What’s not to love about surf fishing? Whether you’re fishing the Pacific or the Atlantic, it’s a sport that all types of anglers can enjoy.
The best part? You don’t have to bring a bottomless tackle box with your surf fishing gear to attract fish!
Aside from this, you have endless styles of surf fishing lures to choose from. So, if you’re looking for a decoy that will help you attract fish effectively, you’ve come to the right place!
This list contains some of the fishing decoys that expert anglers recommend. If you want to know about proven lures, keep reading!
We’re also sharing some surf fishing tips to help you improve!
Listen to more fishing tips on the Cast & Spear Podcast
4 Surf Fishing Lures that Work
Surf anglers who enjoy fishing know the importance of using the best and effective artificial lures to catch your desired fish species. Whether it’s trout, bass, or salmon, these lures are highly effective and will capture your target in no time!
That said, here are four lures for surf fishing that you can choose from, ones that land you big fish!
- Best Saltwater Lure for Any Type of Fish-Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110
- Best Lure for Long Casts-SP Minnow
- Best Multipurpose Lure-Deadly Dick
- Best Lure for the Big Game Fish-Kastmaster XL
1. Lucky Craft Flash Minnow 110
Best Saltwater Lure for Any Type of Fish
Key Features
- Suspending bait that dives 1-2′
- Ideal for catching Calico, Barracuda, and Halibut
- Best used for in-shore fishing
- It comes with anti-rust hooks
The Flash Minnow 110 is a suspending jerk bait with a large minnow profile. What’s good about this lure is that it caters to the type of fish you’re looking for. Not only is it useful for smaller species, but it works on bigger fish, too!
If you’re looking for action, reel in quickly to give the baitfish appearance. You can also keep it just above the bottom in shallow surf or bays with a steady retrieve.
Aside from these, the Flash Minnow 110 also features saltwater grade tin hooks, which are stronger and anti-rust. Additionally, this is the bait you need if you want to target bigger fish or other species.
It also comes in various colors, which means you can try out some new colors every trip! With its variety, you can see what works best for your fishing situation.
2. SP Minnow
Best Lure for Long Casts
Key Features
- Long cast lures can use up to 3 feet
- It comes in color’ yellow pearl’ for high visibility
- Designed with a weight transfer system for longer casts
If you’re looking to put on a show with your knots, Daiwa Salt Pro Minnow is the perfect partner for the job. The SP Minnow is designed to produce an erratic side-to-side swim action that’ll lure in the predator’s attention. It’s an artificial lure made with plastic that you can use.
The SP minnow comes with a realistic scale pattern and 3-D eyes that will help you catch fish more easily. In addition, it comes with a heavy-duty saltwater hook, the perfect hook for catching saltwater fish!
Another good thing about the SP Minnow is its weight transfer system that allows you to make longer casts. Because of these features, it’s a popular choice for many anglers.
3. Deadly Dick
Best Multipurpose Lure
Key Features
- Ultralight, durable, and super versatile! This reel is the perfect partner for your next fishing trip, whether it’s in freshwater or saltwater.
- Ideal for fishing bass, bluefish, albacore, and more
- It comes in the color blue prism, perfect for fishing in dark waters
Deadly Dick fishing lures are designed to catch the fish of your dreams. This versatile lure is excellent for surf fishing, mooching, and even drift fishing.
Aside from catching fish like cod, barracuda, and walleye, the Deadly Dick can also help you catch surface-feeding fish like tuna and Spanish mackerel.
Because of its blue color, it’s a great contrast for visibility on dark water, allowing you to catch more fish. Aside from this, it’s also lightweight at 1 ounce, making it an ideal option for most anglers!
4. Kastmaster XL
Best Lure for the Big Game Fish
Key Features
- Made with stainless steel for long-lasting use
- Best for fishing Yellowtail, Rockfish, Kokanee, and Tuna
- Has a slender body for mimicking live baitfish
- A jig is a trolling tool that is used in casting; when you want to make your bait look like a fish is biting it
These light-tackle fishing lures are perfect for novice and expert anglers of all experience levels. It’s a four-size and four-color bait that allows you to target any saltwater gamefish.
Its prismatic colors will keep your bait visible in the water, while its various sizes help you entice fish like striped bass.
Additionally, its trait is a unique shape and swimming action, creating a deadly pattern when fishing aggressive game fish.
Besides this, this saltwater fishing lure is also effective for targeting smaller baitfish, including sand lance and candlefish.
Surf Fishing Lure Types
While any surf lures can certainly produce fish in the surf, some features make some lures better than others. With this, you should know the two main elements to consider when purchasing artificial bait: wind and waves.
Because of these, anglers opt for heavier and lower-profile lures, the better choices for most surf fishing situations. Moreover, it’s a tough lure, and casting through a stiff breeze will let you get your bait out to where the fish are.
With this in mind, here are the types of surf fishing lures you should look out for on your next surf fishing trip!
Jigs
Available lures like jigs help you catch just about every fish on the trip.
These jigs are designed with a little extra weight near the eye so you can cast further and get the lure to work for you.
These lures are also very versatile and can be used to cover an entire water column. If conditions or forage size change, surf fishers can switch out their jig without much effort.
Avid anglers who use jigs have a couple of different choices, like a diamond jig or a bucktail jig. Most anglers purchase jig heads and soft plastic bodies separately, while some combine to make one fantastic rod tip!
Plugs
Plugs are hard-bodied artificial surf fishing lures that originate from wood. However, most modern plugs are manufactured from plastic. These artificial baits are designed to hover or sink slowly or fast, depending on their structure.
Some plugs have a lip on them, so they stay below the surface. Just watch the top feeder line, and you’ll see it disappear as soon as it gets to the bottom of the plug.
Aside from these, plugs also flash, vibrate, and act erratically, mimicking wounded baitfish.
Spoons and Metals
A metal lure with a long, slender body works well at casting distance. Due to this, spoons and metals are the best lures for surf fishing because they’re slim and dense.
Surf fishing spoon lures are available in a wide range of sizes and weights so they match your chosen forage and conditions. They also have many colors and finishes, but most anglers opt for silver or chrome. Gold can also be effective, especially in low light conditions and stained water.
Listen to more fishing tips on the Cast & Spear Podcast
What are the Best Surf Fishing Lures?
While there are many saltwater lures to choose from, the best one still depends on your fishing situation. Whether you’ve found your favorite surf fishing lures or are looking for a new one, this article has got you covered!
Besides these, experienced anglers also surf fishing tackle, live shrimp, and other live bait work, even as the best saltwater lures.
If you haven’t found the one you like, you can also check out other items from your trusted fishing brand, like Gulp Alive!
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