Balsa baits

[GoneFishingLTN]

Is there a difference between old balsa baits and the new ones besides the paint jobs?

[BASS302]

$

[GoneFishingLTN]

8 hours ago, BASS302 said:

$

Same wood though and everything else?

[Spankey]

8 hours ago, BASS302 said:

$

That’s true. Only balsa I use are Rapala and Bagleys. I don’t see a change in quality. Colors have changed some. Color is what it is or not is. I wanted some new Bagleys for Xmas. They picked me up a handful from TW during the sale. I look forward to using the new ones. 

[fishballer06]

Quality of hardware can change. Obviously, hooks these days are significantly better than the hooks we had 25+ years ago.

[GoneFishingLTN]

40 minutes ago, Spankey said:

That’s true. Only balsa I use are Rapala and Bagleys. I don’t see a change in quality. Colors have changed some. Color is what it is or not is. I wanted some new Bagleys for Xmas. They picked me up a handful from TW during the sale. I look forward to using the new ones. 

So you feel confident they will have the same action as the old ones?

[Bluebasser86]

There's some great new wood baits out there. I really liked the Thunder Shads but they were Cedar. Black Market Balsa are great too.

[Bankbeater]

I haven't fished with balsa baits in years.  I use to have a bad time with them getting banged up around cover and rocks.

[GoneFishingLTN]

On 1/18/2019 at 5:43 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

There's some great new wood baits out there. I really liked the Thunder Shads but they were Cedar. Black Market Balsa are great too.

I figure they would have different action or why would every one want the old ones?

Also anyone know why people don't use wiggle warts or anything like that and mainly use square bills in that place?

[Bluebasser86]

Wiggle warts aren't good heavy cover baits while some of the wood squarebills are almost impossible to hang up. I have a couple I can throw in places that are iffy for a spinnerbait to make it through and they'll make it no problem 9/10 times.

[Team9nine]

All depends on who you ask. I personally prefer the older Bagley Bs with the brass hardware and lead in the lip. Have sunk a small fortune into them (see pic of just a few of them)  That said, I have to admit, I have some of the newer version that have produced just as well as the olds, so it's probably a combination of confidence, and like most wood baits, finding the ones with that "magic" combination of factors that just make them produce better. 

 

[smalljaw67]

35 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

All depends on who you ask. I personally prefer the older Bagley Bs with the brass hardware and lead in the lip. Have sunk a small fortune into them (see pic of just a few of them)  That said, I have to admit, I have some of the newer version that have produced just as well as the olds, so it's probably a combination of confidence, and like most wood baits, finding the ones with that "magic" combination of factors that just make them produce better. 

 

I'm a big fan of the old Bagley Balsa B2 square bill and being down to only 2 I was always worried throwing them. I got a few of the new Balsa B2 baits and they work well, in fact I bought 6 more after my 1st experience with the new ones. Team9nine is exactly right though, some swear by the old brass hardware but the new HCM through wire baits seem to be more consistent. All my Balsa baits will catch fish, but there are some that are just a tad bit different that seem to really catch fish. I have 2 of my new version B2s and 1 old one that will almost blow out when you hit a certain speed, they don't blow out all the way though, they just about get there and then they right themselves, that is a killer action. The funny thing with that is every one will do it at a different speed, the old one does it when you burn it, the newer version seems to do it when you are reeling pretty fast but not quite burning it, and then I have the ONE, it does it at any speed above slow reeling.  My Rapala balsa baits are really consistent in that they all work incredibly well but I've never found one that had that little bit extra and I never had one that didn't get bit, and that is a good thing.

[scaleface]

  I'm a big fan of the Rapala Fat Rap . All of mine work but one works better . Its a little heavier , cast a little better and has a stronger and tighter vibration . 

[davecon]

I fish mostly for snook. The way I fish for them is almost exactly like you would for bass. 

 

I have found one lure that , for me, outfishes every other lure almost two to one. You guessed it, a balsa Rapala Flat Rap. Problem is that snook are really rough on plugs. Think of a bass on steroids, plus they get big - 40 plus inches, 25 pounds. 

 

Some days I go through 3 or more of those Flat Raps. At $9.00 each that gets expensive ! 

 

Have spent a small small fortune trying to find a replacement lure that works as well. Have been unable to find a plastic lure that comes anywhere close to matching the fish catching ability of balsa.

 

Admittedly this is a unique situation I’m in, especially since the water I fish is usually only 2 to 3 feet deep and the majority of plugs run much deeper which is in the mud/oysters/lime rock for me.

 

Ironically when bass fishing with crankbaits seems the balsa lures, Rapala and Bagley, work better. It may be in my head, but I seem to have more confidence in the balsa. 

 

Throw a plastic lure in a swimming pool and watch it during the “pause” during the retrieve. Do the same thing with a balsa lure. I have found significant differences.