I Think We're About To See A Surge On Livingston Lures...

[MacP]

I've never cared for firetiger for anything but Crappie.  The crawdad and dark brown craw are good, but not great.  Maybe Demon works

[TorqueConverter]

This is disgusting.  Do bass angler really just go out and buy whatever lure wins the classic?  Are we not capable of thinking for ourselves?

 

I thought it was common knowledge that the DT-6 is the best crank on earth for the 6 foot range. 

 

The Livingston lures look alright.  I'm not a fan of the shapes, as they look rather Norman in design.  I really don't like Norman cranks and last thing I want is one that lights up and croaks.

 

I'll take a hollow body frog that flashes lights and croaks.  Why don't you go make that Livingston? 

[Hooligan]

It's silly that people would run out and buy them based on that only.

Oh but they will; and by the thousands.  Don't you know it's the next magic bullet?

[Hooligan]

Here's the thing- Red Craw is a KNOWN good color throughout the South during the pre-spawn.  It's no surprise to me that it was that color, none at all.  Look in any of their boxes and I'll guarantee you there was a LOT of that same color or a variation thereof.  It would have been full of Red Craw, Demon, Chili Craw, Chili Bowl... 

It happens every year, in and out.  When KVD won on the Black Chart 1.5, it sold out in hours all across the US.  Then, a year later, they introduced the Catouache Special color, and said, this is what he REALLY was fishing- IT sold out all across the US.  When Chris Lane won it on Otters- you couldn't buy them regardless of color.  Cliff Pace?  Couldn't find a V+M football or twin tail anywhere they were sold.
Think anglers aren't looking for a magic bullet?  Look at the threads here, even!  "Top Five Baits" "If you could only have Ten Lures", "Top Three Soft Plastics", "Soft PLastic Colors".  It never ends.  We, as a whole, are always looking for the latest and greatest.  That's the way it is.

[Jrob78]

The bottom deeper diver is the prototype Livingston Lure Howell used to catch some of his fish yesterday.

[TorqueConverter]

Here's the thing- Red Craw is a KNOWN good color throughout the South during the pre-spawn.  It's no surprise to me that it was that color, none at all.  Look in any of their boxes and I'll guarantee you there was a LOT of that same color or a variation thereof.  It would have been full of Red Craw, Demon, Chili Craw, Chili Bowl... 

It happens every year, in and out.  When KVD won on the Black Chart 1.5, it sold out in hours all across the US.  Then, a year later, they introduced the Catouache Special color, and said, this is what he REALLY was fishing- IT sold out all across the US.  When Chris Lane won it on Otters- you couldn't buy them regardless of color.  Cliff Pace?  Couldn't find a V+M football or twin tail anywhere they were sold.

Think anglers aren't looking for a magic bullet?  Look at the threads here, even!  "Top Five Baits" "If you could only have Ten Lures", "Top Three Soft Plastics", "Soft PLastic Colors".  It never ends.  We, as a whole, are always looking for the latest and greatest.  That's the way it is.

 

 

I understand the search for the latest and greatest, but why so much emphasis on what the pros are throwing/wining with?  Since when did the bait that Bubba Arkansas won the ABC bass tour with become our litmus test for the latest and greatest?   

[bass1980]

The smart fishermens/women knows there's a time and place for every quality crafted lure. However I find it good for fishing in general when someone wins the classic like how Randy won it by just smashing hogs after hogs on just about every cast to come from behind and win. Probably any red color crank diving 4-8 feet would have done the same on that hot spot but guess what, we will never really know right. What we know is that DT6 killed it, not the Livingston. Let the little guys run to the tackle store and buy out those DT6's. It's good for the sport and good for the industry. If they believe, let them, because confidence is a big part of fishing and this makes it fun.

[Hooligan]

I understand the search for the latest and greatest, but why so much emphasis on what the pros are throwing/wining with?  Since when did the bait that Bubba Arkansas won the ABC bass tour with become our litmus test for the latest and greatest?   

Honestly, the day I understand that aspect of it, I'll make ten million in a minute. 

What I really believe that it has to do with is not the majority of anglers.  I think the really hardcore guys, guys that can pattern fish, and are capable of thinking on their feet aren't the ones that are buying into it.  BUT the guys that see shows and see fish being caught in numbers and decent fish- well, they think it will work for them so they buy it.  The chances are that a lot of them will catch fish on it, and continue the pattern of buying what they see work.  It's the magic bullet theory all over again.

[J Francho]

I hope all my competition goes out and buys DT6's - you can't weigh in broken lips, lol.

[TorqueConverter]

I never understood the whole broken bill Rapala DT thing.  I fish the hack out of DTs and haven't broken a bill yet.  I absolutely destroyed Poes and Bagleys in the past, so I know a thing or two about murdering wooded baits. 

 

I actually find the Rapala DTs to be exceptionally durable when compared to other wooden baits.  I don't know how many Bagleys I've had that have the paint chip off or split bills in two.  My Poes would loose all their paint before even getting bit. 

 

I'm starting to believe that the only people breaking bills on DTs are guys that have never fished a wooden bait before.  With any bait, you shouldn't be slapping the water to get weeds off or bouncing the bait off the bank.  These behaviors are unnecessary and destructive to any crank. 

[J Francho]

DT6 and DT4 as well as the balsa flat DT baits have a terrible reputation - I broke all of mine, over a couple dozen. I have some 10s and 16s that are as old as the line is that are still kicking.

[plumworm]

Isn't this why all the pro's have sponsors? The boat wraps, the truck wraps, the jerseys with all those sponsor's patches. "And I want to thank Triton, Ranger, Mercury," etc. I don't know how long it's been since any of the pro's won a tourney with a Zoom "whatever" but lots of them have Zoom patches and Zoom sells tons of soft plastic every year. How about 4 million for a 30 second Superbowl" add. Advertising sells. It's the American way.

[Basseditor]

I haven't caught any on deep diving Livingstons, but I have taken some real good ones on the floating stick bait. I was in a derby last November and my partner hung up behind us so when I turned the boat around, I left the lure sitting out there. All of a sudden I felt a hit. Landed a 7 pounder.

So I fished it dead sticked from then on. With the sound and light, the bass came to it. I quit using it on that trip when the hooks bent. So if you get some, change out the hooks.

[MacP]

I never understood the whole broken bill Rapala DT thing.  I fish the hack out of DTs and haven't broken a bill yet.  I absolutely destroyed Poes and Bagleys in the past, so I know a thing or two about murdering wooded baits. 

 

I actually find the Rapala DTs to be exceptionally durable when compared to other wooden baits.  I don't know how many Bagleys I've had that have the paint chip off or split bills in two.  My Poes would loose all their paint before even getting bit. 

 

I'm starting to believe that the only people breaking bills on DTs are guys that have never fished a wooden bait before.  With any bait, you shouldn't be slapping the water to get weeds off or bouncing the bait off the bank.  These behaviors are unnecessary and destructive to any crank. 

 

I had a specific shad rap I threw for years in rivers, creeks, lakes - it finally broke on me recently.  Wasn't even the bill.  It was cracked alongside the eye of the fish.  It fished wonky because of that.  I've not had many other cranks - especailly ones that bump stuff, last that long.

[Talonman]

I never understood the whole broken bill Rapala DT thing.  I fish the hack out of DTs and haven't broken a bill yet.  I absolutely destroyed Poes and Bagleys in the past, so I know a thing or two about murdering wooded baits. 

 

I actually find the Rapala DTs to be exceptionally durable when compared to other wooden baits.  I don't know how many Bagleys I've had that have the paint chip off or split bills in two.  My Poes would loose all their paint before even getting bit. 

 

I'm starting to believe that the only people breaking bills on DTs are guys that have never fished a wooden bait before.  With any bait, you shouldn't be slapping the water to get weeds off or bouncing the bait off the bank.  These behaviors are unnecessary and destructive to any crank. 

So true my friend... 

 

The DT4 is a favorite on the Ohio board. Guess they must make our DT's better!!

 

We dont have any bill breaking off issue...

 

The DT4 in Pearch and Bluegill are the most talked about colors, that seem to be the best producers for the boys.

[Hooligan]

I don't think I can count the number of DT6s that I've broken.  I think the vast majority of it is where you're fishing them.  In chunk rock, I'll break at least three or four a day when I am fishing them hard.  In wood, I don't think I've ever broken one.  The only time I've ever broken a DT 16 is in big chunk rock, too.

[TorqueConverter]

I have mostly soft bottom where I fish.  Like silt.  That's my bottom content lol.  I'm new to the DT-4 because it's been real hard to put down the squarebils or resist the urge to pick up another squarebill when reaching for a DT-4 on the shelves.  I've been more of a 6-20 guy.  Everybody forgets about the DT-20.

 

The DT-4 looks like it might snap off a bill.  The bill is different from any other shallow Rapala bill, in that it is not a bent bill that attaches at 0 degrees.  It is a straight bill that attaches to the body at an angle.  I can't imagine that bill goes to far into the body the way it does with the other DT baits. 

[J Francho]

I think some guys just haul water with cranks. I'm really not confident unless mine are bashing into something or getting popped off weeds.

[Bluebasser86]

I don't think I can count the number of DT6s that I've broken.  I think the vast majority of it is where you're fishing them.  In chunk rock, I'll break at least three or four a day when I am fishing them hard.  In wood, I don't think I've ever broken one.  The only time I've ever broken a DT 16 is in big chunk rock, too.

Grinding through rocks is my favorite way to fish cranks, which is a big reason why I don't spend money on DT's anymore. I don't know how many times I've been running one through the rocks and all the sudden my line goes slack, feels like a fish just inhaled the bait honestly. Then when I get my line in all I have left is a bill. Try to find the rest of the bait floating on the surface so I can get my hooks back and swear again to never buy another one. Never had it happen with a shad rap or scatter rap though. 

[TorqueConverter]

Grinding through rocks is my favorite way to fish cranks, which is a big reason why I don't spend money on DT's anymore. I don't know how many times I've been running one through the rocks and all the sudden my line goes slack, feels like a fish just inhaled the bait honestly. Then when I get my line in all I have left is a bill. Try to find the rest of the bait floating on the surface so I can get my hooks back and swear again to never buy another one. Never had it happen with a shad rap or scatter rap though. 

 

This is alarming.  It'd be one thing if guys grinding rocks were experiencing bill failure once a year, but to experience this much DT bill failure is insane.  I don't grind the rock, because I have no rocks where I fish most frequently.  Just to reiterate, the closest I have to experiencing to bill failure is a DT-16 that I got stuck in tree in my yard for a year (don't ask).  When I finally recovered it, I had a DT-16 in a subdued 2nd gen fire tiger with loose epoxy around the bill.  Some Devcon quick set fixed that.    

 

To cast DTs into water and crank them down to a rocky bottom only to experience not one, but multiple bill failures is very strange.  It hints at something greater than simply "thin bills" as many other wooden baits have had thin, brittle even IMO, bills in the past and not had this experience.  In the little bit of info I have gathered (surprisingly bill breaks are poorly documented online) is that it has something to do with the region around the line tie.  It's as if the way the line tie is fitted to the bill is weakening the bill at that point and causing bill failure.      

[Bluebasser86]

The bills on mine aren't breaking for the most part, mainly pulling out of the bait, I've had it happen a couple times while fighting fish also. The broken bills are usually a result of an errant cast or some other kind of impact, which happens and breaks a lot of baits when that happens. I'm sure I could probably epoxy them back in but I'd get tired of having to do that every time I went out. It hasn't happened with every one of them, I have a few that have caught tons of fish and rocks and keep going strong, but I'm not going to buy dozens of baits to find those 2 or 3 that don't fall apart on me. 

[Hooligan]

The vast majority of those that I have broken are directly behind the line tie. It isn't alarming to me, really. Look at Bagley baits, Poe's, other thin lip high floating baits. It happens, for me it's an expectation. I know I'm going to go through a few of them every time I fish Bull Shoals and Table Rock, and I deal with it. I just buy extra.

[Hooligan]

I think some guys just haul water with cranks. I'm really not confident unless mine are bashing into something or getting popped off weeds.

Right there with you.

[5fishlimit]

I understand the search for the latest and greatest, but why so much emphasis on what the pros are throwing/wining with? Since when did the bait that Bubba Arkansas won the ABC bass tour with become our litmus test for the latest and greatest?

Is it any different than people going out and buying the latest shoes worn by LeBron, Kobe, or any other athlete?

[K_Mac]

It seems likely that at least a fish or two of the five brought to the scale were caught on the Livingston lure. Howell has been up-front about the fish caught on the DTs. For him to promote his sponsor is not in any way offensive to me. Sponsors are the engine that makes everything else possible. 

 

I am also not surprised or offended when people buy the 'magic' bait used to win on the tour. Very few of us are immune to this, in spite of the protests here. We may not run out and immediately buy that particular bait, but most of us pay attention to trends and innovation used by the pros whether we admit or not. Chatterbaits, swimbaits, and the A-rig are just a few of the baits that come to mind that were brought into the mainstream because of their success in the spotlight. There are some here that still consider these gimmick or niche baits, yet most of us have some of in our bag. IF flashing lights and electronic sound really make a difference in the effectiveness of crankbaits, you can bet that most of us will eventually own some. I think the jury is still out though.