cast upstream and reel it downstream. These come in hundreds of sizes and colors. Pick a few and try them to see what works best for you. 




5. Panther Martin

A small lure with a big personality. These little spinners are great in rivers and streams for trout and other species. I like a yellow or black body with either a gold or silver spinner. Cast upstream or to the opposite bank and give it a medium to fast retrieve. I use the tiny sizes on my hand lines and the bigger sizes work great on a rod. If I want to catch brook trout in a stream, this is my go-to lure.




6. Heddon Torpedo

Similar in use to the Jitterbug, this is a great topwater lure for bass. My Massachusetts Sportfishing Award crappie was caught on a torpedo. The color doesn't seem to matter too much. Just focus on what color is on the underside as that is what the fish see. I like a white bottom on mine. The propeller frequently needs to be bent back so it spins on the water evenly, but once you have it working, you’re gonna be catching fish all night!




Honorable Mentions


The Hook

Tie a hook to the end of your line with a worm, fish guts, a fish head, or anything meaty and yummy, and you’ll catch a fish. Attach a bobber to float the bait or sink it to the bottom! The basic fishing hook is most likely the oldest way to catch fish as it is simple, versatile, and extremely effective. Some fishermen only fish this way and never bother wasting their time or spending their money on lures. If you are practicing catch and release, I recommend pinching your barb and using a bigger sized hook so the fish don’t swallow it all the way. Sunfish have the bad habit of swallowing hooks and are very hard to take off and let live if that happens.




The Topwater Frog

Frogs open up a lot of possibilities for fishing in weedy environments with lots of lily pads during the summer. This lure usually has two top pointing hooks and sits on top of the water, allowing it to skitter across the lily pads and entice rising fish. I have a few of these and my favorite is the Lunkerhunt Pocket Frog.




I hope this list helps you get started fishing, or gives you something new to try. I always prefer to be minimal and prefer to use less of an array of lures, but rather use a few different types and learn to use them well. Each body of water seems to have a different “taste” on different days. So be sure to experiment with sizes, colors, retrieves, and always remember to have fun!


-Tim Swanson, Owl Eyes Wilderness Survival


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