Smallie caught on Mepps Aglia

My 5 most versatile fishing lures

Some lures find their way into my tackle box no matter where I go or what I’m trying to catch. These lures tend to catch a bunch of different fish in an array of situations. They are great for the multi-species angler who is always fishing new spots. These lures are a few of my favorites that have always worked well. While not always the best option for a given situation, they will undoubtedly be valuable to have in the tackle box.

#1 The Dardevle  https://amzn.to/3SCax4J

Those who fish with me know I have always loved myself a good dardevle. What a classic. The dardevle spoon is super versatile and comes in a wide array of colors and sizes. I’m not sure there’s a fish out there you can’t catch on one of these.

The original red and white color has always been my favorite. The smaller sizes are great for brookies in streams, perch, and other small to medium size fish. These have a faster wobble, so current or slow retrieve will get them wobbling and spinning. A ⅖ oz was my go-to size for big brookies. One time I was fishing a set of falls on a river in northern Maine, three casts, three fish: 17″ brookie, 15″ landlocked salmon, and a 3.5lb smallie.

Big Brookie caught on Red and White Dardevle

Dardevles have a fast sink rate and cast like a rocket. The name-brand lures are of better quality than the knockoffs. The metal is thicker and has a more defined cup on the edges of the spoon, resulting in a better action in the “wobble” that makes a big difference.

#2 Mepps Aquila inline spinner https://amzn.to/4bCZUat

The Mepps Aquila inline spinner is another classic that many are familiar with. I may reach for a blue fox vibrax https://amzn.to/49AaZr5 or another model of the Mepps inline https://amzn.to/3I20PDY before these in certain situations, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a few that live in my box. I’ll use these for anything hanging out in shallow water. This includes, but isn’t limited to trout, salmon, bass, and pike.

I’ll use a blaze orange or firetiger blade in #5 for northerns up here in Alaska quite frequently. My brother Cole loves tying on a size 3 firetiger for smallies. I also knew quite a few people who loved these for brookies. They are super simple to use. Just cast out, reel it in, and set the hook on the ensuing bite.

The Mepps Aquila helped Cole outfish me on this rare occasion

#3 Mister Twister https://amzn.to/49btrqj

The Mister Twister is another simple and effective lure with many different sizes and color options. These are a great soft plastic lure to have in the box pretty much wherever you find yourself fishing. Usually fished on a jighead, although we also use them to tip our inline spinners for pike. Doing this creates a great action, best paired with an undressed Mepps Aquila.

These are the lure of choice for Arctic Grayling. I hear a lot about spinners and spoons for them, but the twister outfishes these in my opinion. They work great because they will work with a straight or jigged retrieve. My favorite colors are white, chartreuse, and black.

Greg Schneider caught this arctic grayling on his fly rod using a white Mister Twister, take that purists!
Darrin Porter with some mackerel

#4 Acme Kastmaster https://amzn.to/3SHJHYS

The Acme Kastmaster is another spoon to always have in the box. These have been around for a long time, an indicator of their effectiveness. I’ve used these in a lot of different situations and for a variety of reasons. Super simple in design and usage, anyone can fish one with success. These cast a LONG way, hence the name, and sink like a rock. I like to use them with a jigging action when fishing deeper structure.

They work great for trout, salmon, bass, and panfish. I’ve also used these to catch mackerel and pollock off piers and breakwaters on the Maine coast. My grandmother was once asked where I had been catching “all them mackerel.” She replied, “I think somewhere up near Ashland.” Thanks for keeping them off my trail gram.

I hear Ashland has since been flooded with mackerel fisherman after my gram let the cat out of the bag

#5 Bobber with a worm or soft plastic https://amzn.to/3SM2piq https://amzn.to/48hdLk5

Isn’t this what we all learned to fish with? Super overlooked yet still effective. It’s not a bad option for a variety of situations. Great for kids and beginners. It’s also great if you want to have a relaxing day at the lake and therefore opt for a more passive technique.

While a worm dangling under the float is very well known, Jacob Kinney first showed me the technique of tying on a small jig with a soft plastic under a float for panfish. This can be super effective. I remember an evening crappie fishing we filled a stringer full with 12-16″ers. If you try this technique, just be ready to fillet for a few hours. 

3 responses to “My 5 most versatile fishing lures”

  1. Kim Sawyer Avatar
    Kim Sawyer

    Great article!

  2. Crystal Sirois Avatar
    Crystal Sirois

    Love the fish. Your love of fishing has continued.

  3. Matt P. Avatar
    Matt P.

    Wow. That’s a cooler full of bluegills!