That’s a question that should have been easy to answer. At least, I thought it was when a non-angling friend saw me staring intently at my opened tackle box.

“What’s your favorite lure in there?”, he asked.

I took a moment to open a few compartments in my tackle box and scratch my head inquisitively.

“That would have to be…umm…this blue jointed rapala right here!”, I victoriously replied.

Then he asked, “Why”

Again, this seemed like a simple answer and told him it was because it catches fish on a regular basis. He seemed satisfied with my answer and we moved on to another topic of discussion.

After he left, I returned my gaze upon my tackle box and put back my ‘greatest’ lure back in its compartment. I snickered to myself as I recalled the last time I had used it and how it had almost hooked my fishing partner’s right ear.

Then, I saw a rusted out ‘Williams’ in the far recesses of my tackle compartments. It was the one my grandpa used the last time we went fishing together. I paused to remember the adventure behind that lure and smiled. (I wrote about that story here)

When I put the rusted spoon back in it’s spot I quickly saw a faded orange panther martin spinner with white spots on the spinner from the huge pike that engulfed it when I was a kid. That was incredible!

As I moved from lure to lure it dawned on me how poorly I had answered my friend’s questions.

Lures are not great because of the number of fishing attracting surfaces it has. Its greatness does not come from the flecks of paint, the wads of hair, or a unique action.

A lure is great because of the memory attached to it. As you know, memories last forever and are worth more then anything a Bass Pro catalogue can publish for you.

Remember that the next time you are staring dumbfounded in your favorite fishing store’s aisle. You are staring at a wall of potential memory makers.

Take a deep breath, pick something and get ready.

Feel free to start with a blue jointed Rapala. It has great potential.