I have a bait buying problem.

[PourMyOwn]

1 hour ago, Michigander said:

Well, next winter is when I am going to try my hand at pouring my own, so most of these days baits are going to get melted down into hopefully productive shapes, lol.

That's what I did, easjly 40 pounds worth. I recommend getting an electric meat grinder rather than cutting it all up with scissors.  Just add a little new plastic in the grinder to lubricate everything, or it gets hard on the grinder. 

[Michigander]

41 minutes ago, PourMyOwn said:

That's what I did, easjly 40 pounds worth. I recommend getting an electric meat grinder rather than cutting it all up with scissors.  Just add a little new plastic in the grinder to lubricate everything, or it gets hard on the grinder. 

That's some genius right there!

[NavyVet1204]

3 hours ago, Miabucman said:

Me too.  I have quit five times now......

Lately, my problem is that I buy a bunch of "new" colors and patterns to try and then find out that I have two or three of the same thing already.  Must be getting old....

That’s actually a very common thing for me too! I’ll think up and down that I have stumbled onto something new and then i get home to discover I have them already.

[PourMyOwn]

18 minutes ago, Michigander said:

That's some genius right there!

Not my idea, but a good one. The uniform grinds melt more evenly too.

[Michigander]

28 minutes ago, PourMyOwn said:

Not my idea, but a good one. The uniform grinds melt more evenly too.

I'm definitely using that idea. Do you do it as you need plastic, or all at once and then store the jiggly goop?

[PourMyOwn]

11 hours ago, Michigander said:

I'm definitely using that idea. Do you do it as you need plastic, or all at once and then store the jiggly goop?

You can definitely feel the grinder start to struggle, and when it does just add a few drops of new plastic. 

[Michigander]

2 hours ago, PourMyOwn said:

You can definitely feel the grinder start to struggle, and when it does just add a few drops of new plastic. 

No, I mean do you, personally, just grind up what you need for that day of bait making or do you grind up all of your old baits and then store the grounds for future bait making days?

[jgordon]

I have had the same problem lately buying and buying then saying thats it I have plenty.  Then get an email last night buy one get one free well shoot might as well stock up little more never know.  I don't want to be like last year when I couldn't find tackle local so I have more than enough now and probably wont even be able to fish due to work travel schedule haha. 

[jgordon]

Haha mail call got Bass Pro catalog so much for not wanting to buy more ugh thanks a lot USPS

[PourMyOwn]

2 hours ago, Michigander said:

No, I mean do you, personally, just grind up what you need for that day of bait making or do you grind up all of your old baits and then store the grounds for future bait making days?

I grind everything at once, and store it in big ziploc bags. Any oddball colors get turned into black worms, which have probably accounted for more fish than all of my other creations combined. 

 

I use a grinder that mounts on my Kitchen Aid mixer, btw.

[Michigander]

14 minutes ago, PourMyOwn said:

I grind everything at once, and store it in big ziploc bags. Any oddball colors get turned into black worms, which have probably accounted for more fish than all of my other creations combined. 

 

I use a grinder that mounts on my Kitchen Aid mixer, btw.

Does the Plastisol you use to lubricate the grinder separate in the bags or is it pretty stable? I'm not above massaging the bag to mix it up if needed.

[jbsoonerfan]

I have been guilty of buying way too much tackle in the past and then looking at all of it and asking myself why. I have slowly been selling it or giving away the things I know I won't use. I am down to about 6-8 colors of soft plastics and 4-5 colors of hard baits. I used to think that I needed 20 different colors because "you never know". Then I realized I didn't even use 3/4 of what I had. Now instead of buying 3 different colors of a 110 or 8 different color bags of Sweet Beavers, I will buy 3 of the same color 110 (a color I know produces) and 8 of the same color Sweet Beavers (a color that produces). Not only do I always have enough of a color on hand, but it also takes the guessing game out of it. If I can't catch them on what I have, then having 20 other colors to choose from probably isn't going to make a difference. 

 

I have narrowed it down to the following. 

 

Hard baits - Shad colors ie. Chrome/Blue, Chrome/Black, White. then Craw colors ie. Red, Chart or Yellow, Brown

 

Soft Plastics - Green Pumpkin with red and blue fleck, Hematoma, Black/Blue fleck, red shad, june bug and white (colors may vary depending on manufacturer, but those are the basics) 

[jgordon]

6 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

I have been guilty of buying way too much tackle in the past and then looking at all of it and asking myself why. I have slowly been selling it or giving away the things I know I won't use. I am down to about 6-8 colors of soft plastics and 4-5 colors of hard baits. I used to think that I needed 20 different colors because "you never know". Then I realized I didn't even use 3/4 of what I had. Now instead of buying 3 different colors of a 110 or 8 different color bags of Sweet Beavers, I will buy 3 of the same color 110 (a color I know produces) and 8 of the same color Sweet Beavers (a color that produces). Not only do I always have enough of a color on hand, but it also takes the guessing game out of it. If I can't catch them on what I have, then having 20 other colors to choose from probably isn't going to make a difference. 

 

I have narrowed it down to the following. 

 

Hard baits - Shad colors ie. Chrome/Blue, Chrome/Black, White. then Craw colors ie. Red, Chart or Yellow, Brown

 

Soft Plastics - Green Pumpkin with red and blue fleck, Hematoma, Black/Blue fleck, red shad, june bug and white (colors may vary depending on manufacturer, but those are the basics) 

Yep thats me usually watermelon red or black and blue  and of course white about the only colors I get anymore in soft plastics.  

Hard baits I paint occasisonally plan on a lot more this year have so many need done.  Those I will go random and just flake out just for fun.  I did make one locals seemed to like and sold they called disco ball was just black and lots of multicolored flake. 

[MAN]

I collect only hardbaits since everything I don't use can just be hung up on the wall.  I gave away 100% of all my unused collected soft plastics to some local kids that fish the neighborhood ponds.  

[gim]

3 hours ago, jgordon said:

I don't want to be like last year when I couldn't find tackle local

 

This is what I am afraid of too.  I don't want to be searching for something in June if the shelves are bare again so I stocked up this winter more so than I usually do.

[PourMyOwn]

1 hour ago, Michigander said:

Does the Plastisol you use to lubricate the grinder separate in the bags or is it pretty stable? I'm not above massaging the bag to mix it up if needed.

It's barely noticeable,  like a light worm oil. 

[Spankey]

20 hours ago, NavyVet1204 said:

That’s actually a very common thing for me too! I’ll think up and down that I have stumbled onto something new and then i get home to discover I have them already.

I look at it as your addiction could be a lot worse in the full scheme of life.

 

But if you are buying stuff you already have. And to have stuff you have not used yet and buying more is compulsive buying. 
 

To me there is a difference between an addiction and compulsive buying. 
 

I hope you use or try everything you bought. I’m more about getting the enjoyment out of it regardless if it catches one or not. 
 

But the addiction could be way worse. Good luck, I hope you catch one on every different thing you bought. 

[NavyVet1204]

1 hour ago, Spankey said:

I look at it as your addiction could be a lot worse in the full scheme of life.

 

But if you are buying stuff you already have. And to have stuff you have not used yet and buying more is compulsive buying. 
 

To me there is a difference between an addiction and compulsive buying. 
 

I hope you use or try everything you bought. I’m more about getting the enjoyment out of it regardless if it catches one or not. 
 

But the addiction could be way worse. Good luck, I hope you catch one on every different thing you bought. 

I do slowly rotate everything I buy into my back pack eventually. None of it ever truly goes unused. Like a poster above said about not being able to find tackle like what happened last year, I don’t want that again either.

[bait__Monkey]

99 problims and biyin dem bates not won uf dem

 

 

[Spankey]

15 hours ago, NavyVet1204 said:

I do slowly rotate everything I buy into my back pack eventually. None of it ever truly goes unused. Like a poster above said about not being able to find tackle like what happened last year, I don’t want that again either.

It’s all good. I’m having trouble getting a few crankbait patterns for spares. One newer bait I will eventually get. I’m ok with the back order of it. Do have some new soft plastics for this season. Am willing to try a few versions of a site sponsor. I feel real good about them or I would not of even bothered. Not much new going on for me. Do need to replenish a few Zoom plastics but I don’t see where that will be a problem. But you never know. It may have been brought up in another post but I think one of the guys will be correct, I don’t think you’ll see much in the way of sales this year. Have fun. 

[Chonch12]

On 2/1/2021 at 7:34 PM, NavyVet1204 said:

Hello all,

 

I have a bait buying problem. I have two five gallon buckets in my man cave slap full of unopened soft plastics. Every time I say enough, I find a color or brand of colors that are calling my name. I will say that I am able actually use various different colors and types to see if I can find a hidden gem in there somewhere. I think the allure for me is thinking I’ll never have enough because they will all catch fish and I love variety. Not to mention I especially love the clearance bins full of old stock. I feel like I could stock a small army for a fishing trip or two.

 

Im sure I’m preaching to the choir with everything I’ve said lol I’m sure many of you also have just as much or more than my little ole two buckets. I’m actually ok with my addiction as it makes for big trips to the water a lot!

 

Edit: the bait monkey is sitting on my shoulder as I typed.

 

On 2/1/2021 at 8:01 PM, A-Jay said:

I'm almost out of denial - almost

A-Jay

 

 

I am far from you guys but it is getting there. The thing is I always seem to be low, run out of, or lose the lure that is working best that day... haha

 

I will say putting up a peg board was a really big game changer for me to see what I have and in what colors, sizes, etc. 

[Bankbeater]

I've been checking out a lot of bait and tackle websites lately.  That's never a good sign for me.

[Luke Barnes]

Ive told my wife several times after a $50 BPS trip that ive got all I need so dont worry. Then I just have to get this new setup for this specific technique but I'm good after that. 

 

Well...... I now own a dedicated ned rig, frog/jig, chatterbait/spinnerbait, and crankbait setup. I'm actually pretty close to being good on combos. 

 

BPS is one mile away from my house, something new comes out, I get interested in a new technique (current is swing heads) and yeah I have way too many lures. Oh wait i havent been on Tackle Warehouse in a day! 

[evo2s197]

4 hours ago, Luke Barnes said:

I'm actually pretty close to being good on combos. 

Famous last words!?

 

[roadwarrior]

Yeah, but I still have two being built right now!