Whether you’re fishing inshore or offshore, you want to make sure you’re casting with the best saltwater fishing lures available. Rather than spending countless hours testing a variety of saltwater fishing baits and lures, we’ve gone ahead and taken care of the heavy lifting for you.
We polled our staff and reached out to some of the best fishing tackle experts in the game to create this list and you won’t be disappointed with the results. From jigs to the best topwater lures for saltwater fishing, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more in-depth list of top fishing lures.
No doubt about it, one of these lures will work for your favorite type of saltwater fishing.
Top Saltwater Lures
Bucktail Jigs
No matter where you are and what type of water you are fishing, a good old-fashioned bucktail jig is hard to beat. Anglers can fish these using a variety of retrieves in both shallow and deep water. The simplicity of the design gives anglers a wide range of versatility when it comes to fishing with them. Bucktail options include Upperman, Spro, VMC, Berkley, Mustad, and S&S. Check out Cabela’s section
Crank Baits
A popular artificial that came from the bass fishing world, lipless crank baits quickly found a home in saltwater fishing. Small beads on the inside of these hard baits rattle to attract, and their action screams “easy meal.” They are simple to work and are especially deadly in off-color water. Crankbait options include Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap, 13 Fishing, Berkley, Rapala, LiveTarget, and Savage Gear. Check out Cabela’s selection
Vertical Jigs
Predators all over the world, in all depths, find flutter jigs, vertical jigs, speed jigs, slow jigs and other types of metal jigs irresistible. Designed to be fished with a vertical erratic action, they are effective both on the fall and the retrieve. The distinctive action, and versatility, makes this an essential in any tackle box. Metal jig options include Shimano, Williamson, Mustad, and Hogy. Check out Cabela’s section
Hammered Spoon
As effective as traditional casting spoons may be, the Hammered Spoon lures are designed to run relatively shallow. Jigging spoons on the other hand offer the same enticement, and all the effectiveness and attributes of a spoon in deeper water. Classics include Hopkins and Acme. Check out Bass Pro’s selection
Lipped Plugs
Sometimes lures that swim erratically draw the most strikes, while other times, a steady swimming action is more appealing to predators. Lipped plugs do both when diving underwater. By altering the retrieve, lipped plugs can be twitched to look like a wounded baitfish, or like forage trying to get away. Options include Rapala X-Rap, Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow, Bomber A-Salt, Berkley Flicker Shad and Mann’s Stretch 15. Shop more options at Bass Pro Shop
Topwater Poppers
When you need to raise a ruckus to draw fish up, a surface popper is often the best bet. Most predators prefer prey that’s easily captured. When retrieved erratically, the sound of a topwater popper draws attention and looks like an easy meal, something game fish can’t ignore. Options include Rebel Magnum, Rapala X-Rap Magnum Xplode, Yo-Zuri Sashimi Bull, and Bomber Chug-A-Lug. Check out a set of Yo-Zuri Lures at Bass Pro Shop
Sinking Twitch Baits
When your target species doesn’t want to feed on the surface, slow sinking twitch baits can be the ticket to success. With a slight twitch of the rod, these lures dart from left to right on the retrieve to mimic injured baitfish, an easy mark for hungry fish. Twitchbait options include Paul Brown, Yo-Zuri, Savage Gear, LiveTarget, and MirrOlure 52 M. Shop more twitch bait options at Cabela’s
Soft Plastics
This large family of artificial lures, in nearly endless configurations, mimics every forage fish or crustacean in the ocean. They can be rigged weedless or with lead heads, as shrimp, eels, finfish, worms, grubs or simple attractors, for unmatched versatility. Options include Z-Man Diezel Minnowz, D.O.A. C.A.L. Shad Tail, Bass Assassin’s Saltwater Shad Assassin, Sassy Shad, Slug-Go, Berkley Gulp! and Hogy Soft Baits. Check out more soft bait options out at Cabela’s
Spoons
Predatory fish often have to react quickly to catch their food. Flash, one element that can entice a reaction strike, is why spoons in a variety of colors and styles are so effective. Most spoons cast long distances, which makes them a great prospecting lure for unfamiliar water. Spoon options include Krocodile, Dardevle, Johnson, and Bomber. Shop more spoon lures at Cabela’s
Top Water Jerk Baits
There’s nothing better than working a jerk bait on the surface of the water with a walk-the-dog action and having a big, aggressive fish explode on it. Top water jerk baits are tailor-made for this type of retrieve. It might take a little bit of practice to get just right but when you do — get ready for some heart stopping eats. Options include Heddon Zara Spook, Yo-Zuri Sashimi Pencil, Bomber Walkie Talkie High Pitch and Larry Dahlberg Series. Shop more top water lures at Bass Pro Shop
Bonus Saltwater Lure Picks
Clarkspoons
Reader Pick: Clarkspoons catch many species including Spanish mackerel, redfish, dolphin, bonito, blackfin tuna and even Cobia. Work them inshore in the marsh, at the barrier islands in the Gulf and offshore too. Clark Spoons are productive whether jigging, casting or trolling. Few more options to choose from at Cabela’s
Artificial Shrimp Lures
Just about everything eats a live shrimp, so it’s no surprise that shrimp imitators are popular for inshore anglers. Artificial shrimp lures come in a variety of designs and shapes. Popular ways to rig your fake shrimp are threaded to a jighead (hook exposed) or on a weighted worm hook (rigged weedless). Some shrimp lures come pre-rigged straight out of the package. One popular area to cast shrimp lures are on shallow-water grass flats. Options for shrimp lures include Z-Man Fishing, D.O.A. Lures, Savage Gear, Berkley Gulp!, Tsunami, Egret Baits, and LiveTarget. Check out Cabela’s fake shrimp lure options
