What Makes Lucky Craft Worth The Extra $$ ?

[BassChaser57]

Why are the Lucky Craft hardbaits worth twice as much as Rapalas, ect? I like to use high end equipment and can justify G.Loomis with sensitivity but do the Lucky Craft baits really catch that much better? Can someone tell me how to tell Santa why I need some Little Sammys in my stocking? Thanks

8-)

[JiggaMan512]

No one can say for sure that LC lures are worth the high cost. The only fact is that they are sold at a much higher price than most other lures in the business. I know im guilty of seeing these expensive lures at the store and saying to myself ,"Man, that ones gotta be productive if its $17.99!" Unfortunatley, the only way to find out is to buy one and use it for yourself. If it catches a substantial number of nice fish for you then most of us would say that its worth the price. So i guess it breaks down to this: Are you catching more fish on a Lucky Craft lure than you were before on another brand? if so, are those extra fish in your boat worth the difference in price?

[Brad_Coovert]

Like any product, you'll get varied opinions.  There are pros and cons to any product.

I like several of the Lucky Craft baits, but not all of them.

The Pointers are excellent jerkbaits and well worth the money IMO.  They have saved the day many times when other jerkbaits would not get a sniff from a fish.

I also will not be without my LV0, LV200 or LV300N lipless baits as no one else has anything comparable to them and they have been great fish catchers at the right time.

The Flat CB MR and DR series have been great baits fro me in cold water when nothing else worked.

Just a few examples of some of their baits that are worth the cost to me.

Brad

[The_Natural]

I've probably answered this question a hundred different ways depending on my mood  .  Sure they have better components and superior paint finishes, but will they catch you more fish?!  Not all the time.  Some days they rule the water, but other days a bandit 200, an X-rap, or a Zara Spook will kill their Lucky Craft counterparts.  I think a serious fisherman should have all the tools necessary to get the job done depending on the conditions, and therefore should have a few L/C's in their box for the days they work better.  There is also the intangibles...no know, that feeling you got when you were 10 and you bought a new lure?  I love buying lures, but haven't gotten that 'feeling' like I did when I was young since, well since I was young.  That was until I ordered my first few Lucky Craft baits.  I got that tingly feeling all over again, and I found myself admiring these baits like I was 10yrs old again, and even placed one on my nightstand so I could pick it up and gaze at it routinely.  You'll understand when you buy one  8-).

[bass109]

lucky Craft lures are made of tungsten and other expensive materials and are made in Japan so the cost would be high.

Compare the fish catching action of a rapala vs. Lucky Craft lure, which is better?

[Shakes]

I'll answer it. Have you ever fished with a lucky craft lure? If you have, then you know why they cost more. The way the bait runs in the water, the colors, its just an overall better quality. Its like a Mercedes vs. a Hyundai. I own a few Sammy 100's and its the best walk-the-dog lure on the planet. I'm really considering picking up a few of those LVR 500 lipless cranks too the way people are talkin. Just invest one time, and you'll see the difference. It's worth it, just don't freak out. Go one at a time.

[5bass]

The Natural is right.....some days you can flat out wax 'em with a LC but the next day they wont even look at one.Lucky Craft baits are over-priced in my opinion but I think everyone should own a few and make their own decisions about them.....You can always sell the ones you dont like on eBay.They sell real well,even used ones.

[BassChaser57]

Thanks Guys,---Santa Claus is coming to town 8-)

[bass109]

I have used LVR 500 lipless cranks and caught some channel catfish and bass. The action is better then a Rat-L-Trap.

[castaway]

I like the whole LV series baits and the Bevy SP lures.The SP suspends, a great trap for when you can't get them to bite anything else. The bad thing is, they will catch anything that swim.The toothy critters are really rough on the finish,on one of my LV 500, the teeth from a Landlock Salmon nearly cut all the way through the side of the bait.Ivan

[Bud]

lucky Craft lures are made of tungsten and other expensive materials and are made in Japan so the cost would be high.  

                 

LC lures are not made of tungsten.   The reason they are expensive is they WORK Right out of the box.  No tuning first rate parts

[Guest avid]

This may sound odd, but I believe that ONE of the factors that make LC's so good is the fact that they do cost more.

Think about it.  Your going on a trip that is going to cost hundreds if not a thousand dollars or more.  You want baits that you truly believe will bring you success.  You do your homework, you get the prevailing depth, clarity, temp, colors that are proven to work, etc. etc. etc.

Now it's time to buy.

You go to BPS and see 20 different brands of CB's that essentially meet your requirements.  How to choose?

In a country where "you get what you pay for" is axiomatic, lucky crafts are bound to end up in your shopping cart.

[GAMEOVER]

Without reading all the posts above I will give my opinion.

Lucky Craft baits are expensive. Buying one or two here and there isnt but if you like to try and stock your favorite series of any bait like most do (meaning all colors) Lucky Craft is very expensive. I dont know if anyone else has noticed this but their baits all seem to have droped a good 5 dollars on each bait average. They are still pricey. When you buy a Lucky Craft your buying a hand tuned, tank tested, high tolerance engineered, pro angler tested, highest quality materials used, bait that works right out of the box. I use to flip about the price and still do in my own head sometimes. Look at it this way though, when buying other baits lots dont have the same development enviroments. Manufacturers will cut back costs and engineering expenses to keep the price down. Its all about the money for almost all companys. If they can make a few extra bucks by cutting back on something and still selling more without effecting the overall product too much then they will do it and thats exactly what they do. When buying the other baits lots dont work proper right out of the box either. The most accurate saying ever said when dealing with purchases in most cases is this.. "You get what you pay for." For diehard anglers spending the extra 5-15 dollars in some cases is worth it. You get baits that will stand up to the challenge and exceed the performance of similar baits. Baits that I buy and use on the water and are pricey are Lucky Craft, Jackall, Evergreen, and MegaBass. All are pricey and all really do work and stand up to abuse better for me then some other lures. So you ask me if Lucky Craft is worth the price? My answer is yes, its worth every penny (although I argue that when im buying it lol).

Does this mean your going to catch way more fish then others including yourself if you buy all these high priced lures? No.. it doesnt. The key in my opinion is to be versatile. I know a couple lakes that I fish for Bass in that I wont throw a Lucky Craft in at all. Why? Because everyones buying those same lures and using them on the same lake thats located 15 minutes away from the Bass Pro Shop they baught them from. So I throw something out there that the Bass never seen or rarely do. Expensive lures wont make you a better fisherman but if used at the right times it can pull in that "Lunker that got away".

Hope this helps, good luck.

[bass109]

Lucky Craft does make some high quality lures

http://www.luckycraft.co.jp/products/2006/0609_2/sulr_bb.pdf

but i would rather not spend that much money on them again.I bought just two lures that added up to $30.00 .

[FishTank]

IMHO, it is just a quality issue.  I belong to a bass club and we have a wide range of insane fisherman.  We asked this question at our club and here is what we did.

We have twelve members and we each purchased a silver DT6 Rapala and a Flat Mini Chartreuse Shad DR LC crankbait.  We first compared the action of each in a 250gal fish tank and then a swimming pool.  Four of the Rapalas out of the twelve ran true to depth and had same action.  With the LC ten of the twelve ran exactly the same.  But as far as catching fish, the LC's only had a slight edge over the Rapalas.  This test is on going and still subject to debate. But for me, I like both and each has its' place in my tackle box.

[dodgeguy]

I'll answer it. Have you ever fished with a lucky craft lure? If you have, then you know why they cost more. The way the bait runs in the water, the colors, its just an overall better quality. Its like a Mercedes vs. a Hyundai. I own a few Sammy 100's and its the best walk-the-dog lure on the planet. I'm really considering picking up a few of those LVR 500 lipless cranks too the way people are talkin. Just invest one time, and you'll see the difference. It's worth it, just don't freak out. Go one at a time.

you're right it is like mercedes vs hyundai.hyundai beat mercedes in over all quality and customer satisfaction this year at 1/3 the cost.

[Laggyman]

There seems to be quite a difference regarding Luckycraft lures between US and Japan.

In Japan, Luckycraft baits are mid-ranked both price and name value. Many people complain about the dull looking finish on the LC baits and the fact that they are too fragile.

If we convert 1 USD to 100 Japanese Yen, 1 LC Pointer (Called B'Freeze over here) costs roughly 12$. By comparison, a Rapala DT-4 costs 15$    Ok, I'm comparing a Jerkbait to a Crankbait, but I still haven't seen any X-Raps around yet and only know the price of a DT-4 so.... Anyway, I'm guessing here the costs involving S&H are driving the price up like mad.

The most popular lures are (of course  :) MegaBa$$ (Costs on average 20$ apiece!!) Evergreen (15$~) IMAKATSU (20$ avg.) O.S.P (15$~)

You Jerkbait addicts might want to try out O.S.P's jerkbait "Asura". Good looking finish, great action, and 3x Treble hooks for all the hook nightmares you can imagine!!  ;D About 9cm (Nearly 4in) long.

Maybe we are just spoiled with those "Ultra realistic" paint jobs...

[The_Natural]

you're right it is like mercedes vs hyundai.hyundai beat mercedes in over all quality and customer satisfaction this year at 1/3 the cost.

Which one would you rather drive?!  Toyota/Lexus dominated the initial quality, which surprised me that Honda wasn't in there more.  

[Banor]

Why are we even comparing crankbaits to cars?

B

[The_Natural]

Why are we even comparing crankbaits to cars?

It's just an easy comparison to make...more expensive cars generally give a more pleasurable driving experience.  By the way some anglers talk, they don't buy anything nice or expensive.  Do you buy 'always save' or 'great value' grocery items?  Do you buy bic single blade disposable razors or gillette mach 3's?  Do you still have a 13" black and white television?  Do you ever go to Outback and order a steak or do you always eat out at Taco Bell?  Nicer things are just...nicer.  

[dodgeguy]

that's true but more exspensive is not always nicer or better.you can buy products that cost less and are better.just because i charge you a lot doesn't make it the best.somebody brought up cars as a comparrison.a perfect example is i would buy a lexus before i bought a mercedes and probably spend less for an equal car.i also guarantee you it would perform with far less trouble.there is a disturbing trend among tackle manufacturers to see how much money we will spend to catch fish and we are falling right into it.

[roadwarrior]

Well, no one has to buy "expensive" tackle.  There are so many options with both old and new brand manufacturers, knock-offs, "specials" and sales, discounts abound. In some categories I prefer the high end gear and try to buy it when it's on sale. Still, some lures are cheap and very effective, i.e. Norman Fat Boys, Rat-L-Traps and Bomber lures. You don't always have to spend a lot to get a lot.

[GAMEOVER]

I know theres some people out there who pay more for lures just by thinking their better because their more expensive. If your one of those people your buying lures the worst way possible. If you have a ton of say LC Pointers and never even used one.. you are one of these people. Buy one bait only and if your happy with the results buy more. I know for a fact some baits work better then others and some dont even work at all for others. One main reason I think this is is because were all from different locations with different Bass enviroments. Some colors might work excellent in one place for someone on here while others will just barely work for you in your area. The knowledge one should gain on how to choose the right lure for the right application is far more important then any lures you buy no matter how many you have.

[BD]

I won't fish them and would not very often, even if I got them for free. Losing lures like that seems a waste. I think part of the high cost is importing them too, but who knows. dodgeguy is onto something, tackle continues to go higher and higher.

[roadwarrior]

"tackle continues to go higher and higher."

I don't find that to be the case at all. This thread was started to address Lucky Craft lures. Most of the LC lures have had their RETAIL price REDUCED significantly (25% or more). When they were first introduced in the United States, they were NEVER on sale. I have bought Pointers for as little as $5, BPS often has a few on sale for under $7. Lures in general and Lucky Craft in particular are cheaper than they have ever been.

Other equipment follows this same trend: the Shimano Stradic has been priced at $119.99 for at least eight years, the same for their Symetre at $79.99. Both G.Loomis and St.Croix have kept prices stable for at least five years and can now be found at SUBSTANTIAL discounts that were not available just a few years ago.

The competition is fierce. I doubt that many manufactures will be able to raise prices in the forseeable future.