Major studies done by Berkely have shown that a fish once caught one lure are much harder to catch the second and third time around with the same lure.
The one thing I hate to see is when the study is done by a company. To put this in perspective when drug companies do studies on their own drugs you know they will display the statistics that put their drug in the best light. This applies to lure manufacturers as well. It makes sense for them to want us to buy the new lures and they have the data to supposedly prove it. However time and time again bass tournaments are being won by crankbaits/spinnerbaits/jigs. (Though the new swimbait craze is turning some heads... man this year at Lake Amistad was ridiculous!)