Choosing the best saltwater fishing lures for your next fishing trip can be a daunting task. A walk through the local tackle shop or browsing the pages of available options on the web can be overwhelming. Does it really matter what type of saltwater fishing lures you use to attract your fish? It does matter, but the good news is that there is plenty of information available to you to help you to choose the right lures for saltwater fishing every time.

It is extremely difficult to say what is the very best lure for each fish, because so much depends on where and when you are fishing, what time of year and what time of day you are fishing, and, to a large degree, what your own personal preference is. There are so many lures available it is often pretty much a case of choosing based on a few common sense rules of thumb, old standby knowledge, budgetary considerations, and personal preference, but here are some of the standard types of lures that have withstood the test of time, and the species of fish for which they work the best.

The minnolure has been an often relied upon lure for over fifty years. This lure is particularly effective for trout both in chartreuse and the new trout blue color that is becoming quite popular with trout fishermen everywhere. This particular lure is available in a variety of colors such as different hues of orange and green and coffee colors, but the new trout blue and old standard chartreuse has proven to be superior in performance.

The sea shad electric chicken is a grub tail that has a swimming action. It has a color combination that catches lots of fish even when other lures fail. If you want to successfully fish cuts, oyster bars, and channel edges, just use it on a half ounce jig head, and you will be pleased with the results.

The pink and white speck grub is similar to a swimming grub, but it has a swimming tail on it. Often when fish have been heavily fished with a swimming grub, they learn to be weary of them, and if this is the case, the pink and white speck grub might be a good choice to substitute.

Smithwick Devil's Horse is another great lure. In black and yellow, it has propellers on each end, and makes a sound on the water's surface that really calls the fish to it. Trout generally seem to be curious about top water sound, and this lure closely mimics the sound of fish chasing bait, so they really react when they hear this lure.

If you are saltwater fishing, and bonefish is on your must catch list, it is good to know that more fishermen have caught bonefish on a Millies Bucktail than probably any other lure. You might also try weedless jigs like the backbone lure type of jigs, if you are fishing in areas where the water is foul. Just remember to keep your jig fairly close to the bottom, and jig slowly if you are in deeper water with mudding fish present.

If your goal is to catch mackerel, consider diamond shaped, gold or silver spoons in sizes ranging from a 1 to a 3 in order to effectively manage the bigger fish you are likely to encounter. If you are fishing the surface for King Mackrel, use a cedar plug.

If striped bass are your quarry, jigs, poppers, and lures that imitate bait fish seem to work well.