Saltwater Sea Fishing Lures & Jigs

Saltwater Fishing Lures

Choosing the right lures for saltwater can be daunting for newcomers to the sport. Here at Rok Max we pride ourselves on having a range of lures that will deal with most situations and species you will encounter worldwide.

Main families of lures that we sell

• Popping lures - a better name for these would be surface disturbance lures. They are designed to cast good distances and be retrieved in a series of sharp pulls that creates a commotion in the surface. At rest they float and when you work them the cup on the front of the lure sends spray across the surface coupled with the distinctive ‘popping’ sound. 
• Stickbait luress- These are a more subtle lure, they are designed to fish a range of depths from subsurface to several metres down depending on how they are weighted. Sometimes it pays to use a popper to find the fish then switch to a stickbait to catch the fish.    
• Jigging lures and Jig Heads - Jigs are most often used from a boat to fish at depth for fish deeper in the water column. Ideally you will be drifting and you will be using a jig that is heavy enough to stay under the rod tip to combat tide and wind - this generally give the best results. There are also small jigs that are designed to be cast from the shore, these are proving popular with bass anglers.
• Diving Lures - will have a lip or bib angled so that water pressure forces them to dive when they are retrieved or trolled. They can either float or sink at rest and generally they will have a depth they can dive to on the packet. If you are going to troll them it pays to think about how they will be rigged to achieve the desired depth.
• Softbait lures- There are a huge variety of softbaits available, this family of lures is probably the most diverse in terms of what they can do. Some come with integral jig head and can be either cast or jigged, others are designed to be fixed on to a separate jig head. Beware of mixing softbaits from different manufacturers in the same box – they may react with each other and become a horrible mess!

Here are a few of the questions we are regularly asked by our customers:

What colour lures should I choose? 

Always a tough one to answer! If you have a large collection of lures already then add different and opposing colours to those you already have. If you are just taking a few lures with you on a trip I think it’s better to have a selection of lures that do different things rather than the same lure in multiple colours.

What weight should the lures be? 

If you are going to be casting lures make sure they are within the rating the rod has been designed to cast. Most spinning rods will have this marked on the blank close to the handle. If the lures are too heavy they might over stress the rod and cause a breakage – if they are too light the rod won’t flex enough to cast the required distance.

How do I attach a leader to my lure? 

This depends on the type and size of the lure. For small lures for bass I prefer to tie a small snap link clip on to the end of the leader. You can then easily change lures and the clip allows the lure to move freely for the best action. 

For larger lures I fix a split rig to the front of the lure then attach a swivel to tie the leader on to. If you are using a wire trace then you will attach lures using the clip at the end of the wire trace.

We are always happy to recommend a selection of lures that have worked for our customers and staff, so if you are unsure what you will need for your trip we can help. On species fishing tackle guide pages you will see recommendations for appropriate lures for the fish you will be targeting.