The Banjo Minnow: Not really a new lure, but a different way of rigging a soft plastic bait. The infomercial says that it makes the lure move more naturally.

I've watched videos of it, and it doesn't move any better than a lot of baits already on the market. Will it catch fish? Probably, at least sometimes. Is it better than baits already on the market? I doubt it. If you like them, use them.

The Flying Lure: A normal tube jig with a reversed weight on it. This causes the lure to swim AWAY from the casting point, keeping the line tight, and allowing it to 'swim' under undercuts and structure previously considered unreachable.

Invented by Alex Langer in the 1970s, this lure really did impact the market, and is still a good lure. Does it out fish others? Under some conditions, yes! Is it better than standard lures? No. It is a specialty lure that is one more tool for your tackle box.

I'd recommend having a few, but I don't use them all the time. They work best near heavy structure and undercuts.

The Bionic Minnow: A Banjo Minnow clone. There are other 'TV' , supposedly 'new' lures out there, but suffice to say they are mostly for catching fisherman.

Lure fall into a few basic catagories:

Surface Plugs- the industry standard is the Heddon Chugger, and Rapala Poppers. Others that are time-proven are the Jitterbug, Torpedo, Hula Popper, Lucky 13, Devils Horse, Rapala Floating Minnow, Rebel ultralite Critters, Crazy Crawler, and the Zara Spook. New offerings are just different color schemes of the same.

Subsurface Plugs-also known as crankbaits, these include classics like the

Big O, Shad-Rap, Hellbender, Lazy Ike, Little George and Little Suzy, Cotton

Cordell's Jointed Minnows, Bombers, and Yo Zuri Snap Beans. Again, new offerings are just new colors.

Soft Baits-these are jigs rigged with soft plastic bodies that imitate every aquatic creature in the planet, and some that only exist in nightmares!

They catch all predator species, in all waters, all the time, fresh or saltwater, inshore, offshore or along the shore.

There are many different ways to rig them, and they are the most versatile lures an angler can have. The industry standard is the still King of Lures, the Plastic Worm. This has probably accounted for more landed fish than any other bait ever used, including live bait. Other models imitate shad, crustaceans, minnows and other baitfish.

They are the top choice of most pro Tournament anglers. One of the top trout lures is the Trout Magnet, a soft inchworm-type bait that almost never fails if you find the right color combination for that particular time. This catagory also includes Tube Baits, which are phenominal. Also, the ultra-successful Sassy Shad family.

There is little new here. They already come in every size, color and shape imaginable. How can you improve on perfection? If I could only have one type of lure, this would be it, hands down!