Best Freshwater Fishing Lure ever

Ever wonder what fishing lure to buy? Or which fishing lure to use today? Well, after so much trial and error myself, I have found my "go-to" lure. So much so, that I am slowly... slowly emptying my entire tackle box of un-needed fishing lures. This lure is my one and only love!

If you are fishing for your typical large mouth bass and small mouth bass these lures have proven to be incredibly effective. They also attract a large number of other species which you may or may not be interested to catch. But as most anglers will agree, better to catch something than nothing. Virtually never get skunked with these lures!

HOLY CRAP! This lure is my best friend when I am out on the water. I'll use it all day long, every day from spring till fall. The J-5 is a very small jointed Rapala lure. This little jointed lure is connected in the belly section so when pulled though the water it creates a very life-like wiggle motion. Fish love eating other fish who are injured, which is exactly the action this lure gives. The J-5 is only 2 inches in length and weighing 1/8 oz. It is said to only dive down about 3-5 feet but I find it successful in most shallow water depths.

The J-5 Rapala comes in a range of colors with silver being the best suited for most waters and weather. The perch color and gold are excellent and it also comes in rainbow and brown trout colors as well. Rapala is always coming out with more colors so there are some that are not mentioned as I have not used them myself.

This lure is virtually the only lure you will need. Just get it in different colors and you are ready to take on almost any freshwater fish!

Average cost in a retail store $6-7

JSR 5, the big brother of my favorite Rapala J-5. J.S.R. stands for a Jointed Shad Rap. The 05 is my ideal size, coming in at 2 inches in length and a light weight at 1/4 oz. It claims to dive down to 6-13 feet depending on speed. With the same/similar color schemes as the J-5 it can be a highly effective choice when you're out in the deeper waters. Have no fear casting this thing into the shallow rocks though, it can work wonders!*

The "bill" in the front is perfectly designed to peck the bottom in a super realistic fashion. Trolling slowly out in the open seems to yield great results as well. But the most effective place for this bad boy, has been casting parallel to the shore. Maybe 5-10 feet out from the shore. This way your lure is right in the area where the fish normally hang ( drop-offs/ridges ) and since you are parallel to the shore, your lure stays in the strike zone longer. Also, keeping this lure 0-3 feet from the very bottom has yielded the very best results!

Though the lure is a little fatter, it is still jointed and has excellent action. You can reel it straight in with varying speeds or try reeling it in with a jerking motion. Either way you can't go wrong with this lure. I have tried larger versions and the JSR-7 works just as good and it dives down even deeper. It is very useful for the +15ft areas but I don't usually fish that deep. It is still a very effective lure, but I wouldn't go any bigger than the JSR-7.

Average price at a Retail store is about $7-8+

* BE AWARE of underwater structure! YOU WILL LOSE THESE LURES. Accept it, move one, and tie another one on! When casting into a rocky area, it is normally easy enough to get your lures back. Just keep on tugging and go backwards over the area your lure got snagged. When in a river you may need to let some slack go and let the current whisk it away for a second before you can reel it in.

Recently, I enjoyed a fishing trip to the locally famous Bennington Bog aka Powder Mill Pond here in Bennington, New Hampshire. We went upstream to where the water level had dropped considerably and some underwater structure was... not so underwater. We got a late start about 10am but we found this attractive fallen tree that was about 20 feet out from shore. It had 1 large, stubby branch that was protruding out of the water almost like a stump.

I decided to cast a few times in the area with not much luck on a plastic worm. So I switched to my classic silver J-5. With my first cast,I almost hit the branch. And using my classic technique of letting it land, sit for a second, then give it a few quick small jerks, then start the slow but steady retrieve. Creating the illusion of somehting falling out of the tree, getting stunned for a second from the fall, and then scrambling away in a normal fashion. Just as expected, a huge fish hit my lure. I set the hook and started to reel it in while yelling, " Grab the net bro !! "

After a great fight I ended up losing the fish about 2 feet from the canoe, due to my line snapping on my ultra light fishing rod. I was steaming with vengeance. I was not expecting that large of a fish on this lake. In fact, I was ill-prepared with that rod, having been set up for spring trout fishing. But luckily I had my backup with me, a medium rod setup with 6lb test monofilament line.

We set out to a different area about 100 feet away from where I snapped my line, that looked similar to a delta where lots of large trees had built up onto a shore. Similar structure to a beaver damn only much much larger. Unfortunately, I had lost my favorite silver colored J-5 Rapala, so I was forced to tie on my only other J-5 at the time. The gold. Well, long story short, I had 1 hell of a time catching a 5lb Large Mouth Bass on my medium rod. In a way, I got my revenge on this body of water that day. Thank goodness I had the gold with me that day!

All I can say is that I am so glad this lure has 2 treble hooks because though the hooks are small they really help when 2 or more hook your prey. Whether you are catching a 1lb fish or a 5lb fish, IT WORKS.

I have been fishing for over 2 decades and have used over 100 different lures over the years. I use to spend insane amounts money on any interesting lure I would see, or any new technological advancement in lures that claimed to blow away the competition. Haha, damn late night infomercials... all rubbish. Rapala will always be the best brand of fishing lures.

Living in Southern New Hampshire, USA, I must have over 100 lakes / ponds at my disposal. In 2011 I actually kept track of each place I went. Totalling an amazing 32 different places in 5 months. My brothers and I, tried to go every weekend, and we got lucky with great weather on most weekends. and you can bet your life that every single weekend, I tied on a Rapala J-5.