mixing different plastics in a single bag?

[RichardJarel]

Hi Everyone...

I've got a question: Just bought a bunch of soft baits here on BR. I'm a bank angler (new to Bass fishing), and don't have enough room or want to carry a bunch of different bags of baits. I know that mixing Zman ("Elastic" ...spelling?), with other soft baits can raise havoc, but can I mix other baits in a single bag? I'd like to carry two or three of each just to try them out without having to carry too much as well as not damaging the baits.

All insight/experience, advice and ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you!

 Richard

[Russ E]

depends on how long you keep them in the bag. if it is just for a day trip you should be fine.

Most soft plastics will leech the colors if you keep them mixed too long. you may end up with some weird colors if you don't separate them after fishing.

[Riazuli]

I've had senkos pretty much completely dissolve when mixed with KVD dream shots - there may have also been yum dinger residue in there. 

[RichardJarel]

Thanks guys!

Since I'm new to this, I think I may just put a few of the same baits in small zip lock baggies and not take so many with me, saving others for following trips. Didn't think about residue from previous bagged baits!

 

I'm thinking that once I get my boat running, I may get another Bass specific tackle box and transfer my plastic bait bags to the bank fishing bag/box I'm currently using (They'd fit perfectly), or get one of those plastic bait "folders".

 

I just don't want to risk damaging these things.

Thanks again!

Richard

[snake95]

1 hour ago, RichardJarel said:

I'd like to carry two or three of each just to try them out without having to carry too much as well as not damaging the baits.

I'm primarily a bank angler and for the past couple of years I have routinely mixed plastics in Plano boxes and carried them that way.   I leave them in the boxes and almost nothing adverse happens.  I carry a broad range of types and styles from numerous manufacturers.

 

The main exception of course is Elaztech baits from Zman and some from Strike King.  They just have to stay in their own bags.

 

The other "issue" is that colors can potentially bleed as noted above, it really depends on the products.  I don't know of a simple way to predict when that will occur between dissimilar baits, beyond experience.

 

So, I deal with this by periodically re-sorting baits according to color within the Plano boxes.  I find that most of the time, the colors don't bleed at all, and if you keep similar colors together, you won't notice it much (again it doesn't happen with all colors or baits).

 

On the other hand, I have found that sometimes it is advantageous to allow some baits to mix colors and create new ones.  A good example is packing white worms and paddletails with chartreuse lures, often resulting in a "sexy shad" color to the white baits.  

 

Very rarely I will have a plastic lure that reacts with an adjacent one or the box itself.  But I find you can catch any melting before it gets out of hand by just checking the boxes once in a while.  Again, it has been rare for me over several years, and I use a very wide variety of baits.

 

Seems to me this happened more with plastic baits when I was a kid in the 80's - but as I recall the main reactions were with the hard plastic of the tackle box, not the soft plastics.  But that's just vague recollection.

 

I know, a lot of guys will tell you to keep baits sorted by keeping them in their own bags.  I generally agree with this in theory.  But sometimes if you are out for a few hours doing some experiments, it is convenient to mix them up.  I've been leaving them mixed for a couple of years now.

 

So - go for it!

 

8 minutes ago, RichardJarel said:

Since I'm new to this, I think I may just put a few of the same baits in small zip lock baggies and not take so many with me, saving others for following trips. Didn't think about residue from previous bagged baits

I really don't think you'll find that it happens very often these days.

[Todd2]

Other than Zman..no problems.

[RichardJarel]

Thanks again guys!

I think I was so mentally excited, that I wanted to try everything at once! Reality is, with only a few hours, I'll be lucky to try out a half dozen at a time! LOL!

[PersicoTrotaVA]

I don’t recommend it, especially from different manufacturers. If you want to keep let’s say zoom, strike king and zman, I would always keep them separate based on who made them. Mixing them, you may be asking for trouble...it’s also best to be organized and keep your bags separate.  You can put them all in a larger plastic zip lock bag that should be fine as long as they stay in separate smaller bags. 

[RichardJarel]

Thank you everyone.

 

I'm going to go the cautious route and keep same baits in same bags. I'll transfer to smaller sandwich zip locks, but keep the same baits, same colors, etc in one bag at a time. I'll mark them so I know which original brand/bag they came from so that when I find one that I like, I'll know which one they are so I can order more.

Thanks again,

Richard

[FishDewd]

Flukes are fine with each other, as are all zoom plastics I have trial mixed. Senkos- dont mix unless you wanting to change a lures color. I put a red and pink one together and it made orange! Somewhat useful actually. But they stain other baits as well so be cautious. Zman... you already knlw that's a nono as are putting them loose in most tackle boxes. Other than that not sure what else.

[kingmotorboat]

11 hours ago, Weedwhacker said:

depends on how long you keep them in the bag. if it is just for a day trip you should be fine.

Most soft plastics will leech the colors if you keep them mixed too long. you may end up with some weird colors if you don't separate them after fishing.

Not gonna lie I've done this before to make some wild colors and they worked. I actually have an area in my tacklebox for these baits

[thinkingredneck]

Lunker City plastics bleed colors onto each other very quickly.  

[RichardJarel]

thanks for that one! I didn't think same brand style might interact with each other

[rtwvumtneer6]

Not sure if this was mentioned, but if you die or dip your baits in color or scent it can do a number on others in the bag.

 

I left a paca chunk trailer that was covered in liquid mayhem on the back of a black and blue jig.  The next time I pulled it out I had some purple and red mixed in on the skirt.  That bait (RIP) also caught my 7.62# PB.

 

Had to brag ? But I agree, a day trip should be fine, just avoid baking them in the sun or leaving them together for too long.