Live Target Lures?

[GoTakeANap]

Ive just been introduced to them by a local sportsman warehouse sales rep. They were pretty expensive. Priced from $8.99 to $13.99. Anyone ever used these before? The designs on there baits are so realistic and thats what caught my eye. Just wondering if they were worth the amount of money they cost? I dont wanna spend that kind of money if they arent gonna last at least a few months.

[Diggy]

frogs mainly Ive bought, I got a mouse that died on 10 casts but I returned it. I have a trap that was given to me that's great quality and catches fish. The detail on them is impressive. I may buy a few craws at DSG, those are 5.99. I cringe spending a grip on baits. They work but the looks catch us before the fish.

[00 mod]

I tried the double prop because I like the Devil's horse so much. It works well and has far superior paint, hooks, props and such to the dh. But it does sit lower in the water, so if you are fishing and need to be UP REALLY HIGH in the water, it might not be for you!

Jeff

[smalljaw67]

I have some of the bluegill cranks, mostly the shallow divers that run 3' - 4'. They are killer!! It has flat sides with a short round lip and while I know they like to make the appearance of the bait lifelike, they do a good job of also making it run like a real bluegill. That bluegill crank isn't a square bill but they now have those as well, it is more of a flat sided bait that doesn't run like a normal flat side, it is hard to explain. To me that bluegill crank is the best shallow crank for the summer, especially around lilypad fields and weed flats, if you ever saw a bluegill swim away real fast from the shore in clear water, well that is the exact action of the Koppers bluegill crank, I don't know if they intended it to be like that but it is an amazing bait. I try to only use them when I fish tounaments but I will occasionally pull one out when I see a lot of bluegills in an area.

[ChiCityBasser]

I have some of the bluegill cranks, mostly the shallow divers that run 3' - 4'. They are killer!! It has flat sides with a short round lip and while I know they like to make the appearance of the bait lifelike, they do a good job of also making it run like a real bluegill. That bluegill crank isn't a square bill but they now have those as well, it is more of a flat sided bait that doesn't run like a normal flat side, it is hard to explain. To me that bluegill crank is the best shallow crank for the summer, especially around lilypad fields and weed flats, if you ever saw a bluegill swim away real fast from the shore in clear water, well that is the exact action of the Koppers bluegill crank, I don't know if they intended it to be like that but it is an amazing bait. I try to only use them when I fish tounaments but I will occasionally pull one out when I see a lot of bluegills in an area.

I have a couple of these cranks as well and in the gloss pattern which after reading a review work better than the flat patterns at least up my way. They are killer in the depths they run and have caught plenty of fish for me and so have the craw cranks. The shallow craw crank in mustard fished over shallow grass has really produced for me and they have been worth the extra expense and found some on ebay at less than msrp.

[jerzeeD]

Best cranks around. A 1/2 oz lipless golden shiner in silver with blue back will perfprm when all else fails. Almost any species in the lake will take it too! I speak from experience on these.

[ChiCityBasser]

After fishing plastics yesterday I decided to try the craw crank as the lake is low and weedy with the crank running right over the tops of the weeds and after 4-6 casts I had caught 4 fish.

[RyneB]

i have never tried there hard baits. But i am a huge fan of there mouse and baby frog.

[GoTakeANap]

gonna try out the blue gill one i bought the other day. hope it produces a nice fish for me. the lure itself is breath taking.

[mikey5string]

they are beautiful lures for sure but I have a hard time believing a fish really notices the difference between say a super fluke and a ultra realistic crankbait. Predatory fish like bass rely on ambush and dont really examine prey before they go for it. If it has the action of prey and gets into the "zone" they will hit it. How else could you explain the success of bubblegum colors and creature baits?

I have no problem admitting that I buy lures because I like the design/craftsmanship that go into them. Im sure you could catch fish all day on a plain old spoon or some of those inexpensive creme plastics. Doesnt stop me from buying expensive lures though. There is a lot more to fishing than just catching fish for me. Otherwise I would get a big gill net or electroshock boat! ; )

[Bigbarge50]

I have a flat sided bluegill in the 3-4 range..... have no used it much and confidence was lacking on it, but you guys are making me thinki about giving it a day on the water and see what it can do.

[deep]

Bill Murphy said that photo-realistic crankbaits were his worst producers (In pursuit of giant bass).

That said, I caught plenty of (keeper grade) bass on the one Koppers lipless bluegill crank I had. Those fish would have probably hit other less realistic rattletraps too I guess.

[SirSnookalot]

I met one guy that swore by the live target lures, for my kind of fishing I'd be hard pressed to spend that much money on a lure that I might own for 15 minutes, I have wanted to try the waxwing, but not at 19.99. I catch a lot of good sized fish on a $2.00 bucktail, that and DOA flukes are about all I use. I don't even use xraps anymore, when it's a hard lure I'm using a bomber windcheater for 8.00.

[gobig]

Predatory fish like bass rely on ambush and dont really examine prey before they go for it. If it has the action of prey and gets into the "zone" they will hit it. How else could you explain the success of bubblegum colors and creature baits?

I have to disagree with this statement to some extent. Though there are times it seems a bass will hit anything, there are other times where realism is key.

[SirSnookalot]

I have to disagree with this statement to some extent. Though there are times it seems a bass will hit anything, there are other times where realism is key.

How many times have you casted a lure, worm or whatever and the instant it hits the water a bass is waiting with an open mouth. I doubt if a bass can distinguish what is that fast. Some days it's easy and other days it isn't.

[davew41]

I use the LIVETARGET Lures a lot and I think they catch fish just fine..

Here are a few videos I made using them..

[mikey5string]

I have to disagree with this statement to some extent. Though there are times it seems a bass will hit anything, there are other times where realism is key.

I agree that a realistic presentation is important but I dont think that the paint job plays a major role. Out of the top 5 all time most productive bass lures ever not one of them looks exactly, or in some cases even close to an actual living thing. I am thinking of things like jigs, curl tail worms, spoons, spinnerbaits, spooks, buzzbaits, flukes, rattle traps....

IMO, The most important aspects are the action of the bait, its presentation and its general color scheme. The fine details are for the fishermen. Nothing wrong with that, I have bought lures because I liked the looks of them more than their fish catching potential. Just overestimating the fish when we think they say "Whoa. Hold on a minute! thats not the right blue for a prespawn bluegill! And you call THAT a scale pattern??!!" ; )

They see thing. thing triggers a genetic response. they attack it.

Again, I dont want to seem like I am bashing Live Target lures. They are great looking and from the one I have used, have good action. Whether you think theyre worth the $ is up to you. I use a $13 frog so I have no problem shelling out $ for nice stuff

[RyneB]

I use the LIVETARGET Lures a lot and I think they catch fish just fine..

Here are a few videos I made using them..

Nice reel

[jerzeeD]

I will agree that LM bass aren't usually too picky..... But I don't always target bass themselves if I am in a lake with other interesting species. I have caught Bass perch, rainbow and brown trout, walleye, crappie, pickeral, and even a landlocked atlantic salmon on my lipless live targets. I use the old rat-l-traps in lakes I am unfamiliar with to avoid losing a 13 dollar crank, but I don't seem to have as high as a success ratio as I do with my live target cranks.

[ChiCityBasser]

Nice Rod as I have the same one I use for deep diving cranks in a MH and thanks for posting the videos.