There are probably more fishin' lures in this world than there are people. There are lures that work and there are
lures that don't work.  I would venture to guess that 98% of all the lures out there don't catch much more than the
angler who paid his hard earned money for it.  I'm almost afraid to open the cabinets in my garage and shed to see
all the lures and stuff that I have accumulated over the past several years.  If it was shiny and promised to catch the
whopper of a lifetime I probably bought it.  I may have actually used it too.  But chances are that now it's more than
likely stuffed in one of the plastic compartments of one of my dozens of tackle boxes collecting dust with all of the
other new shiny objects of my affection.  

To tell you the truth there are probably less the 20 lures that I now use all the time and that includes lures used in
both freshwater and the ocean.  But, I still love to spend that six or seven dollars every now and then to get one of
those shiny new toys.  I hold it and caress it and then toss it into the back of my tackle box while I tie on an Assassin
or the Ol' Henry 2x4 to catch a few lunkers.  We're all guilty of it whether you like it or not.
Whether the lure was designed for freshwater use or saltwater it must do many things before it gets my seal of approval.

  • The lure must be constructed of quality materials. With most mass manufactured lures there's probably not a great deal you can tell
    about the body as far as what kind of plastics were used. Is the diving lip straight? Are the hooks brand quality? Are they sharp?  Is the paint
    solid? (no dings or chips) Your best bet when buying something mass produced is to stick with the proven names.
  • If handmade (and you pay for it) the craftsmanship must be exceptional; If it's something that your buddy threw together for you while
    in the garage then thats a different story. I found that the "Hand Crafted" lures in todays market demand a pretty hefty price and only a select
    few are actually worth the money.
  • Does the lure run straight? Okay, I know the veteran anglers out there are saying No lure ever runs straight right outta' the box!"  And
    your right. I have never fished a lure that I didn't have to tweak just a bit; Ah but wait, with the exception of one brand. What you say, a lure
    that runs straight right outta' the box. Thats impossible! Read on, I'll tell you soon which one it is.  Okay, when I say the lure should run
    straight I mean, after you tweak it just a bit, it should run true without rolling or dragging to one side.  If you can't get it to do this then take it
    back and demand a refund.
  • Does the lure do what it's supposed to do? Nope, I'm not talking about catching fish, not yet anyway. If the lure is a floater, does it float
    or does it slowly sink. Heck, it might even sink like a rock. If it's advertised to dive at depths between, oh say 4 to 8 feet then does it do that
    or does it drag the mud at the bottom of the river 30 feet deep?  Okay your right, a big part of this depends on how the angler is fishing the
    lure.  If it's supposed to dive to 8 feet and your twitching the thing on the surface like a mayfly then it just ain't going to happen.  To quote
    the words of my friend Tim Barefoot, "Fish that thing like it was meant to be fished!"
  • Is the lure affordable? I don't know about you but I work hard for my money and I don't have much of it.  I have a very hard time
    plunking down near 20 dollars for a lure that 'might" catch a fish.  Heck, I have even a harder time plunking down the 50 or 60 dollars for
    one of those fancy "Hand Crafted" lures. Don't get me wrong folks, there are some lures out there that are worth every penny and then some
    if you really want to catch fish.  If your rich and don't mind throwing money away then by all means buy whatever suits your fancy.  If your
    like the other million readers of this website and work for your money then spend wisely.  Besides you can always drop hints around your
    birthday or Christmas that you sure would like to have one of those fancy Ol' Henry 2x4s.  Let the wife or brother buy it for you.
  • Last but not least, does the thing catch fish? Okay, so your wife bought you one of the 2x4s for Christmas and you couldn't wait to try it
    out.  You take it out to the local pond and start tossing it at the trout that call it home.  Oops, my mistake ,the 2x4 ain't meant to be tossed,
    it's a trolling lure. Okay, so you troll for those trout. Problem is that the damn lure is probably bigger than most of the fish in the pond.  The
    point being, use the lure for the fish it was meant to catch.  If your going after trout toss out a Flatfish or Roostertail. The 2x4 is meant for
    monster Stripers.  Also, make sure there are actually fish in the area.  If you do everything your supposed to do and you dont give up on it,
    then it should catch fish, IF it's a good lure.  You gotta remember though, the Ol Henry is killing the Stripers out here in Lake Mead, where
    your at the fish might not want anything to do with it.

Okay, Ive rambled enough, on with my selection of the best I could find.  The lure menu is located at the right of the screen.
If you know of any you'd like to tell me about please email me and let me know.
Oh yeah, the lure that I never had to tweak, the Bettencourt Assassin.
This page is dedicated to the great fishing lures that I may have found, tried and truly believe in.  
Please remember, these recommendations are my personal opinions.
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I RECOMMEND
LURES & OTHER BAITS
Bettencourt Baits
The Reel Hunter