Mega Bass Jerkbaits .. Worth it?

[joecarroll42]

I've been checking out the mega bass jerkbaits, I've heard good things about them.  But are they truly worth the premium price? Anyone using them? If so what do you think about them?

[kickerfish1]

Using them? Yes

Worth the price? IMO, most of the time not.

I used to be a big fan of their jerkbaits but with the price of one jerkbait around $25 a piece I think there are better options. The last few years I have been using more of the Lucky Craft pointers than any other bait. Between $15-17 a piece, and unlike MB baits, they are readily available on sale for 15-20% off. At that rate I can buy 2 LC baits to just one MB bait. LC offers tons of colors, dive depths, profiles, etc to help you find the right jerkbait.

Also if you fish waters with Pike, Muskie, or Pickerel than, the odds of losing one two one of these fish is also high.

Yes, there are some days the MB 110 is a dominant bait and its success has been well documented in various tournaments across the country but to me it is a good bait but not worth the price tag IMO. While I have never had an issue with any of the baits I have owned there have been issues with the bills breaking for some folks. Will I buy another 110? Probably, but it is very far down the list of jerkbaits I would consider right now. Duo Realis 100s and Ima Flits are also good choices for great prices too.

[Bluebasser86]

There's lots of knockoffs of the Megabass 110 body style that work very well. The MB bait will trigger strikes at times others won't, but sometimes the other baits will work better than the MB too. Durability is my biggest issue with them. I've never had one last a season (most don't make it but a couple trips), before the bill falls off from hitting rocks during the retrieve. To me, that's unacceptable from a $25 jerkbait. I have some Trick Darters, but I won't be buying anymore 110's unless I find a steal. 

[roadwarrior]

I think the Ito Vision 110 is an exceptional lure and collecting them is my passion. I have bought them over the years always on "special". My average cost I would guess is around $15. We have them pop up on our Flea Market occasionally, too. One of the keys for fishing the 110 is light line on spinning tackle which is how they were designed to be fished in Japan.

 

[thebillsman]

X-80 Trick Darter is their best jerkbait. Stay glued to eBay for some great deals.

absolutely worth it.

[Master Bait'r]

Value will always be subjective.  I like their actions and I like the patterns, but they are a bit cost prohibitive.  So is every other premium product on the planet too fwiw. 

 

Do they catch all the fish all the time?  Of course not.  They do have a great erratic action that is a nice compliment to the more rolly dart you get from say a LC 100SP though.  I will never not have Megabass jerkbaits on my tackle box.  

 

I have megabass jerks from the 1/8oz smolt all the way up to the 1oz Kanata and they are all awesome at what they do.  

[Jon G]

I really like Megabass baits especially the S-Crank and the Pop Max but the 110 doesn't really impress me as much. Like others have said the bill durability is aggravating for a $25 bait. If I want a jerkbait with a long slender profile such as the 110 I would prefer to use a LC Flash Pointer SP

[1simplemann]

Lucky craft is just as good. So is anything from Rapala and/or Strike King. Lot's of northern around where I fish. Have one take a 25$ lure and you'll regret throwing it! I bought a bunch of LC's this spring from Cabela's for 4.99 and 6.99. normally they are $16. 2nd time I've seen this sale. Save your money and wait for the sale.

[MassYak85]

I'm not spending 25 dollars on something that most likely will get bitten off by a pickeral eventually. Only time I spend that much on a lure is swimbaits. And generally the pickerel aren't able to chew through the 20lb CXX I throw them on. I'm sure they are great jerkbaits, but those and lucky craft pointers just aren't worth it to me considering the risk. I do have one pointer but that was because I got it in sale. 

[Logan S]

They are worth it to me.  Doesn't mean I don't also have LC's, Rapala's, Smithwicks, Duo's, etc, in my boat...But more often than not my jerkbait rods have MB baits tied on.  

I've never broken a bill on mine, but I don't bang them off rocks either.  If I'm fishing around rocks and my goal is to make contact with them, I'll use the 110 FX...The folding bill seems to take a pretty good beating (or I'll use a Pointer or X-Rap).

[crypt]

give me a bomber long a any day.

[Drew03cmc]

I like the X-80, but have never used a 110. I own X-Raps, Rogues and Twitch Sticks right now. I will be buying more MB/LC jerks and others.

[S. Sass]

With the literally million other lures out there that produce and are reasonably priced unless wealthy or a collector not a chance in Lucifer's house would a guy tie $25 cash to a fishing line and throw it way out there hoping a big fish will eat it and he can safely get it back to him. Otherwise that would look to be what is commonly called koo koo. 

$25 a piece for a bass lure not a chance. As a collector of purdy lures hey what ever floats your boat. Pun intended 

[Mastermarsh]

If you have any toothy critters in your waters, absolutely not. I know the feeling of setting the hook on a Megabass only to feel slack line, trolling to where the strike happened only to watch your jerkbait/money slowly sinking out of your life forever.

I enjoy throwing jerkbaits all year round, as we have a ton of angry Smallies in Michigan and the largemouth/occasional walleye also love them. Each action has its time and place and jerksbaits have quickly become my confidence bait year round when bass are busting baitfish in open water. After far losing far to many megabass to Pike & Musky I have switched to throwing Lucky Strike RC Stx. They have the same action as the 110s and are nearly as effective and come in good variety of colors for about 1/3 the price. Once you upgrade the trebles/split rings they are killer, but the smaller size is almost to light to fish.

But I will say that the Vision 110 Jr's are a whole different bag of worms, in my opinion they are unparalleled when targeting river smallmouth. 

[punch]

I use quite a few different jerkbaits, and usually have a jerkbait tied on all year.. and man I can't resist the Vision 110. I know they are expensive, I know i'll be sad if a pike breaks me off (only has happened once) but the bait is just so awesome. They cast farther than any other jerkbait I own and they have a very unique action. They always catch fish! The pumpkinseed paint job is a killer on my bluegill filled Minnesota lakes. I have a vision 110 tied onto my jerkbait rod 95% of the time all season. 

I get a kick out of the fact that most of us don't blink at buying $200 rods and $300 reels but draw the line at a +$20 bait. I think you get what you pay for with the Vision. 

[MDBowHunter]

I primarily throw 110s but as Logan said that don't mean I don't own a bunch of LC pointers, Duo's Rapala's along with a few others. I do believe they do draw more strikes then the others, but that could be just a confidence thing. I feel the action is a little more subtle then the LCs. I've personally never broken any so I cant complain at all about the durability, but I mainly fish real deep reservoirs and once your 10' off the bank your in 20FOW. I will say that I've been throwing the same 110 ITO tour premium in wakasagi for two years now and its caught hundreds of bass including a bunch of pikerals and its still going strong, the finish is looking a little worse for wear and I've swapped out the hooks a couple times now and thanks to an extendable lure retriever shes hanging in there. My buddy that I fish with pretty much every weekend absolutely hates that lure, but he cant deny it's fish catching abilities...

[Teejayy Taker]

i have a nice lot of str8 eye 110s for sale

[Harold Scoggins]

On ‎7‎/‎3‎/‎2016 at 10:42 AM, roadwarrior said:

I think the Ito Vision 110 is an exceptional lure and collecting them is my passion. I have bought them over the years always on "special". My average cost I would guess is around $15. We have them pop up on our Flea Market occasionally, too. One of the keys for fishing the 110 is light line on spinning tackle which is how they were designed to be fished in Japan. 

 

Whoa...haven't met many anglers on this side of the pond who knew about the spinning tackle. You will, however, see baitcasters used in product videos, but I think that is done mostly for the American market. I've been collecting and fishing these lures for years and I think they are well worth the coin. I also throw LC pointers, (The Slender and jointed being my favorite in the LC lineup.) but the 110 and Ito Shiners down right shines when it comes to action and triggering strikes. The cost is an issue among many anglers here in the states, but there is a markup when sending these lures across the pond. There are some retailers in Japan who include these lures in their holiday sales (unlike those in the states) and if you make a sizable order you can offset the shipping. I travel to Japan about every two years and I always take advantage of the trips to fill a check-in bag with lures for the return trip. Last year I purchased some 110s for around 1990 yen, that's about $17-$18 US. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, so I understand the issue with tackle price. On the other hand, whenever I discuss lure prices with someone holding a $100-$200 rod/reel and they're laughing at my $20 lure, I don't get it. That lure tied on the end of the line is, IMO, the business end of our craft.

[burrows]

IMA flit is my go to jerk bait very underrated but very efficient. 

[Deleted account]

Worth it? Depends on one's perspective. In my mind, no. It's a very good JB with a cult following for sure, and I own several, but it isn't my favorite or best producer most of the time. I fish quite a few different JBs, some old, some new, some high dollar, and others cheapos, I let the fish and conditions decide, and proceed accordingly.

[Ksam1234]

It all depends on your lake and if you like the bait. I personally like megabass jerkbaits and where I fish I can outfish most people

2:1 when they throw other jerkbaits. When I was out on my friends boat this spring I was nailing them

on the 110 and he was like “man what is that magic bait you have”

so I showed him and he went out ha got some.. to me it’s worth it. Maybe these will help

[anderb54]

There's 3 that every angler (especially smallmouth anglers) should have: the Vision 110 (and/or 110+1), X-80 Trick Darter, and Ito Shiner. I'm in the minority of people who like the Ito Shiner better than the 110. I've had killer days with the 110, and it's the better bait in cold water, but if it's above 55 degrees, I've had more success and bigger fish on the Ito Shiner. The Trick Darter is a secret weapon when the fish are a tad deeper, especially in the fall ?

 

For what it's worth, the fish in my profile pic was caught on an Ito Shiner in Pro Blue.

[smithy97]

I do love the Vision 110, but then I discovered the Duo Realis 110 and now it's my go-to jerkbait. My jerkbait box is now 70% Duos to 30% Visions. I love the deeper rattle in the Duo, and I feel it fishes a bit deeper as well. The Megabass is tough to swallow at that price, and the hooks have to be swapped out on top of that. But, there are days that the fish only seem to bite the Vision. Likewise, there are days that the fish only want the Duo. Haven't lost a Vision to a fish yet, and I haven't experienced a bill breaking. I'd say buy one, swap out the hooks, and fish it. Compare it to other jerkbaits and see what action you prefer. After trying lots of brands I've settled on the Duo and the Megabass, I'm sure you'l settle on 1 or 2 brands that give you confidence as well. 

[MIbassyaker]

Here's how I think about questions like this:

 

Megabass Vision 110 on TW: $25

3 packs of GYCB senkos on TW: 22.5

 

So: Will I lose/break/wear-out my megabass jerkbait before I go through about 3 packs of senkos? If so, it may not be worth it. Otherwise, possibly worth it.

[CrankFate]

It’s hard to read stuff like this. After looking at a big box full of stuff that isn’t even opened from last year, I cannot, will not, drop $30 on a single stick bait. I can’t. Feels the same as if I was going to drop $500 on a rod. I won’t. Once an eye pops off, and a hook straightens, like they do on the dark sleeper, it feels the same as it would to have a $500 rod blow up on a hook set. But the information here is very compelling me to get a few of these.