Bait Monkey Defeated.

[MN Fisher]

There is no escaping the Bait Monkey - the best you can hope for is to delay him a bit.

[QED]

I'm pretty sure I can avoid the Bait Monkey until just after next year's ICAST trade show.  After that, all bets are off...

[Cgolf]

So I have a method that has worked for me. It is a little time intensive initially but it has saved me a lot of money over the last 5 years, especially on impulse purchases. 
 

Basically I took a rough inventory of what I had. Since I have been collecting impulse purchases of soft plastics I numbered the boxes and have a word doc with what is where. This helps a ton when packing boxes for a trip. Crank baits it is pretty much in my head as to what I have. 
 

yearly I track the number of fish caught and what bait I used. I do this for both local fishing and vacation fishing. One could simply keep track by saying water red ugly otters and menace grubs were producing this year. I use the numbers to determine how many packs to restock the next year. 
 

This year I am spending little on tackle. Picking up some more spinnerbaits that I bought one offs of last year as a trial that worked for me. Also trying some heavier spins too. Plastics doing one last buy on Rage baby menace grubs, not liking the latest price increase. The big purchases for fishing this year are my final rod upgrades with a Dobyns Kaden and St Croix victory. 
 

I don’t just replenish, I try a few new lures, like the new Berkley boss grub as a cheaper alternative to the menace. I just don’t do a 3-400 buck order of impulse purchases anymore. And yes if you saw the latest tackle thread I do allow myself to randomly splurge once in a while like with the 20 rage smokin roosters or when 6th sense does one of their insane sales on their site. 
 

Hoping next year Christmas tackle purchases will be und 100 and I can get my 600 mm zoom lens for the new camera. The camera monkey as some know is more evil than the bait monkey:)

[QED]

2 hours ago, cgolf said:

[stuff deleted]

Hoping next year Christmas tackle purchases will be und 100 and I can get my 600 mm zoom lens for the new camera. The camera monkey as some know is more evil than the bait monkey:)

Good camera lenses are VERY spendy but worth it - just like good rifle scopes.  Clarity, brightness, minimal distortion from edge to edge all cost extra.  But in the case of camera lenses, if you stick with the same brand, they tend to have standardized mounts such that the same lens can be used with different bodies, both current and future (usually). Makes fishing seem comparatively inexpensive!

[Log Catcher]

9 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

*I've done two (2) rehab stints at Restful Meadows in the fishing ward to get a handle on the Bait Monkey ... After I was released the Bait Monkey re-entered my life once more , so I have learned you can only hope to curb the Bait Monkey's appetite and not try to eradicate him altogether . 

Places like Restful Meadows can't do you any good. If you really want to beat the bait monkey you need to try hypnosis. A good hypnotist is the only way to really help you with your problem. Give it a try and see how much it helps you. ?

[MN Fisher]

6 hours ago, QED said:

Good camera lenses are VERY spendy but worth it - just like good rifle scopes. 

I suffered this addiction 40 or so years ago. Minolta XD-5...still have it...I've got something like 1/2 dozen lenses for it.

[ChrisD46]

12 hours ago, Log Catcher said:

Places like Restful Meadows can't do you any good. If you really want to beat the bait monkey you need to try hypnosis. A good hypnotist is the only way to really help you with your problem. Give it a try and see how much it helps you. ?

*I need to give that a try ! 

[Bankbeater]

You may have won the battle, but the war continues.

[ChrisD46]

*Due out in Spring 2022 is my new book : "Bait Monkey Tricks Revealed : How to launder money and have tackle shipments sent to remote locations" ... If you are married you will want to buy my new book (lol !) 

[N Florida Mike]

The bait monkey has nearly starved at my house. He’s on life support, but I’m sure he’ll pull through by spring a least… 
I could fish for 10 years with the baits I have and not run out. The problem is I don’t consider them “hot” baits…

[Log Catcher]

He is certainly starving here too. The only things I plan on buying will be things I have to get, like fishing line, hooks, sinkers. I think I have enough of them to last quite a while. I have seen enough hot baits come along and fade away just as quick that I don't worry about them anymore.

[king fisher]

The Bait Monkey and I were best friends for years.  When I got married I assumed he would live with us just as he had lived with me most of my life.  I have never been so wrong in my life.  My wife kicked is butt out of the house within a weak.  I couldn't believe it.  I had tried to get him out for years and had completely given up.  It only took my wife a couple days and he was packed and gone.  

        Even my wife can't keep him away completely.  He is not allowed in the house, but he does get to hang out in the garage once in awhile, and she lets him join us for Christmas Eve, and my birthday.  He is bringing me a new reel for Christmas.  

[BassNJake]

On 10/27/2021 at 8:26 PM, Log Catcher said:

Now I'm starting to worry. I found out today I'm out of some stuff I need for my weed eater and blower. The problem is where I get this stuff is right by our local tackle shop. The trick will be to get what I need and not walk to doors down to the tackle shop. I never new the bait monkey messed with lawn equipment.

Bait monkey has a few cousins, the boat monkey, the tool monkey and another cousin the home improvement monkey. One of them will get you and leave you without any bananas

[Log Catcher]

7 hours ago, BassNJake said:

Bait monkey has a few cousins, the boat monkey, the tool monkey and another cousin the home improvement monkey. One of them will get you and leave you without any bananas

I am well acquainted with the tool monkey. I just bought a cordless drill and impact driver combo. Of course I had to go back and buy some impact driver bits to go with it.