I am not a frequent bettor, but after a lifetime of fishing,I have discovered 4, yes four, fishing lures that I can take anywhere in the U.S. and Canada and catch any edible species of fish. Part of the wager would be that I must catch fish in order to eat.

This lure is a Must Have for any fisherman...bar none! It's the Black and Silver floating Rapala. Because of it's unrivaled swimming action and depth, it mimics the minnows that game fish or pan fish feed on, making it irresistible to most any fish, year around and even in ice fishing. Folks, fish the Rapala correctly, hard Not to do, and something will bite on any given day. The Rapala is available in every sporting goods store in many colors, sizes and configurations, but in my experience, and many others, the original Black and Silver balsa wood Rapala is as close to the perfect lure as you can get.

The next must have lure is the Plastic Worm, available in many sizes and colors. If I had to pick only one, it would be the black, 4" to 6" inch worm. Because of its soft texture and lifelike action, it attracts the largest range of fish. After all, what is the universal bait? Largemouth bass will murder this lure over nearly anything else out there.

Use a #4 to #6 snelled hook, embed the entire hook in the head, leaving the hook curve exposed. Use Only enough weight to keep it near the bottom. Retrieve with a slow reel action, and give the rod tip a pop now and then as an attention getter.

As the worm settles back to the bottom, it's natural action rivals the real thing. This is any easy but extremely lure for anyone of any skill level. You can even use spray on scents for catfish and other scent feeders.

The next lure is a small spinning lure, called the Colorado Spinner. You know, there are tons of spinner flavors available, but this small and inexpensive spinner excels in two ways. First, because of its simple design, a convex blade, silver or gold, spins rapidly even with a very slow retrieve. This is good when the fish are sluggish and don't want to work for their lunch. The brilliant flash is easily seen even in murky water,just like a minnow flash screaming come and get me.

Secondly, the rapid spinning seems to create vibrations that alert fish to it's location, signaling a possibly injured and easy meal. It's also a very versatile lure. You can skirt them for a more realistic swimming effect and/or add live bait to the hook, increasing the odds of matching or more closely imitating the local bait or forage critters.

Last but not least, there is the Jig. Nothing more than a lead head attached to a hook, this lure is simply "jigged" up and down near the bottom. Their versatility lies in the fact that they can be "dressed" with hundreds of combinations of colors and bodies and skirts. If I had to pick one style, it would be an 1/8th oz. jig with a white horse hair skirt. Very effective and easy to fish, the Jig belongs in every tackle box.

Entire books have been written on fishing lures and techniques, and I could go on forever. However, if you're tired of studying and reading up, these four lures Will Catch Fish. Try them and see for yourself. Happy fishing!

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