Higher end plastics

[blckshirt98]

When it comes down to it lets be honest, bass are kind of dumb and when they're hungry will eat almost anything.  I think a lot of this is people feeling good about getting the fish to bite what they picked out personally.  Look at the top 10 baits from any BASS or FLW tournament and you rarely find 2 baits that are the same in terms of color/size/presentation.

[Munkin]

On ‎3‎/‎3‎/‎2016 at 11:06 AM, junyer357 said:

 What alot of tourney guys i know do is prefish and practice with the lower price items, yum dingers, zoom, and cheaper hooks. On tourney day when money is on line, its all senko, rage, trokar, etc... .

I never understood this? Whatever worked pre-fishing is what I start with on game day and adjust as needed.

As for what lures cost when I was a broke 14 yr old I could only afford so much. Now that I am older I still look for deals but my fishing time is limited so I don't really care what a lure costs since I am no longer a broke teenager.

 

Allen

 

[WRB]

There is a big difference in price between low production hand poured or hand single cavity injected soft plastics verses high production multi cavity injection molded products. Think of number of units per minute being produced, 10 every 8 seconds verses 10 every 2 minutes...time is money.

All the soft plastics mentioned made by Strike King, Yum, Zoom, Yamamoto, Betkley and Biospawn are high production multi cavity products and priced competitively...none are expensive compared to low production products like Roboworm, Upton's Customs.

The only way that you know what bass prefer is trail and error and to do that you need them all!

Tom

[Drew03cmc]

I use all of them from Havoc to Jackall, GYCB and Rage...they all work.

[everythingthatswims]

I have gone through at least 8-10 packs of keitech swing impacts this winter...Worth it? You bet!

[Airman4754]

Your confidence is higher because you spent more money. 

Do any of you deep down really believe that a Yamamoto Senko will catch more fish than an identical stick bait?

You're talking about something with a brain the size of your fingernail. Did it bite that Senko because it might have 1mm of extra wobble on the fall or were you just more patient with it because you paid $7 for a bag of them so they must be good? 

If you give KVD an $11 spinnerbait he is going to catch 70 fish. If you give KVD a $3 spinnerbait he is going to catch 70 fish. 

[roadwarrior]

7 hours ago, Mosster47 said:

Do any of you deep down really believe that a Yamamoto Senko will catch more fish than an identical stick bait?

 

Absolutely!

 

[Jar11591]

7 hours ago, Mosster47 said:

 

You're talking about something with a brain the size of your fingernail. Did it bite that Senko because it might have 1mm of extra wobble on the fall or were you just more patient with it because you paid $7 for a bag of them so they must be good? 

You're thinking about it the wrong way, from a biological stand-point. You seem to think a fish brain works the same as a human brain. The size of a fish brain is precisely why the subtleties make all the difference. Bass do not think or reason, and every action is based on evolution of instinctual reaction. The smaller the brain, the more the animal relies on instinct. Just because we perceive something such as "1mm of extra wobble" as nothing, to a bass who doesn't think or reason it can be all that is needed to trigger an instinctual reaction. Think about it, fish respond to barometric pressure, when humans can't even perceive it without tools. Kind of like a bull when it sees red. Do you think the bull has an honest grudge with the color red because of some deep childhood issue? Or just because instinct? I'd choose the latter.  

[0119]

8 hours ago, Mosster47 said:

You're talking about something with a brain the size of your fingernail. Did it bite that Senko because it might have 1mm of extra wobble on the fall or were you just more patient with it because you paid $7 for a bag of them so they must be good? 

I argue this point all the time.  Its actually a very hot topic most get very defensive about.  If it be that their specific brand 11teen ball bearing reel is absolutely needed to catch that pea size brained opponent or the "fact" that you have to have a technique specific rod to throw something.  You just won't win that battle on the internet landscape full of enthusiasts and "experts".  You call it being "more patient" with their $7 bag of rubber, I call it their being more confident which leads to them using it more and throwing it more precisely all increasing their odds and LUCK.  I'll happily use my cheap Zoom and Gambler baits, its hard enough loosing an expensive hard bait, I'm not going to p!$$ money away on boutique soft plastics that still tear and get thrown as fast as the cheap ones do.

[Airman4754]

20 minutes ago, 0119 said:

I argue this point all the time.  Its actually a very hot topic most get very defensive about.  If it be that their specific brand 11teen ball bearing reel is absolutely needed to catch that pea size brained opponent or the "fact" that you have to have a technique specific rod to throw something.  You just won't win that battle on the internet landscape full of enthusiasts and "experts".  You call it being "more patient" with their $7 bag of rubber, I call it their being more confident which leads to them using it more and throwing it more precisely all increasing their odds and LUCK.  I'll happily use my cheap Zoom and Gambler baits, its hard enough loosing an expensive hard bait, I'm not going to p!$$ money away on boutique soft plastics that still tear and get thrown as fast as the cheap ones do.

Zoom in kind of an anomaly. How many super popular bait styles have those guys invented? It's crazy that so many companies copy their stuff, and turn around and charge more. I'm also with you on Gambler. They make stuff that works. 

I've fished the real deal Senkos plenty and I couldn't tell any difference in actual production from the 25 pack I get now from Big Bite for $6. 

It's just like you can catch a fish on a drop shot on every main lake point in every lake in this country March through September. It could be a Roboworm, Zoom, Yum, Kicker Fish, Havoc, etc. A-Mart isn't a ridiculously good drop shot fisherman because of Roboworms. 

 

[Master Bait'r]

20 minutes ago, 0119 said:

I argue this point all the time.  Its actually a very hot topic most get very defensive about.  If it be that their specific brand 11teen ball bearing reel is absolutely needed to catch that pea size brained opponent or the "fact" that you have to have a technique specific rod to throw something.  You just won't win that battle on the internet landscape full of enthusiasts and "experts".  You call it being "more patient" with their $7 bag of rubber, I call it their being more confident which leads to them using it more and throwing it more precisely all increasing their odds and LUCK.  I'll happily use my cheap Zoom and Gambler baits, its hard enough loosing an expensive hard bait, I'm not going to p!$$ money away on boutique soft plastics that still tear and get thrown as fast as the cheap ones do.

 

Durability is a big factor IMO though.  Basic plastic minnows tear when you look at them but Bento Minnows can last hours or even days and multiple fish because their reflective strip also holds the bait together and on the hook exceedingly well.  In that example you may be getting way more for your money from the bentos even though they're more expensive.  

 

As for for the beginning of your post, I love it when people insinuate the things I want are "needs". I have some expensive gear because I like it, not because it catches more fish or the bass care at all.  I have a nice set of combos for the same reason I have custom skis...  Because it feels good, I appreciate the details and it's fun to earn and have nice things.  If I was a tourney guy I'd probably have a whole different setup, but I don't care even a little.  Infer whatever you want, I'll just be over here enjoying every cast to the max.  

[Flippin4Biggins]

On February 28, 2016 at 8:22 AM, cgolf said:

I haven't tried the two brands you mentioned, will be trying the Rage Menace this summer, I do fish the Anglers Choice Killshot at 8 baits for 5 bucks. Designed as a drop shot bait it has a ton of action on a jig head and my guess is it imitates a leech really well and does hold up to multiple fish. Pricey yes, but very effective tool so I will pay the bit extra to use them. 

The only thing I will say about the pricier plastics is that I do think a lot about the purchase before I buy them, unlike say the Havoc pit boss that I finally bought to try that was a thoughtless add on to my purchase at Wally World since they were under 3 bucks. 

I beg to differ with the havoc pit bosses.... I flip and pitch with these and absolutely kill fish.... I think a lot of stuff comes down to confidence.  But then again someday a I have to use something else for bites.

[Cgolf]

3 hours ago, Flippin4Biggins said:

I beg to differ with the havoc pit bosses.... I flip and pitch with these and absolutely kill fish.... I think a lot of stuff comes down to confidence.  But then again someday a I have to use something else for bites.

I wasn't ripping on the bait, just saying that at 2.89 a bag I didn't think twice when tossing it in the cart. When I see bags of plastics 5 and up I think do I really need this or will some of the other stuff I have already work, and usually don't end up buying them. 

[primetime]

It is not like these companies are bagging their own plastics, some do like Producto, Net bait, I think Lunker City. Some may do the bagging or have a factory like DOA does, but usually the OEM does that for them...Zoom baits are less expensive than Strike King since Strike King Demands their baits be perfect in color, texture, no dents or bends, and packaged properly. They reject baits that look perfect for not having enough flake, where BPS or (Insert 90% of compnies here) will bag up some blemishes and that is how some sales for $1.00 Plastics happen, or buy 1 get one...Look at those trick worms compared to a pack you paid regular price for..many times you notice small dings and dents but who examines baits when fishing before rigging, usually you are in a rush to get back in the water..I just picked up some Dinger swimming sticks, and they were clearly seconds that were colored perfectly but to save Money, Yum Decided to put these twisted crooked tails in the bag, so that is why they are cheaper this year for most part....I will go back to the Swim Senko and Big BIte Cane Stick.

Baits made overseas Like Berkley are almost always quality, but you pay based on what the market dictates. If GYB senko's stop selling, they will go down in price...Havoc baits work great and hard to beat for the price. Pit Boss is legit as they come. I am convinced that for certain techniques, the bait is nothing more than a hook holder to stay weedless. If you are punching a 1.5 ounce tungsten with a small creature bait and not getting bit, but you switch to 1oz and start doing well, I know that you could stick the cheapest cheapest bait on your lline and that would work on same hook, line and color. I would take a 6" curly tail worm rigged on the right hook, and straight, then a Culprit rigged with a hook that is too big, not straight etc...it is all about presentation, A Senko may work better than a Net Bait Salt Lick, but only if you put it in front of fish, on the right line and fall rate etc...The recipe is out there for a stick worm, it just depends on what you like, I have had days where I do better with a Dinger and I love that hook slot, but GYB has like 300 colors and sometimes I believe it is a different look that matters. Other worms cost more than GYB and it is like saying that the Lunker City sluggo is better than the Bass Assassin version etc...It all depends who is fishing it and how.

A Classic was Won on Toho on a 6" Manns Hardnose worm with a Gator Tail..That worm was discontinued since nobody liked it, but it won a bassmaster classic and was all that was fished for 3 days...I believe it was black or purple.

Another classic was one on a 6" Tomoto core BPS or Cabelas brand ribbon tail. Another on a home made tube. 

I have a friend who outfishes me every trip if precision pitching is necessary from long distances with a subtle entry..I could give him any bait I wanted, and he would catch more than I do because he can hit spots from long distances without hardly making a splash...At the end of the day, fish what you like and if you figure out the pattern, mood of fish, speed, depth, etc.....The person around active fish will do better than someone who is not around fish using a GYB senko...

[Cgolf]

15 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

You're thinking about it the wrong way, from a biological stand-point. You seem to think a fish brain works the same as a human brain. The size of a fish brain is precisely why the subtleties make all the difference. Bass do not think or reason, and every action is based on evolution of instinctual reaction. The smaller the brain, the more the animal relies on instinct. Just because we perceive something such as "1mm of extra wobble" as nothing, to a bass who doesn't think or reason it can be all that is needed to trigger an instinctual reaction. Think about it, fish respond to barometric pressure, when humans can't even perceive it without tools. Kind of like a bull when it sees red. Do you think the bull has an honest grudge with the color red because of some deep childhood issue? Or just because instinct? I'd choose the latter.  

So actually you should carry Senkos, Swim Senkos, and pick your imitation senko, because sometimes they want that 1mm extra wobble, or less, imitation bait, and sometimes more and you toss the swim senko. Have seen many times where different squarebills work depending on the barometric pressure, so small things can matter. 

[Flippin4Biggins]

26 minutes ago, cgolf said:

I wasn't ripping on the bait, just saying that at 2.89 a bag I didn't think twice when tossing it in the cart. When I see bags of plastics 5 and up I think do I really need this or will some of the other stuff I have already work, and usually don't end up buying them. 

And I wasn't ripping you just saying they are good to me... If us still got them flip them or jig trailer.

[Cgolf]

5 minutes ago, Flippin4Biggins said:

And I wasn't ripping you just saying they are good to me... If us still got them flip them or jig trailer.

I am looking forward to trying them out this year, not sure why I waited so long lol

[Flippin4Biggins]

13 hours ago, cgolf said:

I am looking forward to trying them out this year, not sure why I waited so long lol

The arms don't move much so you can even punch with these.... I just put a little weight on them if near cover and then twitch it then lift up repeat and after twice no bite.... Move on but where I live they take it in the initial fall

[catch anything]

Im really liking the rage craw

[JT Bagwell]

I have a funny story for you. This is about crankbaits, not soft plastics.

 

One day several years ago, I was fishing with one of my buddies (who for the sake of this story is a very large dude that looks like the big guy off the movie the Green Mile. One of his nicknames was actually "Green Mile"). We were fishing on the Mississippi river in an urban environment.

I, being sponsored by Lucky Craft, was throwing a $15 crankbait and he was using crankbait that his wife got him in the bargain bin at Wal-Mart for less than $1. It was the most generic looking bait I had seen in years. That dude caught bass after bass and I barely caught anything.

Finally after a while he looks at me and says "JT, these are Ghetto Bass. They don't like your upper class crankbaits."

A couple of weeks later we were out fishing again, but this time at a lake far from the city. I was throwing a Chart/Blue Lucky Craft CB200 and he was using his bargain bin bait. Only this time I was just destroying him and he never got a bite.

Remembering what he had said to me before I said "Listen dude, these are upper class bass, they don't like your ghetto ***."

We had a good laugh and he ended up getting skunked that day. He actually got skunked most days that he went to that lake. He always said it was because the fish there were racist. 

 

 

 

 

[Wbeadlescomb]

I've seen the Reaction innovation kinky beaver outfish any other beaver style bait day in and day out on different t bodies of water. I've tried the off brands and they just won't hit them the same way

[pwahmy]

On March 6, 2016 at 7:51 AM, 0119 said:

I argue this point all the time.  Its actually a very hot topic most get very defensive about.  If it be that their specific brand 11teen ball bearing reel is absolutely needed to catch that pea size brained opponent or the "fact" that you have to have a technique specific rod to throw something.  You just won't win that battle on the internet landscape full of enthusiasts and "experts".  You call it being "more patient" with their $7 bag of rubber, I call it their being more confident which leads to them using it more and throwing it more precisely all increasing their odds and LUCK.  I'll happily use my cheap Zoom and Gambler baits, its hard enough loosing an expensive hard bait, I'm not going to p!$$ money away on boutique soft plastics that still tear and get thrown as fast as the cheap ones do.

Well said, I agree 100%

[PAGreg]

I used to use a lot of the Gander Mt brand beavers and Big Bite beavers and did well with them. Then, I gave the Ragetail Structure Bug a try and it took things to a whole other level. It does irritate me that I can catch half as many fish on the structure bug before its destroyed versus the other beavers, but the trade off is well worth it. I manage to prolong their use by utilizing Mend It.