When it comes to hooking your target fish, selecting the correct lure bait is key. Fish species have different feeding habits and preferences. Selecting the right presentation will greatly improve your chances of landing a prize catch. When selecting a bait, the first decision to make is whether to use natural or artificial bait. Most fish prefer natural bait. However, artificial bait and lures can be very effective for catching most fish species. The following chart provides a list of the most common natural baits and artificial lures. To explore bait recommendations for individual game fish species visit our freshwater game fish and saltwater game fish guides.

Lure / Bait	Example	Fishing technique	Target species
Crankbait		Casting, Trolling	Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, White bass, Striped bass, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Trout, Walleye, Perch, Crappie, Panfish
Plugs		Casting, Trolling	Bass, Pike, Muskellunge, Snook, Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Tarpon, King Mackerel, Grouper, Tuna, Mahia Mahi, Wahoo
Jerkbaits		Casting, Trolling	Bass, Pike, Muskellunge, Snook, Redfish, Spotted Seatrout, Tarpon, King Mackerel, Grouper, Tuna, Mahia Mahi, Wahoo
Jigs		Casting, Vertical fishing, Ice fishing	Bass, Trout, Walleye, Muskellunge, Pike, Kokanee Salmon, Perch, Crappie, Bluegill, Panfish, Snapper, Grouper, Amberjack, Tuna, Cobia, Mackerel
Spinnerbaits		Casting	Bass, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Perch, Trout
Inline spinners		Casting, Trolling	Trout, Salmon, Bass, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Walleye, Salmon, Crappie, Bream, Sunfish, Panfish
Topwaters		Casting	Trout, Northern Pike, Pickerel, Muskellunge, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Striped bass, Spotted Seatrout, Snook, Refish, Bluefish, Bonefish, Barracuda
Soft plastics		Casting, Finesse techniques, Ultra light fishing, Trolling	Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Striped bass, Hybrid bass, White bass, Trout, Perch, Bluegill, Crappie, Panfish
Spoons		Casting, Trolling, Ice fishing	Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Walleye, Salmon, Trout, Mackerel, Kingfish, Blackfin Tuna, Wahoo, Mahi Mahi
Swimbaits		Casting, Trolling, Vertical fishing, Ice fishing	Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Spotted bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Trout, Crappie, Panfish
Blade baits		Casting, Vertical fishing, Trolling, Ice fishing	Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Spotted bass, Walleye, Sauger, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Yellow Perch, Crappie, Panfish, Trout, Stripers
Chatterbait		Casting	Largemouth bass, Northern Pike, Muskellunge
Trolling lures		Trolling	Lake trout, Bass, Salmon, Walleye, Muskellunge, Tuna, Snapper, Mahi Mahi, Mackerel, Sailfish, Blue marlin, Billfish, Kingfish, Wahoo, Barracuda
Flies		Fly fishing, Casting, Finesse fishing, Trolling, Ultra light fishing	Trout, Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Steelhead, Salmon, Northern Pike, Panfish, Carp, Redfish, Snook, Tarpon, Bonefish, Striped bass, Marlin, Wahoo, Sailfish, Wahoo, Tuna
Bread and Dough Balls		Bait casting, Bottom fishing, Still fishing	Chub, Carp, Catfish, Suckers, Sunfish, Bluegill, Crappie, Panfish (freshwater and saltwater), Scavenger fish
Clams and Mussels		Bait casting, Bottom fishing, Surf casting, Chumming, Drift fishing	Flounder, Sea trout, Blackfish, Striped bass, Porgy, Whiting, Rock fish, Perch, Bass, Stripers, Catfish, various saltwater and freshwater species
Crabs		Bait casting, Bottom fishing, Surf casting	Redfish, Snook, Cobia, Pompano, Black drum, Rays, Shark, Tautog, Corbina, Grouper, Croaker, Flounder, Sea bass, and more.
Crayfish		Baitcasting, Bottom fishing, Bottom bouncing, Fly fishing	Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Catfish, Trout, Salmon, Herring, Perch, Walleye, Carp
Cured Fish Roe		Baitcasting, Bottom fishing, Fly fishing	Salmon, Steelhead, Trout, Sturgeon
Cut Bait		Baitcasting, Bottom fishing, Jigging, Trolling	Carp, Freshwater drum, Perch, Bluegill, Herring, Trevally, Various freshwater and saltwater fish species
Eel Bait		Baitcasting, Surf casting, Trolling	Cobia, Chinook, Salmon, Steelhead, Striped bass, Sharks, Grouper, Barracuda
Grubs and Meal Worms		Jigging, Bottom fishing, Casting, Still fishing	Bass, Perch, Walleye, Bluegill, Crappie, Sunfish, Panfish, Trout, various saltwater fish species
Insects		Jigging, Bottom fishin, Casting, Still fishing	Bass, Perch, Walleye, Bluegill, Crappie, Sunfish, Panfish, Trout, various saltwater fish species
Leeches		Casting, Bottom fishing, trolling	Walleye, Smallmouth bass, Pike, Trout, Panfish
Live Saltwater Fishing Bait		Jigging, Baitcasting, Trolling, Bottom fishing, Surf casting	Most saltwater game fish species
Minnows		Baitcasting, Bottom fishing, Drift fishing, Trolling	Bass, Crappie, Chain pickerel, Trout, Perch, Bluegill, Pike, Catfish
Shrimp		Drifting, Bottom fishing, Trolling, Still fishing, Baitcasting	Seabass, Sea bream, Redfish, Wahoo, Cobia, Speckled seatrout, Snook, Flounder, Catfish, Bullheads, Bass, Walleye, Crappie, Perch, Bluegill, Anywhere shrimp are natural food source
Squid		Jigging, Baitcasting, Bottom fishing, Drift fishing	Sharks, Mackerel, Kingfish, Tuna, Little tuny, Grouper, Snapper, Bass and various other saltwater game fish. Freshwater: Catfish, Bullheads, Bass, Panfihs, Salmon, Trout, Pike
Worms		Baitcasting, Still fishing, Drift fishing, Bottom fishing	Bass, Trout, Crappie, Bluegill, Perch, Panfish, Catfish, Carp, and various saltwater species. Most fish will take a worm.

Crankbaits

A crankbait is hard-bodied casting lure that mimics a baitfish. It is used to target predatory game fish species, such as bass or pike, that feed on smaller baitfish.

The crankbait has a bill/lip at the head end of the lure. The size and angle of the lip, as well as the buoyancy of the lure, determine its diving depth. A crankbait can be fished at depths of two to 30 feet.

The body of a crankbait can be either wide or narrow. A wide body crankbait produces a wide wobble as it is retrieved. A narrow crankbait produces a tighter wobble. On its underside a crankbait is fitted with two or three sets of treble hooks.

The following table includes the six types of crankbait lures.

Plugs

A plug is a hard-bodied casting and trolling lure similar to a crankbait. Plugs are typically shorter, deeper-bodied lures designed to imitate baitfish, frogs and other prey. They typically have a bill/lip at the line end of the lure. Plugs are often referred to as wobblers.

Plugs can be fished shallow or deep. The depth a plug is fished is determined by several factors including lure bouyancy, lip angle and size, and retrieval rate. Plugs can be fished from the water’s surface to depths of over 30 feet.

Plugs have a variety of designs and functions. A traditional plug floats at the surface or suspends in the water, but will dive under the water and wobble side-to-side as it is retrieved. The movement of the plug resembles that of a baitfish.

Plugs come in various sizes for targeting different game fish. They range in size from 1 inch for small fish to over 8 inches for larger fish. 2-3 inches is the most common plug size.

The following table shows the four most common plugs for freshwater and saltwater fishing.

Jerkbaits

Jerkbait are similar in design to a crankbait or plug. They are minnow-shaped lures that mimic baitfish. However, where crankbaits are shorter and fatter, jerkbaits tend be slender and longer. Additionally, crankbaits have two treble hooks where most jerkbait have three treble hooks.

Jerkbaits have smaller bills when compared to the longer, wider bill of crankbait. Given the smaller bill size, jerkbaits don’t dive as deep as some crankbaits. The bill of a jerkbait may be square, diamond-shape, or rounded. As with crankbaits, some jerkbait are lipless.

There are three basic types of jerkbaits. These are outlined in the following chart.

Jigs

A jig is a weighted fish lure composed of a single hook attached to a metal or lead sinker, referred to as a jighead. A jig is often fitted with a decorative plastic skirt, encased in a soft plastic lure, or ammended with feather-like attractors. It is one of the simplest, yet effective, fishing lures and used by anglers to catch a wide variety of freshwater and saltwater game fish.

As opposed to other lures such as swimbaits, plugs, spoons and spinnerbaits that move more or less horizontally through the water, a jig is worked up and down vertically through the water column. The vertical jerky motion of the jig is what attracts fish. Jigs are worked up and down using rapid lifting motions with the fishing rod.

The jighead comes in many different shapes and colors. It is typically round, but can also be cone-shaped, cylindrical, fish-head shaped, or resemble a spoon or spinnerbait. Jigheads are most prominent on large jigs and typically used with soft plastics.

The following table lists seven of the most popular types and shapes of fishing jigs.

Spinnerbaits

A spinnerbait is a lead head molded onto a hook (similar to a jighead) attached to an “L” shaped wire are that holds up to 4 blades. As the spinnerbait is retrieved through the water the medal blade or blades spin around the wire arm or on a swivel attached to the wire.

In calm, clear water, a spinnerbait can attract game fish from a considerable distance. The spinnerbait is most commonly used to catch large predatory freshwater fish such as bass, pike, and muskie. Smaller spinnerbaits can also be used to target smaller game fish such as perch.

The blade is the key feature of the spinnerbait. As the medal blades spin they create vibration, noise and flash that attracts predatory fish such as bass, pike, walleye, and trout. There are four types of blades used for spinnerbait. These include willow leaf, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Indiana.

There are several types of spinnerbait lures. The most popular are listed in the following table.

Inline spinner

The inline spinner is a type of spinnerbait where the spinner blade is attached directly below the eyehole to the body of the lure. As the inline spinner is retrieved through the water both the blade and body of the lure spin to create a vibration and flash that attract predatory game fish.

Inline spinners are used to catch a variety of game fish including bass, walleye, salmon, crappie, and muskies, but they are particularly effective for catching trout. The flash created by the spinning blade of the inline spinner mimics the shinny minnow that trout feed on in lakes and rivers.

Topwaters

A topwater lure, often referred to as a walker, includes any number of lures that are fished on the water’s surface. Most topwater lures by nature of their design are bouyant and float on the water’s surface. Non-floating topwater lures are not bouyant, but climb to the water’s surface upon retrieval.

Topwater lures are designed to mimic baitfish and other prey items including insects, frogs, mice, or even snakes. Topwaters can be designed to mimic just about any surface dwelling prey of a target game fish species. While designs vary, almost all topwater lures exhibit a “walking” action as they move along the surface. The more life like the action, the more effective the lure.

Topwater lures will catch a large variety of freshwater and saltwater game fish species including everything from Largemouth bass to Muskies to Spotted Seatrout. Topwater lures are particularly effective for catcing bass during the late fall and early spring during spawning season.

The following chart shows the nine topwater lures most commonly used by anglers.

Soft plastics

Soft plastic bait, also known as soft plastic lures, rubber worms, or simply soft plastics, refers a variety of flexible, life-like lures made of elastomer-based soft plastic. Soft plastics are available in a rainbow colors, sizes, and shapes. Soft plastics can be used with various hook sizes, fishing rigs and fishing techniques.

Soft plastics are designed to mimic baitfish, crawdads, frogs, worms and other common prey items. Given their versatility, life-like appearance, and low cost, soft plastic baits are one of the most popular artificial fishing lures used by anglers. Soft plastic bait is often fished with a jighead or as part of a more complex fishing rig (e.g. Texas rig and Carolina rig).

The most common presentation of soft plastic bait is a simple lure, using a jighead. The hook end of the jighead is threaded through the soft plastic bait leaving only the gape of the hook and eye exposed. Techniques for fishing soft plastics range from cast and retrieve to trolling.

The thirteen soft plastic baits listed in the following table can be used for fishing most species predatory freshwater fish as well as a large variety of saltwater fish.

Spoons

A fishing spoon is a lustrous concave oblong metal lure shaped like a spoon. As it is retrieved through the water it produces a specular reflection and wobble that attracts predatory fish such as bass, pike, walleye, and billfish (e.g. marlin, swordfish, etc.) From afar, the reflection a spoon lure produces resembles the sparkling scales of a swimming or injured bait fish.

There are several types of fishing spoons. The most popular are listed in the following chart.

The most common technique for fishing a spoon is to cast the spoon beyond the point where a target fish is located and retrieve the lure through the strike zone.

Swimbaits

Swimbaits are lures designed to mimic baitfish and prey swimming underwater. There are two general categories of swimbaits: hard body and soft body.

Hard-body swimbaits are made of plastic or wood. These baits mimic types of baitfish that predatory fish such as bass, pike, and trout feed on. When retrieved through the water these baits produce a life like swimming action that attracts game fish and provokes a bit. Hard body swimbait can have a single joint or multiple joints.

Single joint hard-body swimbaits produce a serpentine action in the water. Multi-joint hard-body swimbaits produce a more natural, life like swimming action. Multi-joint swimbaits can have between 2 and 6 hinged joints. These lures are ideal for fishing flats, points and humps. They are typically rigged with treble hooks and do not do well in areas with lots of vegetation where they’ll likely snag.

Soft-body swimbaits are made of soft plastic or rubber. Soft-body swimbaits are also designed to closely mimic baitfish and other prey. Soft-body baits exhibit a more natural feel in the mouth of a game fish. These lures are designed to be cast out and retrieved slowly.

There are several types of soft-body swimbaits. These include paddle tails, line through, and top hook. Paddle tails can have either a solid or hollow body. They’re great for fishing in the weeds. Line through swimbaits allow the fishing line to run body of the bait. Line through baits are typically large and designed to target larger game fish. Top hook swimbaits use a jig style hook, are large, and utilize a wedge style tail designed for cold water fishing.

Swimbaits are most commonly used to target fish over 10 pounds, such as bass or larger fish. The most common size swimbait used by anglers is between 6″-12″.

Blade baits

A blade bait is a flat metal spoon (or “blade”) with a weighted nose. It has two sets of treble hooks, one at each end. It is similar in appearance to a crankbait but narrower. As the bait is retrieved through the water, or lifted through the water column, it produces a vibration that attracts predatory game fish.

Blade baits are a common “go to” lure for anglers during the fall and winter when water temperatures cool. They’ll catch fish late in the year when other lures won’t. The best techniques for fishing blade baits are a (1) traditional cast and retrieve and (2) lift and drop. The lift and drop technique is simply lifting and dropping the blade bait through the water column.

Chatterbait

Also known as a vibrating or bladed jig, the Chatterbait has a unique design that looks a lot like a skirted jig with a small square piece of metal with trimmed corners attached to the eye. A chatterbait produces the flash of a spinnerbait and vibration of crankbait to attract a variety of predatory fish such as bass, pike, and muskies. It’s also a weedless lure that doesn’t snag easily. Its ideal for fishing heavy cover where bass, pike and muskies like to hide.

Chatterbait can be used in both shallow and deep water. This lure tends be most effective during fall and late winter, into early spring, with spring being the best time of year to fish a chatterbait. However, a chatterbait can successfully be fished year round with the right technique.

Some anglers will remove the traditional jig skirt and trailer from the chatterbait and retrofit the lure with a soft plastic bait. This is often a preferred presentation when targeting schooling fish or bottom fishing.

Trolling lures

Trolling lures are designed to mimic an injured or fast moving baitfish. Trolling lures may include surface lures, spoons, plugs, soft plastic baits, or spinnerbaits that are trolled behind a moving boat. There are also a number of specialized trolling lures used for targeting billfish and other saltwater fish species.

Trolling lures are typically attached to the main or leader line using an improved clinch knot or metal device called a “snap”.

Flies

A fly, or fly lure, is used primarily for fly fishing, although a fly may also be used for other types of angling. Flies are designed to mimic prey that are the natural food source for select species of game fish. Flies are created via “fly tying” which involves strategically arranging and attaching feathers, furs, thread and other material to a fish hook to create a pattern.

Flys can be designed to imitate a large variety of aquatic and terrestrial prey, including insects, worms, fly hatches, nymphs, crustacieans, baitfish, amphibians, small mammals and even birds. There are many thousands of fly patterns used for both freshwater and saltwater fishing.

There are two general categories of flies: imitations and attractors. Within these two categories are several subcategories of flies including dry flies, nymphs, streamers, eggs, and scuds. Imitation flies are designed to imitate the natural prey of a game fish. On the other hand attractors are design using bright colors and patterns to arrose an aggression response from a game fish.

The six most common flies for fishing trout, salmon, bass and saltwater fish are listed in the following table.