Any "fish-shaped" bibbed lure that swims with a side-to-side wagging action when retrieved or trolled is broadly classified as a minnow lure. Despite the simple description, the category is huge — slim minnows, plump plugs, deep-divers, shallow-runners — each suited to specific species and conditions.

Here's the practical guide to choosing the right minnow lure for the fish you're after.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

The clear plastic bib at the front of the lure is its engine. Bib size + angle control:

• Diving depth — bigger + flatter = deeper dive
• Action speed — wider bibs allow faster trolling speeds without losing action
• Wobble width — short steep bibs = tight wiggle; long flat bibs = wide wobble

Two extreme examples:

• Long flat bib (deep diver): reaches 5-10m deep, maintains action at high troll speeds, used for kingfish, tuna, mackerel, deep barra
• Short steep bib (shallow runner): stays near the surface (0-1m), needs slow + intermittent retrieve with twitches, used for bream, bass, shallow estuary species

• Slender deep divers — fast-swimming saltwater pelagics: kingfish, tuna, mackerel. Trolled at speed
• Same slender lures, slower retrieve — switches species: tailor, Australian salmon, flathead
• Stouter / flat-bodied lures with pronounced curves — slower-moving freshwater natives: Murray cod, golden + silver perch, bass
• Slender + short-bibbed minnows — best with slow twitch + pause retrieves; covers many small estuary + freshwater species depending on size

Photo: Alexey Demidov / Unsplash

• 35-60mm minnows — small Aussie species: trout, bass, redfin, bream, whiting, flathead
• 70-120mm minnows — bigger predators: barramundi, mulloway, threadfin salmon, mangrove jacks
• 120-200mm minnows — serious offshore + larger barra; trolling for tuna, kingfish, marlin (smaller end)
• Match the local baitfish — if the prey species in your water is 8cm long, use an 8cm minnow. The "match the hatch" rule

• Floating minnows — return to the surface when paused. Versatile + safe (won't snag if you stop reeling). The default for most situations
• Suspending minnows — neutral buoyancy. Stay at depth when paused. Deadly for cold-water trout + bass that follow + then take during the pause
• Sinking minnows — drop when paused. Cover deeper water; harder for beginners (snag risk)
• Countdown method: for sinking lures, count seconds after the cast — "1 second = ~30cm sink rate" — gives you depth control

Photo: Maël BALLAND / Unsplash

• Rapala (Finland) — Original Floater, X-Rap, DT (Dive To) series. The category benchmark for 80+ years
• Halco (Aussie) — Laser Pro 120, Crazy Deep. Tropical-grade saltwater specialists
• Berkley — Frenzy, Hit Stick. Value end + scent-impregnated options
• StumpJumpers (Aussie) — for Murray cod + native species; the iconic deep-diving plug
• Daiwa — Double Clutch, TD Minnow. Premium Japanese engineering
• Strike Pro — solid value range covering all sizes

• Steady retrieve — most basic. Reel at constant pace. Lure swims naturally. Vary speed across the cast
• Twitch + pause — short rod-tip twitches with brief pauses. The pause is when fish hit. Killer technique
• Stop-go — reel for 3 seconds, stop for 2, reel for 3. Triggers reaction strikes
• Trolling — pull the lure behind a moving boat. Speed matters: 2-3 knots for slow lures, 4-7 knots for fast
• Dead drift — let the current carry the lure. Suspending models work brilliantly here

Minnow lures are the workhorse of lure fishing — no other category catches more Aussie species across more conditions. Master the bib-depth + size-matching + retrieve concepts and you've got 80% of lure fishing covered.

Start with 3 sizes of Rapala Original Floater (5cm gold, 7cm silver, 9cm rainbow trout) — that minimal kit will catch most freshwater + estuary species in Australia.