Posted by MNAngler On August - 25 - 2012

Yesterday, I posted my first Avid Angler Challenge. It was a challenge that asked what 5 lures you would use if those were the only lures you could use for the rest of your life.

When forming the challenge, I tried to structure it so it would be a challenge to me as well. The tough part for me is that I like to target multiple species. Most of the time I go after bass, but I also like to fish for walleye and muskie. I rarely fish anything but an inland lake.

Here are my 5 lures in no particular order:

Zoom Super Fluke in Bubble Gum

It’s not secret to my regular readers that my favorite lure is a Zoom Super Fluke. It was a toss up whether I picked bubble gum or white pearl, my two favorite colors. I opted for bubble gum because that seems to attract more attention than white pearl. The best part of the super fluke is that I can catch multiple species with it. I’ve landed bass, walleye, and northern pike.

7″ Plastic Worm in Green… anything

I’ve become a believer in worms as of late. It seems like worms work in whatever body of water I fish. It’s also very versatile. I can fish it texas rigged, wacky rigged, or at the end of a lindy rig. Different lure companies call my favorite color different things: green watermelon, green pumpkin, or even crawfish orange swirl (which really worked well in a recent outing. They are all pretty much the same color, but if I had to pick one, I would probably go with green pumpkin.

Scum Frog in Chartreuse

When you’re a bass fisherman, nothing beats a strike on a topwater, so while I haven’t had a ton of success with topwater lures, I had to pick one. The best lure I’ve found is a scum frog. It can go almost anywhere and can elicit a strike on any type of water. Chartreuse seems to work the best.

Fathead minnow

I’m typically an artificial lure fisherman, but there’s no substitute for the real thing. I wasn’t convinced of that until recently when I’ve been fishing with my neighbors. Going minnow instead of worm keeps the pesky sunfish off my line. Leeches work well, too, but while walleye and bass munch on leeches, crappie don’t. The minnow would allow me to fish in the winter. And fatheads aren’t too big or too small for whichever species I’m after.

Bucktail with White Grub Trailer

Every so often, I get the bug to go muskie hunting. None of the above lures are good for muskie. Occasionally you can get a hit from a muskie with a minnow, but it’s rare. There are times when I want to hit big water for big fish. The bucktail is the most effective lure for them. Adding a white grub trailer adds extra action and we all know a little extra action can never be a bad thing.