Lures in Depth

 by Frank Prokop and Bill Classon

ISBN 0-646-25434-0. First published 1995. Australia. 285mm x 215mm. 80pp. Many colour pages showing lures. Soft Cover

Lures in Depth by Frank Prokop is a “must have” book for all keen artificial lure anglers be they casting or trolling. The excellent large colour photographs and listings of lure lengths and weights make this an ideal reference for identifying lures that you are unfamiliar with. The book includes a bewildering array of lures: spoons, blade spinners, bibbed and bibless minnows, soft-plastics, poppers, skimmers, jointed minnows, jigs, wobblers, hybrids, and many other types. I would say that the lures included were current models when the book was published in 1995

This large format box contains colour photographs and some basic information on no fewer than 661 fresh and saltwater lures. The authors have tested all of these lures and give advice on the action, optimum trolling speed, water resistance, diver rating (how it looked to the human diver when trolled through the water) and speed range for every one of them.

Also of interest to lure fishermen is a manufactures index at the end of the book which includes both Australian manufacturers and importers. Although there are 78 manufacturers in the index I found it is not exhaustive. For example, there are no contact details for Johnson Super Lures, however, this manufacture’s lures are included in the book.

Essentially this book is about a group of some 20 guys who assemble 650 plus lures and then make a serious attempt to test and rate each one. They have made a fine job of this task. Also included are chapters on What Makes a Lure Work, Fish Behaviour, Trolling Tactics, and Casting Tactics.

I highly recommend this book to any angler, who like me is, addicted to lure fishing! It is a book that I have often returned to over the years.

Allan Burgess