Anybody have the opposite effect from the Bait Monkey

[Chance_Taker4]

Over the last few years I was in a pretty big "Buy Now" phase and accumulated way too much tackle. I looked back at everything and decided to simplify. To get an idea what I'm dealing with I have went from 312 total packs of soft plastic bats to 50. and have shrunk my squrebills from 3 over stuffed 3700 boxes to 2 3600 boxes. Everything has been condensed to a total of 9 3600 boxes from 15 3700 boxes. I actually feel better after recouping some of the money spent and condensing plus I am way more organized that in the past. Anyone else just hit the wall and say enough is enough and kill the bait monkey?

[A-Jay]

 Think I remember reading you are 'boat shopping'.

 

  Enjoy your visits from the boat, motor, trailer, electronics, accessories and maintenance monkey.

 

Additionally - this may not help your cause . . . . .

 

 

A-Jay

[Tizi]

Due to kids, work, and life, I stopped fishing for about 20 years.  Before the kids, work, and life I had accumulated a lot of gear.  I picked the sport back up a few years ago.  Good news I had everything I needed to get started, the bad news, technology updates made some of my rods/reels antiquated.  I decided to give my kids my old stuff and get new stuff!!  I have been slowing building up my arsenal.  I have spent around $1,500, not including my new Jackson kayak.  To your point, I have tried to do this thoughtfully without breaking the bank.

[MN Fisher]

Last year it was the canoe and motor with two new rods/reels.

 

This year it's mods to the canoe and starting to replace old gear. I have to do it slowly as being on a fixed income doesn't give rise to extravagant spending.

 

Some of my lures are 20+ years old, three of my rod/reel combos are that old or older.

[Chance_Taker4]

5 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 Think I remember reading you are 'boat shopping'.

 

  Enjoy your visits from the boat, motor, trailer, electronics, accessories and maintenance monkey.

 

Additionally - this may not help your cause . . . . .

 

 

A-Jay

Thanks A-Jay I am boat shopping for next season. Being in Ohio it's pointless to buy a boat now. I used the money from selling off my mini tackle store as my wife put it helped fund my endeavor to start painting cranks. I think by painting my owns lures it will help me not overspend on tackle since I have to put the work in to produce what I want.

[A-Jay]

Just now, Chance_Taker4 said:

Thanks A-Jay I am boat shopping for next season. Being in Ohio it's pointless to buy a boat now. I used the money from selling off my mini tackle store as my wife put it helped fund my endeavor to start painting cranks. I think by painting my owns lures it will help me not overspend on tackle since I have to put the work in to produce what I want.

Perfect ~ 

 I totally understand the $$ challenge.

I sold my GTO to help fund my rig.

Hated to do it - but the return was decent and I really couldn't swing it otherwise.

Good Luck.

A-Jay

 

 

[DropShotHotShot]

I mostly only fish what I am confident in, and therefore only buy what I am confident in.  I only try a few new things a year

[thedilettantedad]

Intelligent Consumer.

 

[NorcalBassin]

Starting January 1st...

[Chance_Taker4]

49 minutes ago, DropShotHotShot said:

I mostly only fish what I am confident in, and therefore only buy what I am confident in.  I only try a few new things a year

I would say around 80% of the baits I owned never seen the water and most plastics never seen my tackle box 

[Gundog]

14 minutes ago, NorcalBassin said:

Starting January 1st...

Yea....right. 

[Columbia Craw]

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

I bought the latest shimano offerings and daiwa offerings in the $280 and below range as far as reels go. Not going to purchase any new ones til a major improvement comes along. From the early preview releases of what in the pipe nothing interesting on the way.

 

Rods the same way nothing there interests me. Im pretty stuck on getting lighter rods, with same power, compared to what I have now and there is nothing available.  Thought the Phenix Feather series might hit the mark, said to be very light, but to get the power the weight goes up past my current rods.

 

Lures pretty set there. About 5 lures make up 99% of my arsenal. Senkos, Ikas, Keitech Fat Paddletails 3.8" 2.8", SK Rocket shad spinnerbaits. Ive bought lots of them on very good sales now just letting it ride.

 

Oh and MEND-IT is a blessing it literally pays for itself ten fold.

[Team9nine]

I have my spells, and could go into a really long post on the subject, but one of the best compliments I ever got came from an FLW pro who told me, "I'm betting that you spend the least amount of money and catch the most bass per dollar of most anyone around."

 

The more you know, the less you throw 

[GoneFishingLTN]

1 hour ago, Team9nine said:

I have my spells, and could go into a really long post on the subject, but one of the best compliments I ever got came from an FLW pro who told me, "I'm betting that you spend the least amount of money and catch the most bass per dollar of most anyone around."

 

The more you know, the less you throw 

I do agree with this, as you learn location and other things are way more important but how do you think about the mega bass 110 vs other cheap knock off bait when you know the 110 catch's more fish does it not tempt you to purchase there?

Also for the confidence baits thing if you only fish 5 x baits that are your confidence aren't you really just hindering your self in a world where mass info for all the other techniques that are more appropriate for x situation?

[BrackishBassin]

I’m in a similar spot. My last three trips involved me throwing a bunch of different baits, but I always end up back on a chatterbait. It just seems to be the most effective bait for the particular piece of water that I fish on a regular basis. Other stuff works from time to time, but nothing has been anywhere near as effective as a chatterbait. So, I quit buying stuff and don’t plan to buy anymore...until I need some new chatterbaits. 

[Dirtyeggroll]

13 hours ago, Chance_Taker4 said:

Thanks A-Jay I am boat shopping for next season. Being in Ohio it's pointless to buy a boat now.

Or it’s the ideal time to get a great deal because people are trying to get rid of boats to avoid storing them and there is low demand.

[Team9nine]

10 hours ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

I do agree with this, as you learn location and other things are way more important but how do you think about the mega bass 110 vs other cheap knock off bait when you know the 110 catch's more fish does it not tempt you to purchase there?

Also for the confidence baits thing if you only fish 5 x baits that are your confidence aren't you really just hindering your self in a world where mass info for all the other techniques that are more appropriate for x situation?

I don't view the bait monkey as high $ vs low $ baits, but instead more to your latter point of not being able to control impulse buying, or the buying of unnecessary baits. So my jerkbait arsenal is 75% Megabass, but I own less than a dozen in just a few colors, and only replace them as they break or wear out, often when they are on sale. So beyond a couple specific LC Pointers, you have my entire jerkbait collection I can take anywhere in the country and catch some fish with.

 

Once upon a time, back in the day of Fishing Facts and In-Fisherman, fishing educators primarily taught how to catch fish...you know, F+L+P=S kind of stuff. Systems. Approaches. Now days, there is very little of that. Instead, as you suggested, mass info is all about the tweaks, subtleties and unique occurrences in an effort to sell you more baits you don't need (but they make you think you do). Everyone is dancing on branches. Once you learn that beyond location, depth and speed are the primary controls to getting bit, you quickly realize how few baits you really need to accomplish those three things and successfully catch fish. 

[Hook2Jaw]

Since I picked up bass fishing as my primary hobby and dropped bowhunting everything that moved, I have set my sights on getting into kayak bass tournaments and eventually, I want to start a YouTube channel.

 

Over the past two years I've broadened the techniques I'm comfortable with, and as I've stepped into them I've bought more and more gear and tackle.  I've had to upgrade my kayak crate from a 13x13 to a 13x19 to carry the nine planos I have packed full of baits, and it has 10 rod holders screwed to the side.  I did my research and bought the most effective and durable gear I could, and I'm hoping it lasts years.  As far as rods and reels go, I'm fairly set.

 

As far as baits go, I focus my attention on 2 to 3 colors of soft plastics, and up to 5 colors of hard baits.  I've always got two plug knockers in the front hatch.  I do everything possible to avoid buying new baits at this point, but when I do buy a new bait, it's not a 15 dollar lucky craft or 25 dollar megabass jerkbait.  It's always a replacement in what I deemed appropriate to my budget.

 

Now, when the fiancee and I open our law office in the future, you might see me trying to enter big boat bass tournaments and doubling that boats weight with Yamamoto, Roboworm, Megabass and Luckycraft. 

 

But I'll more than likely always stick to a budget and I might break my bow out to skewer the bait monkey.

[Deleted account]

11 hours ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

Also for the confidence baits thing if you only fish 5 x baits that are your confidence aren't you really just hindering your self 

No. 

[GoneFishingLTN]

30 minutes ago, reason said:

No. 

See I find this hard to believe in this day and age your telling me someone who is versatile and in every technique is not going to put more bass in the boat than you if you fish the same areas? 

[Deleted account]

2 minutes ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

See I find this hard to believe in this day and age your telling me someone who is versatile and in every technique is not going to put more bass in the boat than you if you fish the same areas? 

It comes down to one can either figure out how to catch fish on a given day on a given body of water or they can't. The fact that someone ends up doing it with a few or many lures is irrelevant, it's the fool and sage are almost indistinguishable thing. I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, in the places I fish, I don't need a lot of presentations or lures, not that I am not proficient at them. 

[Team9nine]

57 minutes ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

See I find this hard to believe in this day and age your telling me someone who is versatile and in every technique is not going to put more bass in the boat than you if you fish the same areas? 

Lakes and reservoirs are big, why would you assume everyone is going to fish the same areas. One versatile guy could spend hours rotating through baits and presentations on a mediocre spot, and easily get outfished by a guy with just a couple baits on a better pattern or rotation of spots. See my previous post. Happens all the time. The guy with the most toys doesn't always win.

[Catt]

36 minutes ago, GoneFishingLTN said:

See I find this hard to believe in this day and age your telling me someone who is versatile and in every technique is not going to put more bass in the boat than you if you fish the same areas? 

 

Come on down to the Big Pond & we'll put it to the test!

 

I'll only throw Texas Rigs & a Jig-n-Craw, you can throw what ever you want.

[TOXIC]

It's easy for me....For Plastics, if Yamamoto doesn't make it, I don't throw it although with their lineup you would be hard pressed to find a style of plastic they don't make.  For every other bait I use the old fishing saying "Everything made today is just a variation of something that has already been made".  There are very few, if any, new offerings that are not modifications of existing baits.  If I have some variation....I don't buy it.  If it's truly something "new", I'll give it a try.  That keeps my Bait Monkey buys to a minimum.