Best Lure Dollar For Dollar

[Jrob78]

Every bass angler who has fished more than 10 years has dozens of hard baits that they have never caught a bass on and since retired. The average cost today is well over $5 to $15 each. Hard bait have a limited effective window of time when they work good, then they are forgotten.

I agree with Rual that spinnerbaits are a good $ per bass lure, however skirts deteriorate and. Wire breaks, hooks get damaged beyond repair in a few years.

Soft plastic worms never get old, the bass never get tired of eating them and can be fished at all depth, every seasonal period year around.

I have a size and color that is custome poured that work as good today as they did 35 years ago, the cost is about 5 cents per worm in bags of 100.

Tom

Hard baits don't lose their effectiveness unless they break.  Some hard baits don't work great year round but some do,depending on where you live.  A good hard bait will catch fish for years, unless you break it or lose it.  

$5 for 100 worms is certainly not the norm or even close to it, it's more like $5 for 8-12 on average.   They're still only good for a fish or 2 in most cases.  

[einscodek]

Its all a matter of opinion and personal preference and utilization

that said.. spinnerbait

[WRB]

Let's say for debate purposes you purchase LC Pointer 98 in ghost minnow, the most prolific lure LC has ever made and put in the US market.

You go fishing tomorrow morning and the bass are in the grass in 2 fow, or on the ledges in 20 fow, you are out of luck with the Pointer.

With the soft plastic worm you can target the grass bass or the ledge bass and catch them. It's the spawn with bass on beds, the FC Pointer may catch a pre and post spawn bass, the worm will catch them anywhere, on the beds, off the beds in 1 flow or 50 flow, doesn't matter.

A bag of 10 Roboworms cost about $3.50 or .35 cents each, I buy my 100 bagels today for $12 or .12 cents each, 5 cents was an exaggeration.

My jigs cost me about .50 cents to make, pour lead on a premium hook, then about 30 minutes to tie and paint, couldn't sell them for $20 and make break even. A jig on a good day may last all day or on a bad day 1 cast, that is jig fishing, but at the end of the year my biggest bass will be a jig fish.

If the bass are in the grass or hitting a top water, the jig doesn't work well for me, the worm can. It's all about versatility when talking about best lure for the dollar.

I get where the hard lure folks are coming from, the problem hard lures are not versatile enough to be the best lures for the money.

Tom

[Jrob78]

I get your point and agree that a soft bait is more versatile than a hard bait.  If I had to pick one bait to fish the rest of my life, it would be a soft bait.  I still think a good single hard bait will catch more fish, dollar for dollar, than a soft bait but it certainly wouldn't be the best choice in all scenarios.  Different interpretations of the question I guess.

[bigbill]

A split shot rigged worm from the '60's still works today. The bass haven't changed and gone hi-tech yet.

That 6" creme black worm has probably caught more bass to this day than all the lures added up today.

The black creme 6" worm is to fishing what the 30-30 rifle is to deer hunting.

[Bass4Me007]

Any number of tube jigs would have to be in the running. Some are a little tougher than others.

[hoosierbass07]

This is my second year of fishing and fishing for bass. I quickly learned the number one lure out there is the plastic worm/lizard. I can buy a bag of Yum-Dingers for $3.00 that come with eight (I think) Dingers. That's .38 cents a piece plus cost of hooks and bullet weights. Texas rig it and cast it anywhere you want and you have a great chance of getting it back.

I did catch my personal best this spring on a soft plastic lizard. I caught another personal best (did not weigh it though) on a crankbait and I have video of that on youtube. The funny thing - that was my first and only fish I've caught with a crankbait! The only reason I was using it was because I didn't think I would catch anything that day and I was more interested in trying out my new kayak.

But since then - no more bass on crankbaits. Worms and soft swim baits - yes.

[hoosierbass07]

Every bass angler who has fished more than 10 years has dozens of hard baits that they have never caught a bass on and since retired.

Tom

Sort of sad but probably very true.

[iceintheveins]

Bomber Model A.

[K_Mac]

I'm in the soft plastics crowd. I have found one thing to be true: The price of a bait has little to do with its value IMO. I have bought and still regularly use many knock-off baits. My income is limited and I have to watch expenses carefully. Some of them work well on some days, others not as much. A couple bags of original GY plastics or RI Beavers may cost me a few dollars more over the course of a day. If I catch more fish on them verses the knock-offs, their value is higher to me. Dollar for dollar, pound for pound a RI Smallie Beaver is probably the best value for me. Of course it could be an original Chatterbait, an SK squarebill, or a 100 series Bandit...

[einscodek]

Let's say for debate purposes you purchase LC Pointer 98 in ghost minnow, the most prolific lure LC has ever made and put in the US market.

You go fishing tomorrow morning and the bass are in the grass in 2 fow, or on the ledges in 20 fow, you are out of luck with the Pointer.

With the soft plastic worm you can target the grass bass or the ledge bass and catch them. It's the spawn with bass on beds, the FC Pointer may catch a pre and post spawn bass, the worm will catch them anywhere, on the beds, off the beds in 1 flow or 50 flow, doesn't matter.

A bag of 10 Roboworms cost about $3.50 or .35 cents each, I buy my 100 bagels today for $12 or .12 cents each, 5 cents was an exaggeration.

My jigs cost me about .50 cents to make, pour lead on a premium hook, then about 30 minutes to tie and paint, couldn't sell them for $20 and make break even. A jig on a good day may last all day or on a bad day 1 cast, that is jig fishing, but at the end of the year my biggest bass will be a jig fish.

If the bass are in the grass or hitting a top water, the jig doesn't work well for me, the worm can. It's all about versatility when talking about best lure for the dollar.

I get where the hard lure folks are coming from, the problem hard lures are not versatile enough to be the best lures for the money.

Tom

I'd agree here .. if it fallsback on effectiveness as well .. its really down to plastics (worms/flukes) and spinnerbaits

both pretty cheap .. plastics tear too easily for me.. its why I didnt list them but they certainly are the most versatile and on the top in being effective