Do lure manufacturers ever make improvements/changes/upgrades to lures?

[tcbass]

Things like night vision goggles get upgrades/improvements and normally are called Gen 1, Gen 2, Gen 3 and so forth. However, it seems that upgrades/changes/improvements to lures don't really happen, most likely because they are basically perfect when they are introduced. Perhaps a lure will get different hooks on it, but I've never really seen any changes in lures once they are introduced to the public. 

 

Well, I watched the below review on the Teckel Sprinker Frog and the guy said the negatives are that it 1.) needs to be squeezed to let water out and should be auto-drain like the Snagproof Phat Frog, and 2.) the nose is pointed down which makes it dive when it should be pointed up to make it ride even.

 

 

1.)  What is the chance of Teckel ever making these improvements and introducing a Gen 2 version of their Sprinker Frog?

 

 

 

2.)  Do lure companies ever change/improve lures once they are introduced to the public?

 

 

 

 

If companies never change lures once they hit the market, then I'd suspect Teckel won't make any improvements to their products either.

[webertime]

I've been fishing Teckel Frogs for a month and a half and have only found I need to squeeze water out frequently when I was ripping/trying to walk it.  I've never ever had it dive.  

 

Bait companies do from time to time "improve" or change some baits, but it's not that often.

[J Francho]

I thought this was the greatest thing since sliced bread? 

[webertime]

Lol, it's better in toules than Rye.

[J Francho]

Great, I think I've been spelling toules wrong my whole life.

[webertime]

Subtle as a hammer...

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, webertime said:

Bait companies do from time to time "improve" or change some baits, but it's not that often.

 

I can think of a frog related improvement.  The Basyrisky wobble frog.  They added a harder belly so the top would crsh easier when bit, and get better hook ups.  I never really had a problem with the old version, but they at least didn't make it worse.  Still one of my favorite baits.

[tcbass]

3 hours ago, webertime said:

I've been fishing Teckel Frogs for a month and a half and have only found I need to squeeze water out frequently when I was ripping/trying to walk it.  I've never ever had it dive.  

 

Bait companies do from time to time "improve" or change some baits, but it's not that often.

 

Interesting. 

 

Do you like it?

 

 

I've never heard of anyone improving a lure with changes besides hooks but it would be nice. 

[Bobby Uhrig]

I look at everything in life and say "How can i make it better?" more functional-more innovation is the phrase- It has worked out well for me. How many times have you guys said-"hey i thought of that years ago and now see it on the market"-

 

Well like Nike says  "JUST DO IT"

Like Steve did with Rage- Added a flange on a tail and made it better- all companies do it

If not someone will and they will reap the rewards.

There are leaders and followers 

Which one are you???

 

 

[tcbass]

2 minutes ago, Bobby Uhrig said:

I look at everything in life and say "How can i make it better?" more functional-more innovation is the phrase- It has worked out well for me. How many times have you guys said-"hey i thought of that years ago and now see it on the market"-

 

Well like Nike says  "JUST DO IT"

Like Steve did with Rage- Added a flange on a tail and made it better- all companies do it

If not someone will and they will reap the rewards.

There are leaders and followers 

Which one are you???

 

 

 

 

I'm definitely not Teckel! lol.

 

 

But I hope they follow your philosophy!

[Sam]

Even if the manufacturers do not upgrade or change their baits the pros do.

 

I was told by an old Elite Series guy what Kevin Van Dam does to some of his baits which Kevin does not make public.

 

Was it Skeet or Timmy who let the cat out of the bag on the modification of a lure a few years ago? The pros got angry with him and it was an honest mistake.

 

And some of my bass fishing friends modify their baits, too.

 

What kills me is that the pros will tell us that they used a specific bait to win or do well in a tournament without telling us what modifications they made in the baits. 

 

And to share with you one change, get your Chug Bugs out and using a drill and some glue, remove one of the balls inside the bait and seal it up again.  Can make all the difference in the world.

[James Janousek]

River2Sea made an improvement to the new 110 whopper plopper.  The tail section is now convex where it connects to the body, this helps prevent grass from getting in there and fouling up the action.  

[tcbass]

10 minutes ago, Sam said:

Even if the manufacturers do not upgrade or change their baits the pros do.

 

I was told by an old Elite Series guy what Kevin Van Dam does to some of his baits which Kevin does not make public.

 

Was it Skeet or Timmy who let the cat out of the bag on the modification of a lure a few years ago? The pros got angry with him and it was an honest mistake.

 

And some of my bass fishing friends modify their baits, too.

 

What kills me is that the pros will tell us that they used a specific bait to win or do well in a tournament without telling us what modifications they made in the baits. 

 

And to share with you one change, get your Chug Bugs out and using a drill and some glue, remove one of the balls inside the bait and seal it up again.  Can make all the difference in the world.

 

 

Weren't some guys using totally different lures than they were sponsored by but not telling anyone? Reminds me of Forest Gump and his ping pong paddle ad. lol

[Sam]

Just now, tcbass said:

 

 

Weren't some guys using totally different lures than they were sponsored by but not telling anyone? Reminds me of Forest Gump and his ping pong paddle ad. lol

 

Right, they do it all the time.

 

If you listen to what they say, closely, they may not say they caught the fish with "X" bait but they hawk them anyway. Listen to Ike closely when he discusses his baits after a tournament at the weigh-in.

 

I used to fish with a guide who was sponsored by a few bass industry companies.

 

When either he or I caught a nice one, he would take off his fishing shirt and put on another fishing shirt plus a new cap of one of his sponsors and I took a photo of him so he could send it into the manufacturer.

 

We always laughed about it as he used Zoom plastics and various hard baits, only.  But he had to send in photos so I helped him.

 

He has since passed away but he was a character.

[roadwarrior]

One example is Z-Man Chatterbait.  The original is still VERY popular and relatively cheap 

(both in terms of price and quality). For a little more you get their "Project Z" which has

MUCH better components.

 

http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Z-Man-Project-Z-ChatterBait/productDetail/Skirted-Jigs/prod99999049916/cat101093?ref=google?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shoppingfeeds&utm_term=1448136&utm_campaign=GDF&gdffi=956ae87823e94c98adceb63322121bc0&gdfms=6A7A84E520724DAC98B810F6BA835F17&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItKSjiuDZ1QIVlIqzCh2_wAHjEAQYBSABEgKpZPD_BwE

 

[tcbass]

8 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

One example is Z-Man Chatterbait.  The original is still VERY popular and relatively cheap 

(both in terms of price and quality). For a little more you get their "Project Z" which has

MUCH better components.

 

http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Z-Man-Project-Z-ChatterBait/productDetail/Skirted-Jigs/prod99999049916/cat101093?ref=google?utm_source=google&utm_medium=shoppingfeeds&utm_term=1448136&utm_campaign=GDF&gdffi=956ae87823e94c98adceb63322121bc0&gdfms=6A7A84E520724DAC98B810F6BA835F17&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItKSjiuDZ1QIVlIqzCh2_wAHjEAQYBSABEgKpZPD_BwE

 

 

Good. I saw an above poster pointed out that River2Sea improved the Whopper Plopper 110 also. 

 

Rather then make a "premium" Sprinker Frog I wish they'd just improve the current one. 

[J Francho]

Do you have an ACTUAL frog in your possession?  If not, how do you know it needs any improvement?  It's pretty common to have to squeeze the water out of any hollow frog after work the bait aggressively.  One solution I use is to smear Megastrike over the hook opening.  It doesn't block the air on the hookset, but keeps the water out.

[tcbass]

45 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Do you have an ACTUAL frog in your possession?  If not, how do you know it needs any improvement?  It's pretty common to have to squeeze the water out of any hollow frog after work the bait aggressively.  One solution I use is to smear Megastrike over the hook opening.  It doesn't block the air on the hookset, but keeps the water out.

 

 

I don't. OP said improvements were suggested in this video.

 

 

Some frogs, like Snagproof's Phat Frog have a separate hook channel thus not needing to squeeze water out (theoretically). 

 

 

[Choporoz]

50 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Do you have an ACTUAL frog in your possession? 

 

5 minutes ago, tcbass said:

I don't.

[J Francho]

We're done with these frogs at this point.