How Do You Know A Bait (Hard Or Soft) Can't Work And Is Forgotten ?

[SENKOSAM]

Granted, that's what keep tackle supply companies is business, but are you and I doing a disservice to all of the baits we bought years ago that sit buried in our basements or garages? I have a slew of old Bomber, Bagley, Rapala, Cotton Cordell, Smithwick, Matzuo, Storm and many others I gave up on along with hundreds of soft plastic baits.

 

I have a feeling that the biggest reason we don't stick with certain lures comes from assuming that since they didn't work on different outings and others did, that these lures have no place in our tackle boxes. The other predominate factors are not knowing when to use certain baits - under what conditions or even how to use them to their greatest potential,most of which hasn't been discovered by me due to a low premature confidence in them.  There aren't very many lures that are super versatile, each having limitations, but not knowing probably accounts for most of my ever increasing storage - and I don't even like collecting!

 

Certain characteristics I think every angler should know (which many don't or guess) are depth, speed range, best presentation(s), lure action as compared to others in the same group and their limitations regarding each of those. Granted, some lures are junk regardless who makes them and deserve to be melted down or stripped of their treble hooks and split rings. But others like those we do have confidence may fill a niche in specific situations.

 

Maybe it's time to get out the 30 or more Storm crankbaits I bought on clearance a few years ago....(or are they really just junk!?)

[Fishes in trees]

You can only carry so many baits.  This coming from a guy who carries a LOT of baits.  Every time I decide to change baits, for whatever reason, they ALL scream at me, "PUT ME IN, COACH!!"

 

I feel bad enough already, in that I am rejecting hundreds of baits, when I choose one to tie on to my line.  Don't make me feel worse, reminding me that I am rejecting an additional several hundred baits that didn't even make in on to the traveling team.

 

If you think about it another way, most of the really old, extremely collectable lures out there weren't fish catchers.  If they were, they would have been used and lost.  So, by saving those 30 or so Storm crank baits, (or whatever brand, it does not matter for the purposes of this rant), and keeping them in pristine condition, you are creating a treasure trove for some other fisherman a few generations in the future.

 

Might as well save all the boxes as well, a couple of collectors that I've met were just as interested in the box the lure came in as the lure itself.

[J Francho]

Every bait I own works at one time or another.

[Raul]

Every bait I own works at one time or another.

 

As usual in this sport, the "catch" is figuring out when the time is the right time to use that bait to catch fish. So -------> it ain´t the wand but the magician.

[tbone1993]

A junk bait is a junk bait. You can tell by the hardware used as well as how the bait acts in the water. I feel that a great bait must preform to your expectations out of the box. For instance strike king 1.5s are good baits but their hooks suck. Compare that to a great bait like a spro little john and you see the difference out of the box. On the other hand there are just some baits that are garbage out of the box and that is the reason they cost $2.  Soft plastics are a whole different ball of wax. Some are just garbage and have little or too much action. Just like hard baits it depends on a case by case basis.  The 30 storm baits you have most likely have a purpose but you just have not found it yet. They could be strictly winter baits that do not work well in the summer. That being said I have caught fish year round on a shad rap even though that is considered a cold water bait. The only way I retire a bait is if I cannot find a better/reasonable alternative. Sure mcsticks are expensive but they are one of my favorite jerkbaits and 9/10 I will pick them over a bps exclusive and the 1 time I pick the bps is for a give away bait. 

[jhoffman]

You should take those Matzu cranks and hit them with a golf club. I wouldnt take a sponsorship from them if they gave me every bait I wanted for free. I might put them under glass in a bar or hang them from a christmas tree but I certainly wouldnt worry about not fishing them.

[airborne_angler]

I too carry A LOT of baits on the boat. Thinking I covered all the bases, only to find out everyone is catching them on the baits I left at home.

Just like when I go to the You Pull It junkyard. I take a huge assortment of tools. To take off a certain part, I need a special tool...its at home, home is an hour away...go figure.

[Scott F]

Most of the baits I have I have caught fish on. Or at least I caught fish on a particular bait, and bought some more of them. I may not use them much anymore because I found baits that work better in the same situations. I'm a smallmouth guy. Years ago, when I was learning, I found some tiny crankbaits that worked really well. I did find that they had their drawbacks. Very tiny hooks and you couldn't throw them very far. But the smallies did like them. I then changed to larger cranks. so I still have a box of very small cranks that once in a while, I'll get out and throw in creeks or If I'm crappie fishing. 

I don't have a ton of baits I never use anymore, but I won't get rid of them. I don't walleye, pike or lake trout fish much anymore but If I do go on a Canadian trip again I don't want to buy those baits all over again. I don't know when I'll  find myself in a place where they might be just what I need. 

[SENKOSAM]

You should take those Matzu cranks and hit them with a golf club.

Wish I owned a golf club.....

[DelfiBoyz_One_and_Only]

I throw nothing away ever. I keep every bait and play around with the parts switching pieces or robbing parts. I always need a bill or different split ring. Soft plastic can be remelted, eyes reused, I have even taken the rattles out of crank baits and switched them. Beggers can't be choosers, got to work with what I have.

I will take anyone's old used baits pm me!

Jay-