Identical Baits That Perform Differently

[Mobasser]

Several years ago I bought a Storm Chug Bug, 1/4 oz size in shad color. The bait became a favourite of mine.                                      I caught many bass on this bait, and, bought an identical Chug Bug as a spare. Even though these two baits are identical, I've never caught one single fish on the spare lure. Both of these are original, Pre Rapala Chug Bugs and are the same in every way.                                                         When I used to fish crankbaits more often, I had a similar experience with a pair of Rebel deep divers.                                         Both the Rebels were the same also, but one caught fish far better than the other.                              I'm wondering if others have had a similar experience with two identical baits?                               I don't have an explanation. Have you ever had this happen? What baits? And can you explain why?

[scaleface]

Yes , especially with crankbaits . 

 

I had a Bomber Long A Minnow that was flawed and when jerked it would come to rest perpendicular to me . So it had a half step action . That was a special bait and I dont remember what became of it . 

[Deleted account]

No two hard baits are the same. In some cases, the difference is minimal and inconsequential, and in some cases the difference is indeed one of catching vs not. I think this difference is most apparent in cranks. Sure some brands and models are much more consistent than others, but it's there.

With poppers like the Chug bug, check the attitude, weight, and buoyancy, then check for molding imperfections and stuck weights/rattles. Most times you can find the difference, but sometimes they seem the same, but fish say no. 

 

[king fisher]

Yes with crankbaits.  Especially crankbaits made of wood, or Wiggle Warts.

[J Francho]

One of the reasons I fish the bait I fish is consistency.  This often (but not always) means expensive.  Lucky Craft Pointers were a huge upgrade in this department with regards to jerkbaits.  I love the X-Raps in my collection now, but it usually takes anywhere between 3-6 to get one that works the way I expect it to - like the rest in my collection.  For cranks it isn't as bad, but I can attest to buying a ton of "bad" Wiggle Warts in the used market.  "Bad" actually means they run true as designed.  You actually want one that runs weird, or sort of hunts.  Those hardly ever go up for sale.  Bottom line, if I lose a bait, I want to be able to tear one out of the package, and fish it.  No mods, no new hardware, no new hooks.  That's probably an impossibility, but some companies are better than others.

 

Oh, in regards to the Chug Bug: You can continue to toil with finding a good one.  Good ones are like diamonds.  Or just go buy a Popmax.  You only need one.

[scaleface]

What makes a good Chug Bug ? I have several . never had much luck with any of them .

[Mobasser]

12 minutes ago, scaleface said:

What makes a good Chug Bug ? I have several . never had much luck with any of them .

I'm not sure. The one I mentioned has been great, but I wouldn't know how to pick a really good one. I think I just got lucky.

[Log Catcher]

I can think of two baits I have seen this happen. One was an old Rebel Deep Wee R. The other one is a Bandit 200 series. Had several Bandits in a certain color that have caught a lot of fish. They got so beat up and paint coming off I retired it and got a new one out. It hasn't done near as good as the one I retired. I may need to put new hooks and split rings on it and use it again.

[Black Hawk Basser]

Absolutely.  I have a fire tiger #8 Husky Jerk that works like magic and the other two spares haven't worked for crap.

 

I also have a super spot that seems to be money, when all my others fail.

[Bankc]

A few weeks ago, I was out on the lake casting a Norman Fat Boy that I found floating in the water a few months prior.  I had been casting it into some heavy wood because I figured it's a found lure, and I wouldn't be afraid to lose it.  Also, I had fished it several times before with no success, so I was ready to lose it.  I got it hung up and my plug knocker cracked the finish off one side getting it free.  I kept fishing it, and suddenly, it was catching fish!  And that's the way the crankbait game goes.  The difference between a gold medal and participation ribbon can be almost indistinguishable to us, but the bass know.  

[J Francho]

13 hours ago, Log Catcher said:

They got so beat up and paint coming off I retired it and got a new one out. It hasn't done near as good as the one I retired. I may need to put new hooks and split rings on it and use it again.

Light bulb: it isn't the paint job.  You were catching them up until you retired it, so the missing paint wasn't an issue.  Put the hardware on it and catch a hundred more with it.  I have a one eyed Sammy 115 that you can't tell what color is was (Aurora Black) that has had at least a half dozen sets of hooks on it.  That bait is a "starter."

[jimmyjoe]

  

On 5/6/2021 at 8:17 AM, scaleface said:

I had a Bomber Long A Minnow that was flawed

 

   I use the Long A series, and I notice that there's a lot of inconsistencies. Bomber has also dropped some of the old colors and are now offering new colors, and the new lures don't act exactly like the old ones. I just got some, and it will take awhile for me to see whether they're gold, good or garbage.

   The lures that were most inconsistent for me were the Norman cranks. When they were on though, they were magic.                    jj

[Tennessee Boy]

Personally,  I refuse to believe that two identical baits will not be equally effective.  Obviously,  one could have a defect that affects it's action but then they are not identical.   The randomness of fishing will mess with your mind and convince you that some lures don't work and other are magical.  I try not to let that affect my judgement.  That's just the way I think.  I'm logical to a fault.  Just ask my wife.

[Deleted account]

20 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Personally,  I refuse to believe that two identical baits will not be equally effective.  Obviously,  one could have a defect that affects it's action but then they are not identical.  

Two identical lures will be equally effective, that's the whole point here. Just because they look the same doesn't make them so, JDM or Wally World proprietary packaging, doesn't matter.

[J Francho]

It isn't logic, it's naivete.  Some baits are manufactured with inconsistencies that aren't apparent looking at them - they *seem* identical.  If you are used to working a bait a certain way, when you replace with another bait that has these variances, it acts differently, and isn't doing what your old bait did, which happened to be what fish consistently bit.  That's what we're talking about.  There's no way to tell if they're identical without fishing them.  When you lose that bait that was working, you probably want to replace it with another, but you can't assume that it will work as well just because it is superficially identical.  Some baits are terrible.  I provided an example, and a few others provided more.  This is why I prefer to use certain brands that have built trust in the quality and consistency of their baits.  They also happen to usually be a a little more money, but you get what you pay for.

[Tennessee Boy]

I'm questioning the case where the angler can't tell any difference between the two lures and how they perform.  It is certainly possible that there is some subtle difference that makes all the difference to the fish. It is also possible that after a few hours of unsuccessful fishing with the new bait that the angler looses confidence in it and stops fishing it as much.   I can't say you're wrong about any conclusions you have reached.  I do believe that almost all angler's jump to a conclusion way too soon.  It takes a lot of data to show that two baits perform differently.  

[king fisher]

The best example of identical lures not performing the same is easily proven while trolling.  I can troll two identical crankbaits, at the same time, at the same speed, even switch what side the side of the boat, each is trolled on, and one will out perform the other by a wide margin.  Why, only the fish can tell.  I know  king salmon guides that will even give a name (Big All, Hog Hunter, Crazy Sally etc.) to individual lures that for some reason out perform all others.

[Tennessee Boy]

5 minutes ago, king fisher said:

The best example of identical lures not performing the same is easily proven while trolling.  I can troll two identical crankbaits, at the same time, at the same speed, even switch what side the side of the boat, each is trolled on, and one will out perform the other by a wide margin.  Why, only the fish can tell.  I know  king salmon guides that will even give a name (Big All, Hog Hunter, Crazy Sally etc.) to individual lures that for some reason out perform all others.

That is a very good test.  The question is how one defines "wide margin".   Most people would say that on a given day if they caught five fish on one lure and 1 fish on another that that is proof.  If it happens everyday I would agree but on just one day it could easily just be luck.

[king fisher]

2 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

That is a very good test.  The question is how one defines "wide margin".   Most people would say that on a given day if they caught five fish on one lure and 1 fish on another that that is proof.  If it happens everyday I would agree but on just one day it could easily just be luck.

 I agree five fish in one day would not be proof.  I'm not talking about a few fish.  I have personally seen it happen many days in a row, for hundreds of fish.  Some lures were manufactured to be identical, and look identical to fisherman, but the fish don't see them as being the same.

[Luke Barnes]

Something I learned watching worlds worst fishing is that soft plastics can have micro bubbles and thus perform differently. Slower sink rate, tear up easier, whatever it is, but you would have no way of knowing if a certain pack of plastics has micro bubbles you just use them and if they don't do what you are used to, try another bag. 

[Bankbeater]

Over the years I have noticed that a new crankbait right out the package will not always catch fish.  After that same bait has been fished with for a while it will start catching.