Favorite Soft Plastics?

[Kachok]

I'm a little surprised...

If you are not fishing Rage Tail, do yourself a favor and give them a try.

Just got back from basspro I bought a pack of space monkies (big tex) craws/toads (black and blue) watermelon colored eliminator and the 10" anaconda in green pumpkinseed. They look worth a try, I hope to beak them in Tuesday. There are several big bass in the local pond, but they are smart as hell (lots of fishing pressure) and I have only been able to catch a couple on live brem any artificial that can snag one is Grade A in my book.

[TNBassin']

Rage rig those anacondas. The look awesome on the fall with that big tail slithering downwards. After trying it, you won't ever T rig a worm again.

[Kachok]

Rage rig those anacondas. The look awesome on the fall with that big tail slithering downwards. After trying it, you won't ever T rig a worm again.

Do you fish them weightless or Carolina rig? I like that snake like side to side action, I have seen several bass blow up on small snakes, one small bass even tried over and over to eat a 2 foot long water snake and chased it from the middle of the lake all the way to shore, he must have hit him a dozen times LOL

[TNBassin']

I use a 4/O keel weighted hook for the smaller anacondas. 1/4 oz.

[Knightiac]

I've become a huge fan of plastics recently too. I try my best to keep it simple with style and color but I alway see something else that catches my eye. I've wondered over to the brush hogs, pit bosses, and even beavers but I always have more success with worms and craws down here.

My favorite worm is by far the Berkley Bottom Hopper. Standard is 6" (I think) and they have a JR which is smaller. Green Pumpkin in standard conditions, Black/Blue in muddy water or low light and I like Plum when the sun is really high. Really pops, especially with some Chart spike it on the tail.

When I want a little more action I go to the Berkley Juice Worm. Nice 6-7" worm with a ribbon tail. Same rule for colors.

I absolutely love the Chigger Craws, even the style with "Crazy Legs" for more action. 3" is the perfect size for most lures or even a texas rig, then they step up in size to 4".

I will always be on a look out for more plastics. I think I'm going to give the Yum line a run, soon.

[bowhunter63]

Rage,Once you try it ,It will be your number 1 go to.

[Knightiac]

I've tried rage and I didn't catch anymore than I would have with another brand. I have some rage tails and worms that ill try on a new body of water eventually, but they don't work any better than my current favorites.

Price doesn't justify it for me.

[roadwarrior]

That's the reason I don't fish Rage Tails. Way overpriced, and I catch just as many fish on Netbait products.

Hmm...

I just sent all my Net Baits to another member. I wish I had saved a few for you.

Here's the challenge: Buy a couple of packs of Rage Tail and post your results.

I think you will be surprised.

[cadman]

Hmm...

I just sent all my Net Baits to another member. I wish I had saved a few for you.

Here's the challenge: Buy a couple of packs of Rage Tail and post your results.

I think you will be surprised.

Yes I remember that, I wish I was on the receiving end of your Net Bait offer. Anyway I will tell you that I have fished Rage Tails side by side with Netbait Paca chunks for the past 2 seasons, as I bought some Rage Tails on sale . I will totally agree with you that they do catch fish, as I have caught a lot of fish with them. However, I didn't see any difference with me fishing Rage Tails or Paca Chunks. So I can't justify paying more for something that to me fishes the same as a cheaper counterpart. I'm just going to wing a really phenominal scenario here. If for some amazing instance I would be catching bigger fish and a lot more fish with the rage tails versus the paca chunks on a regular basis, then I would say it would be worth the cost difference. But that has not happened, not that I expected it to. I do like the Rage Tails and they do catch fish without a question of a doubt, so that is not the question. It is just that I can buy 2 packs of Paca Chunks for the price of one pack of Rage Tails.

[paul.]

i used to be one of the biggest ragetail guys on here but like many others have said, i found over time that the cost does not justify the results. i have had several trips within the past few years where i have had to use other brands of plastics to bail me out when ragetail wasn't getting it done. i remember one particular trip where i wasn't catching jack on ragetail worms (thumpers or anacondas) and i started using culprits and zoom mag II's. i ran through several bags of those and caught plenty of fish. that's when my eyes started to be opened. have also had several other trips when ultravibe speed craws have beat rage craws.

all this promotion of ragetail as being better because they are "high action" plastics is a clever marketing gimmick in my opinion. there are times when low action or no action rules the day. anyone who has fished jigs or plastics for any length of time all will vouch for that.

and it seems like i've heard it said plenty of times that one of the reasons behind the $4.99 price tag is the "special packaging" that supposedly ensures consistent action. again, more clever marketing hype in my opinion. weren't ragetail products $5.99 per pack BEFORE the clamshell packaging? what kind of profit margin is SK / ragetail shooting for here?

here's another challenge. surely it shouldn't cost strike king any more to make baits than it does berkley, zoom, or others whose products seem to be at least equally good yet have substantially lower pricetags with more products in the package to boot. if it does, then SK is doing something wrong and the consumer shouldn't have to pay for their mistakes. if ragetails drop to $3.99, i'll start buying some again because they are good plastics and i have caught a bunch of fish on them. otherwise, since i don't have a money tree growing in my yard, i'll go with manufacturers who don't insist on making such a big dent in my bank account for what appears to me to be no good reason. maybe then i can afford to go fishing more instead of funding someone else's trips.

[Kachok]

I think everyone would agree that what works at some level depends on what the fish are accustomed to. Remember when the slugo was huge? No action at all, but that was something different that the bass had not seen before, so it caught fish, now the opposite end of the spectrum, a soft plastic that throws more vibration then a buzz bait, it will catch fish too, until fish get weary of of crawfish waving their claws 100 times a second and throwing wakes larger then some motor boats.

Hardbaits too, remember when the rattle trap hit the scene? Lots of noise, fash came from all over the lake to see what was making all that ruckus, now many fishermen opt for rattleless balsa/ceder baits for a finesse approach, seems that in high pressure areas bass really do get smart to our tricks.

On my local pond I used to catch bass on spinnerbaits all day until everyone started throwing them, now I have to use something different just to get a hit.

[Skeet22]

_{Punching- RI Sweet Beavers and Zoom Z Hogs}

_{Craw- Zoom Speed Craw and SK Rage Craw}

_{Finesse TX rig- Bite It! double x and bed Bandit}

_{Swim Bait- Nasty Baits Nasty Swimmer and Gambler EZ}

_{Fluke- SK Caffeine Shad and zoom super fluke}

_{Stick Bait - Bit-It! Trick Stick}

_{Drop Shot- Sk Dream Shot and Bite-It! Double x}

[cadman]

i used to be one of the biggest ragetail guys on here but like many others have said, i found over time that the cost does not justify the results. i have had several trips within the past few years where i have had to use other brands of plastics to bail me out when ragetail wasn't getting it done. i remember one particular trip where i wasn't catching jack on ragetail worms (thumpers or anacondas) and i started using culprits and zoom mag II's. i ran through several bags of those and caught plenty of fish. that's when my eyes started to be opened. have also had several other trips when ultravibe speed craws have beat rage craws.

all this promotion of ragetail as being better because they are "high action" plastics is a clever marketing gimmick in my opinion. there are times when low action or no action rules the day. anyone who has fished jigs or plastics for any length of time all will vouch for that.

and it seems like i've heard it said plenty of times that one of the reasons behind the $4.99 price tag is the "special packaging" that supposedly ensures consistent action. again, more clever marketing hype in my opinion. weren't ragetail products were $5.99 per pack BEFORE the clamshell packaging? what kind of profit margin is SK / ragetail shooting for here?

here's another challenge. surely it shouldn't cost strike king any more to make baits than it does berkley, zoom, or others whose products seem to be at least equally good yet have substantially lower pricetags with more products in the package to boot. if it does, then SK is doing something wrong and the consumer shouldn't have to pay for their mistakes. if ragetails drop to $3.99, i'll start buying some again because they are good plastics and i have caught a bunch of fish on them. otherwise, since i don't have a money tree growing in my yard, i'll go with manufacturers who don't insist on making such a big dent in my bank account for what appears to me to be no good reason. maybe then i can afford to go fishing more instead of funding someone else's trips.

Paul,

I agree with you on so many levels. If the fancy clamshell with the individual compartments increases the price of the Rage Tail product, then Strike King needs to rethink that, because Net Bait puts their craws loose in the bag, and I've never had any deformed craws. So their individual compartment marketing strategy doesn't hold water. It's not like Rage Tails out last Netbait Paca chunks, they both rip when a fish grabs a claw. They both are good products in my book, it's just that one is a lot more affordable than the other. JMO.

[Skeet22]

The clamshells are a pita in my opinion.

[TNBassin']

The clamshells are a pita in my opinion.

Why? Don't you have thumbs? It's all subjective. I've used other baits that weren't Rage Tails and caught zilch. Take Culprit worms for example. I've fished many times with these and ZERO. First time out with a 7' Anaconda, second cast a bass nails it. Do I think they are worth $6 a pack? I don't think any soft baits are worth more than maybe $4, but I feel that Rage Tails are higher quality than say Zoom baits, so that extra couple of bucks is a little easier to swallow. As for SK's profit margin on their plastics? I think it's awesome that Steve Parks invented the clam shell to ensure that the baits perform as they should without passing that cost onto the consumer. Shame on them for looking out for the customer...

[Skeet22]

I'm missing both thumbs and index fingers.

[paul.]

this thread is very intriguing to me. any time i hear fishing guys talk about "favorite" anything, i think it's interesting. as anglers, we are prone to develop emotional attachments to anything fishing related - spots, times, equipment, and especially BAITS. these attachments can be related to any sort of positive reinforcement we receive which is directly (or even indirectly) related to the given variable.

tackle companies are well aware of this angler tendency and they get fat off of it. they realize how easily swayed we anglers are and understand that we will pay a premium for products that for one reason or another have inspired that almighty confidence. in the blink of an eye, we develop a blind loyalty to a certain product - sometimes without stopping to think that our rationale could very well be based on an erroneous presumption to begin with.

another interesting thing about our confidence is how easily it can be influenced. we develop a liking for or a trust in certain people who are associated with a product and forget that their goal is to make money off of us. that being the case, why would they come off as anything other than likeable or trustworthy - especially in front of potential paying customers? that would be bad for business. big time advertisers get where they are for a reason - because they're good at what they do and they excel at playing the game of creating and manipulating angler confidence. and sometimes forums and message boards are where advertisers do some of their best work.

for example, take something as simple as givng a few free baits to certain key fishing forum members. with that one simple move, advertisers are able to do two things essential to product sales - maximize support and minimize resistance. members who get free products suddenly develop amnesia about what their previous "favorites" were and wholeheartedly endorse and use their new "favorites" if they happen to catch fish at all. why? because they are FREE. who cares if i could have caught 8 fish on baits i paid for if i can catch 6 on free baits? support mobilizes quickly for the advertiser and people are eager to talk about how great their product is. the guys getting the freebies rave and suggest that everyone else should go out and buy baits that they are getting for free. any resistance or negativity towards the given product is quickly dealt with and crushed out of fear that advertising dollars and free baits will dry up.

in the end, all this makes little difference because we are all still going to have our favorites. that's just human nature. but make no mistake. it's not misplaced confidence, emotional attachment, or blind loyalty that puts fish in the boat on a tough day. it's an open mind and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone. at least that's my opinion.

[deep]

all this promotion of ragetail as being better because they are "high action" plastics is a clever marketing gimmick in my opinion. there are times when low action or no action rules the day. anyone who has fished jigs or plastics for any length of time all will vouch for that.

This.

I own and fish plenty of ragetails myself; but there are days when a less-action trailer (I like chigger craws) have produced better fish (not necessarily more).

[merc1997]

i like paul's post. marketing is how lots of things are sold. many are really not good products, but we are told how good they are. there are lots of claims in the fishing tackle industry that are not backed up with any scientific evidence. i have always been one to look at the science and physics of things.

there are so many soft plastics on the market. anyone of them on a given day will fill the boat. i still maintain that a "whole lot of fish catchin'" boils down to putting it in front of one.

bo

[Big-O]

It appears that this thread swerved a bit from it's original intent but sometimes that happens and it's all GOOD! I'm also very proud for all of you who enjoy RT products and believe that we do all we can to provide you with the very best soft plastics on the market.

Over the years, there have been many announcements or big tournaments won on RT's and not just by SK Pro's. This info could have been posted and/or mentioned for promotional reasons here at BassResource as well, but I've never thought it necessary. Most of us here don't fish for money but moreover for individual pleasure, and we all want to spend our time and money wisely with hopes that we reap the rewards for our efforts and valuable time on the water, regardless.

Here are just a few mentions and facts that weren't but could have been publicized recently...

The Rage Craw and Recon Worm were responsible for 16 of 20 fish weighed in for the Winner of the FLW on Sam Rayburn and the Second place winner used them for many of his catches as well... both were SK Pros. This past weekend at the Bass Champs Championship at Falcon Lake, the Rage Craw trailing Football jigs were responsible for most of their keepers and all but 1 of their weighed fish on day two... They're not affiliated with SK. We all know that tourney pro's will use the best baits they can find to win the money, regardless of affiliation. With over a 1/4 million in winnings in two major tournaments this mth, I'd say that the Rage baits are ok

BTW, I fished much more often before I started RT than I do now... and to answer the thread topic question started by our member Kachok... My Favorite Soft Plastics are all Rage Tail.

[TNBassin']

It's lonely at the top as they say.

[Bankbeater]

Baby Brush Hog, Super Hog, and Super Fluke have all worked good for me this year.

[Bassego]

I'm sure many have said this before but Yamamoto Senko, Yum dingers, or Strike King Shim-e-sticks. For trailers Rage tail Chunk, lobster, Craw or Netbait Chunks.

[Kachok]

Went fishing today to try out my new soft plastics, while the larger bass still elude me I did get to catch alot of fish.

Rage tails were fantastic, I love the eliminator it wants to swim upward like an upside down crankbait, it is a perfect match to a carolina rig or fished as a soft topwater when weightless, very unique bait, will be buying more FOR SURE! The monster 10" anaconda accounted for one too, ironically it was a small spotted bass, still have no idea how he thought he would eat that. My friend got alot of hits on the spacemonkey but for some reason he could never set the hook on one.

My "go to" zoom lizards cought their fair share but the brem were aggressive today and kept tearing the legs off of them.

The star of the show today was a shocker, you would never believe it but the Banjo Minnow got hit like crazy! The first five casts it was hit five times, on the 7th cast it got hit 5 more times before reeled it in! But the funky hook placement made for the worst hookup ratio I have ever seen on any lure, would probably be better on larger bass then those 10-15" ones I was playing with. Want to figure out a stinger hook setup to improve my ratios with that because it does get a BUNCH of hits.

Had a funny incodent today while playing with a weightless BassPro claw, a 10" bass wanted it so bad that he held on to it so hard I landed him without hooking him! They must REALLY like the way those taste LOL No kidding the point of the hook never came through the plastic.

[Arv]

GY Senko's and 7'' Rage Tail Thumpers have gotten fish on a consistent basis for me.