Soft Bait Aggravation.

[ClackerBuzz]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/142538-the-secret-to-not-losing-so-many-senkos-heres-the-solution/

[Comfortably Numb]

Sometimes I do fish deeper water with a jig. It just seems heavy. Maybe it is suppose to feel that way. Still waiting to catch a fish on a jig though. I just don't have any confidence with a jig, so therefore, I don't fish it too often. 

 

Try a 1/8 jig. It similar to fishing a weightless Senko. 

[Master Bait'r]

OP it sounds like you should get some ozmos. They're creature baits and I swear the bass help me invent new variations by lopping stuff off haha... If it comes back missing something, you just cut off a few other things and make it something new- which actually can help draw another strike IME.

[TorqueConverter]

Try a space monkey instead of a rage craw as a jig trailer.  Its got all the action of business end of a rage craw and durability is fantastic.  I've caught dozens of fish per bait.

[SirSnookalot]

The cost of soft plastics is such a small part of the price to fish. I want the best possible chance

of catching fish when I have the opportunity to be out on the water. I put a much higher value on

my time than the cost of a bait.

Absolutely !

 

As said losing a claw isn't a big deal, I catch many fish on the jig alone.  I use a Flappin Shad by Gambler quite a bit, once that paddle tail is bit off that bait is useless, I'm not bothered how many I go thru.  This time of the year I can easily lose 10-20 or more hard lures and spoons in a month, the more I lose the better the bite, in the end I catch more fish.

[J Francho]

Not setting the hook because I'm afraid to lose a 50¢ bait would drive me more nuts than anything else. Maybe try some Z- Man baits instead. Even if they don't work (they do, I use them) it won't matter if you're not setting the hook. Catch my drift? Set the hook man!

[FirstnameLastname]

Dude, I literally just wrote a post entitled save money on plastics a few under this post.

[TorqueConverter]

I wish I wasn't addicted to Flappin Hogs.  ZERO durability.

 

 

[SirSnookalot]

Not setting the hook because I'm afraid to lose a 50¢ bait would drive me more nuts than anything else. Maybe try some Z- Man baits instead. Even if they don't work (they do, I use them) it won't matter if you're not setting the hook. Catch my drift? Set the hook man!

Both RW & Francho couldn't be more right.

Especially for the recreational fisherman as RW has mentioned a number of times one needs but 3 combos, I don't even carry 3 but that's just me.  Given the fact that so many people carry 3-5-10 combos, each one costing hundreds of dollars, then penny pinching on plastics makes little sense sense to me.  As far as I'm concerned it's the bait that catches the fish, worrying about the durability is what I call defensive fishing, I take the offense and don't even use wire for toothy critters.  I may lose a lot of lures but if I'm catching fish I don't care, lost 4 hard jerkbaits in the last 2 days, not even phased by it.

[Fishes in trees]

If you try not to think about how much money you spend on soft plastics, you will be better off.  What I'd recommend is that every time you get down to the last few baits of any given kind of soft plastic, make a note of it.  Then when you get into a tackle store, get 3 bags of whatever you are short of.  Do this for a dozen years or so and over time you will accumulate a decent assortment of soft plastic.  Also, your investment in each individual bait becomes less, a small portion of your entire stash of baits, so you don't get bent when you tear one up.

 

Don't ever buy just one bag of any given color or shape, that will guarantee that the bait will catch fish and you will run out of it at an inopportune time.

 

For instance, I wish I would have bought more 8" power bait lizards when they were available, they are discontinued now.  I wish I would have bought more Berkley powerhawg creature baits in the green pumpkin/copper flake color.  That color is discontinued now.   Those are two of dozens of examples I could recite.

 

Back to the point, none of these dilemmas would have happened had I been concerned about how much money I was spending on soft plastics.  My advice is don't worry about the cost of soft plastics.  Use them as necessary.  They will make more, most of the time.

[TorqueConverter]

I can't get my head around this:  Most people think that it's OK to spend what amounts to a $1.00 a bite with soft baits, yet it's abhorrent that a similarly priced thin lipped, balsa wood crankbait, that could catch hundreds of fish, will eventually break.  It's like people think crankbaits are supposed to be indestructible and soft baits are supposed to melt in your hands.

 

What's even more mind boggling is that no one in their right mind should expect a thin billed balsa crank to be as durable as plastic crank yet they should expect soft baits with a lot of built in action by design, to be made from a stiffer material than baits will little to no built in action. 

 

Why is everything bassackwards?  Is it an emotional decision, because it sure as heck isn't based in any logic?  Do people just go "crankbaits are expensive so they should last forever but soft baits are cheap so its ok that they don't last long."       

[5fishlimit]

I'm wondering if those of us that aren't concerned about the costs of soft plastics are more regularly fishing tournaments were we have a potential paycheck looming vs recreational fishermen who don't have the possibility to cover the costs?

Not pointing any fingers. Just curious.

[primetime]

I would normally keep using the bait without the appendages or just a few. If they panfish are that aggressive then I would imagine all the craws in that area are missing claws and legs as well. Thowing a craw soft bait with all its claws may actually look out of place....

 

If you are using scent that could be a problem as well, so I usually just go without any extra scent if panfish are tearing them up, and if they are aggressive, I switch from a craw trailer to a swimbait trailer that mimics a bluegill.....Try Flipping the Shellcracker, Ez Swimmer, or a swimbait that mimics a bluegill or perch etc....may work better, you can use trailers on Jigs like spider grubs, swimbaits, worms, any soft bait...Also, Zoom baits at $5 a pack? A little shopping online and you can do much better for speed craws and other beavers etc...

 

Just my 2cents but areas with alot of aggressive panfish usually have Large Bass in the area and larger swimbaits often work well.

[J Francho]

If the panfish are so bold to be murdering your plastics, I'd say you might be barking up the wrong tree. When I see comfortable sunnies I'm thinking refuge for small fish, not hunting grounds for lunkers. It doesn't mean it's a bad spot, just that big bass may not be active in that area right then.

[F14A-B]

Contrary to what many may claim, a fisherman, can be quite successful fishing with a more durable plastic, I am not referring to zman, but a more durable soft plastic, I mean senkos, have only been around a tad over a decade, before that, I caught thousands of fish with tougher plastic baits, that was my only point.... I have several ( too many ) bags of GYCB, as well as Rage Craws.... If it is causing a bit of a sting,then you should have confidence that a cheaper alternative can & will give good, if not excellent results.

[SirSnookalot]

A recent experience.  Bought a pack of flappin shad at DSG couple of weeks ago, really enjoyed using them and they were productive.  I stopped in at my local tackle shop which is 90% saltwater, carries some bass baits.  Happen to have flappin shads so I bought pack, first thing I noticed it was a different package, this was old stock.  I rig up the older flappin shad, the plastic was harder, more difficult to rig and the paddle didn't move as well, the result was no fish.  Take it off and rig up the newer one..............fish on !

We have 2 identical baits made by the same company one being durable with an obvious different plastic blend, and the other has little durability but catches fish.  I've run the experiment a few times and the results are consistent.  For me the choice is an easy one, spend money and catch fish, or save money and catch nothing.

[TorqueConverter]

It depends in the type of bait but baits will little to no built in action will benefit from an ultra soft plastic where as a bait with a lot of built in action will not.  The durability argument is not just a matter of how soft a bait is but how elastic it is too.  A bait that wants to stretch before it tears is going to be more durable than one that does not.