When do you take hard baits out of their package?

[Smells like fish]

58 minutes ago, Tizi said:

I get one of these every month too.

A bait man bag! What comes in the usual monthly bag and how much?

[fishwizzard]

I buy a lot of my tackle in bulk/multiplies and I leave it in the original packaging until it’s time to load it into a plano to replace one of it’s lost siblings.

[schplurg]

I'm thinking about buying a whole bunch of my favorite baits now so I don't have to pay for them years down the road for a lot more money. I'm talking about enough to last years.

 

For instance there are a few cranks or poppers I know I will use forever. So why not buy 20 of each (money permitting of course)? Especially if they're on sale. Saves gas (or shipping costs) too.

 

If I do this I will keep them in the packaging. Most baits I buy can be opened and put back in the box if I want to inspect them. I rarely keep baits in the packaging as of now, even if I have a duplicate. I figure I'll lose one anyways, plus I don't own a lot of tackle yet.

[TnRiver46]

My buddy’s grandpa used to have all

kinds of Shad raps still in the original package in the bottom of his tackle box. As you might imagine, they were in better shape than all the ones in the trays 

[flyfisher]

Usually after I catch a few to make sure I like it and don't want to return it

[Tizi]

2 hours ago, Smells like fish said:

A bait man bag! What comes in the usual monthly bag and how much?

They have different levels, go check it out on their site.  I get the mid-level one.  It came with a pack of divine worms, 4/0 Hooks, 3/8 divine hybrid jig, movement 80x, d1 hybrid swim crank, swank 77x, crush 50x.

[JoePhish]

There are some baits I have back stock of because they're my bread and butter.  So, I usually have unopened packages of certain color SK KVD 1.5s and Rapala DT-10s. Besides that, if I buy one I plan on trying it out on the next trip if it's something entirely new or a replacement of a lost plug.

[GreenPig]

11 hours ago, Mbirdsley said:

I take them right out to swap hooks and   Than into the tackle tray.  If I buy 2 Or more of the same color that I haven't tried before I only open one, swap hooks, place in Plano box.  If I buy more of one that I’ve used before and it’s a known hot lure, swap hooks on both and put both in the Plano box 

 

lately I have been testing all my cranks in the bath tub 

Your tub must be bigger & deeper than my tub. I just can flip a squarebill on my 5' creek rods in my bathroom.?

[scaleface]

I usually take them out as soon as I get to the vehicle . Just cant help it .

[Dirtyeggroll]

There are a couple of hard baits that I buy in mass quantity. I order these directly from the manufacturer and only ~5 at a time, where as the rest sit in the box they were shipped in until its time to restock. As far as all others baits are concerned, they get opened, fondled and usually tied onto a rod, hung on the "on deck" rack under my boat lid or placed neatly into their respective tackle tray.

[TriStateBassin106]

So far all my hardbaits are neatly stored in Plano 3600s, if I get excessive they'll be thrown into a huge TW box I store my soft plastics in for now, I eventually plan on getting a pegboard for my room to store my baits (I live in an apartment so there's no garage lol) 

11 hours ago, JoePhish said:

There are some baits I have back stock of because they're my bread and butter.  So, I usually have unopened packages of certain color SK KVD 1.5s and Rapala DT-10s. Besides that, if I buy one I plan on trying it out on the next trip if it's something entirely new or a replacement of a lost plug.

I can relate to this, raided my wallmart clearance recently and got a bunch of Cotton cordell lipless cranks for 2 bucks. They're in a box right now with my soft plastics. My crankbait/jerkbait box is just too full rn for them lol

[Spankey]

20 hours ago, swhit140 said:

My lures go into my boxes, I don't have extra tackle sitting around in my garage or anything like that. Highly recommend getting hook bonnets for your treble hook lures, makes fishing much easier not having to untangle 6 different crankbaits wrapped together. I keep 75% of my tackle in this one tackle bag. The other selection of my baits are soft plastics which are stored vertically in small totes in my boat and easy to go through to find what I want to use. I like everything organized and easy to access so I know where it is. I just restock at the end of the season when they have fall/christmas sales.

I store my cranks the same way. Purchasing a Brother Label maker was one of the best things I've ever none. I label the boxes all the way around and they are easy to find and pick out. My Plastics I stow up in Rubbermaid type containers. Label them as well. I store my plastics by brand and style for the most part. 

[Spankey]

16 hours ago, schplurg said:

I'm thinking about buying a whole bunch of my favorite baits now so I don't have to pay for them years down the road for a lot more money. I'm talking about enough to last years.

 

For instance there are a few cranks or poppers I know I will use forever. So why not buy 20 of each (money permitting of course)? Especially if they're on sale. Saves gas (or shipping costs) too.

 

If I do this I will keep them in the packaging. Most baits I buy can be opened and put back in the box if I want to inspect them. I rarely keep baits in the packaging as of now, even if I have a duplicate. I figure I'll lose one anyways, plus I don't own a lot of tackle yet.

The real kicker is you'll have a great pattern, killer pattern of something. The manufacturer will stop producing it or was a special run color. Would kill for a few old Bandits patterns that are long time not available anymore, same for a few Bombers as well. Bomber and Bandit could not hold a candle to what they use to be. Shame. 

[KP Duty]

20 hours ago, swhit140 said:

My lures go into my boxes, I don't have extra tackle sitting around in my garage or anything like that. Highly recommend getting hook bonnets for your treble hook lures, makes fishing much easier not having to untangle 6 different crankbaits wrapped together. I keep 75% of my tackle in this one tackle bag. The other selection of my baits are soft plastics which are stored vertically in small totes in my boat and easy to go through to find what I want to use. I like everything organized and easy to access so I know where it is. I just restock at the end of the season when they have fall/christmas sales.

Being an OCD plagued person myself, I appreciate the hook guards, I just can't get in the habit of using them.  I organize my boxes similarly; I sort my cranks by depth, and then by color. I have a shallow 'shad' and shalliw 'chartreuse', with my chartreuse boxes containing all brightly colored baits, not just chartreuse. Shad boxes have natural craw patterns as well, with the bright craw patterns going in the chartreuse box.  I also use the 3701 slim boxes....my non-boater bag went from holding 5-6 3700's to 9 3701's.

[Guitarfish]

I usually remove them and put them into my boxes pretty soon after purchase.  I stock up on things that work and still have pork trailers, jigs, spinnerbaits and plastics in bulk of my favorites. (Pearl twin tails, chartreuse/copper flake grubs, etc.).  

 

I just need to retire and put them to work.

[Jig Rookie]

On 2/21/2020 at 3:04 PM, J Francho said:

Heddon made some kind Zara "something" that was floating soft plastic and weedless like that 25 years ago.  Didn't work then.

Well, the non-floating one looked just like that, was called the "Zara Puppy", and it absolutely DID work, at least in Chicago burbs forest preserve lakes and ponds. Was my go-to, along with the Slug-Go, for years. Then all of a sudden couldn't find them anywhere (Slugs or Puppies), and my WalMart instead started selling a thing called a " Zoom Fluke". Looked similar to a Slug-Go, I gave it a try, and then that became my go-to.

[J Francho]

The fluke was an evolution of the Slug-go, and is a staple bait among many.  The Slug-go is still available, and made by Lunker City.  

[Black Hawk Basser]

I only leave them in the package if it's a duplicate.  If it is one of my favorites, I may have two ready to go in a box and the third in the garage in the package.

[J.Bass]

When I get home from store ?? I cant wait I’m like a kid in a candy store!

[lavbasser]

I used to keep some spares in packaging but not any more.  Sometimes I would not open them for months or even a year or two.  Once I fished them I would some times discover issues.  Some suspending jerkbaits would  sink or were high floaters, took on water, weight transfer balls stuck in rear of bait......at this point finding the original receipt and contacting the manufacturer for a replacement is harder.  I test all of them right away and then they go to storage or in boxes I have for spares that I take with me but I know they are good.

[J Francho]

This is a good point, @lavbasser.  There are certain brands of baits - not inexpensive ones, either - where action is inconsistent from bait to bait.  I find this hapopens most with suspending jerkbaits.  I love the X-Raps I currently have, but it took 3-6 baits per keeper to get there. 

 

I've also had some actually explode or deform in the box, shortly after purchase.  This happened with Koppers Crawfish cranks.  I bought 4 of every color, and all but one color either imploded, exploded, or deformed within the first month.  Some in package itself, and all this in the first month.  BPS took them back for a full refund.  I still have and use the one color that wasn't defective, but that was an expensive error, and I don't buy baits from them anymore.   

 

Some might think I'm a LC snob, or a Ragetail fan bow, or I just like expensive baits with Japanese writing on them (Jackall, Megabass), but really, they come out of the box and work the same, correct way every time.  I trust them, can buy a bunch at a time, and not have to water test them.  

[lavbasser]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

This is a good point, @lavbasser.  There are certain brands of baits - not inexpensive ones, either - where action is inconsistent from bait to bait.  I find this hapopens most with suspending jerkbaits.  I love the X-Raps I currently have, but it took 3-6 baits per keeper to get there. 

 

I've also had some actually explode or deform in the box, shortly after purchase.  This happened with Koppers Crawfish cranks.  I bought 4 of every color, and all but one color either imploded, exploded, or deformed within the first month.  Some in package itself, and all this in the first month.  BPS took them back for a full refund.  I still have and use the one color that wasn't defective, but that was an expensive error, and I don't buy baits from them anymore.   

 

Some might think I'm a LC snob, or a Ragetail fan bow, or I just like expensive baits with Japanese writing on them (Jackall, Megabass), but really, they come out of the box and work the same, correct way every time.  I trust them, can buy a bunch at a time, and not have to water test them.  I've been adding a few more brands to my "trusted list" list, and so far a few of the CatchCo and Fish Lab baits have been working out.  Bonus: they aren't too pricey either, which is noce.

I have had some stinkers with LC and even a few Megabass too. It’s not common but not rare either.  Love those baits though.

[J Francho]

I haven't really bought any in a few years.  Many of mine are from JDM.  Been using them for over a decade.

[kayaking_kev]

I take a picture of them.

Log them into my bait list with the Name, Color, Size, Weight, Depth, and which rod I will use for it.

Take them out of the package and save the package.

Put hook bonnets on them if they have trebles, before putting them into their Plano box.

[Munkin]

On ‎3‎/‎17‎/‎2020 at 8:16 AM, J Francho said:

 

Some might think I'm a LC snob, or a Ragetail fan bow, or I just like expensive baits with Japanese writing on them (Jackall, Megabass), but really, they come out of the box and work the same, correct way every time.  I trust them, can buy a bunch at a time, and not have to water test them.  I've been adding a few more brands to my "trusted list" list, and so far a few of the CatchCo and Fish Lab baits have been working out.  Bonus: they aren't too pricey either, which is noce.

I look at it this way, when I was 13 I had all the time in the world to fish and tune baits. Now as an adult my TOW is limited and more valuable to me. Not worth saving $3 on a bait to spend an hour frustrated trying to get it tuned. Lucky Craft run great right out of the box and I have only had one bad in 16 years.

 

Allen