The spoon
Although the spoon may seem like a simple technique to tackle, it is full of subtleties. This lure can be used to fish all species of freshwater predators, from trout to pike, and even catfish.
There are many different spoons available, but the spinning spoon is definitely the ideal one to start with. It works very well in small sizes in rivers and lakes for trout and perch. Larger sizes are more suited to target pike, where heavy weights allow you to fish deeper water layers. It is a very effective lure in most of the conditions you will encounter on the water.
The spoon will allow you to learn the interest of a retrieve speed adapted to the activity of the fish according to the seasons. In the river, you will learn how to manage a drift in order to get to the places where the fish are on the lookout.
The soft lure
If there is one lure that can fish everywhere and on all types of fish, it is the soft lure. It is the Swiss Army knife of lures, it can be used in rivers as well as in lakes, in shallow depths and on very deep spots. Of course, the size and weight must be adapted to the environment you are fishing.
The soft lure will allow you to learn both fast prospecting techniques as well as slow fishing to scratch. All predators love soft lures, and, as an advantage for the fisherman, their price is much lower than a hard lure.
A shad for example, a soft lure with a vibrating caudal, is animated by the simple fact of bringing it towards you. It will therefore be effective even if you don't know exactly what to do. Varying retrieve speeds will allow you to move it through different layers of water to find the fish.
Hard lures
Hard lures are, without a doubt, more difficult to handle correctly when you are a beginner. Some of them require a minimum of knowledge in effective animations depending on the type of lure. There are many different varieties of hard lures, animating differently to target certain fish.
The easiest to handle are also among the most effective, especially those of the jerkbait minnows family. They are at ease for trout in currents as well as for pike in water. The main variation is the size, which is adapted to the targeted fish.
Jerkbaits can be reeled in line with or without breaks. They can also be jerked, which is a simple scioning action that causes the lure to move out of position and imitate a wounded fish. With this lure, you'll quickly learn that even the most basic animations work very well.
