Never again.

[gim]

4 hours ago, Chris186 said:

Whopper plopper. I have had all different sizes, I bought the original when it first came out. I have tried and tried for years, it’s beyond me how anybody catches fish on them ??‍♂️

I have three of them and they are now Christmas tree ornaments.

[MacJig]

4 hours ago, Chris186 said:

Whopper plopper. I have had all different sizes, I bought the original when it first came out. I have tried and tried for years, it’s beyond me how anybody catches fish on them ??‍♂️

 

6 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I have three of them and they are now Christmas tree ornaments.

And yet if you watch some of those YouTube videos you would think that they catch bass on every cast! Well, I tried and failed.

[volzfan59]

Jigs have always been an Achilles heel for me, although my pb Smallie came on an old Denny Brauer black and blue jug! Over the years, I think I've caught a total of two l/m, one nice smallie and a drum on a jig!

 

I enjoy finesse fishing, do late last year I bought some Missle micro jigs and some Zman finesse jigs to try.

[Log Catcher]

For ,me it would be the Hula Popper. Tried them 50 years ago and never got a bite on them. No need to try them again.

[TnRiver46]

I can’t catch much with a spinnerbait. I’ve been in the boat with a 5 year old that was slaying with a spinnerbait while I was skunked 

1 hour ago, Log Catcher said:

For ,me it would be the Hula Popper. Tried them 50 years ago and never got a bite on them. No need to try them again.

My buddy that’s new to fishing brought one of the new ones and brought it on my boat. I didn’t realize they were still made. He threw it in a log jam and mister big smallie pummeled that plug!! Pretty cool

[Skunkmaster-k]

Drop shot is a tough nut for me to crack. 

[CrashVector]

16 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Anything from the G-Squad.

 

Seconded.

 

I will never use any googan products 

[Kenny Yi]

berkley baits, they catch fish but i refuse to use them because of their scent

[MacJig]

9 hours ago, Kenny Yi said:

berkley baits, they catch fish but i refuse to use them because of their scent

Oh man, for me the Pit Boss in green pumpkin is dynamite! I really don't mind the scent all that much. In fact, I put some of my other plastics in The Pit Boss package just to pick up the scent!

10 hours ago, CrashVector said:

 

Seconded.

 

I will never use any googan products 

If they didn't act like such a junior high knuckleheads I'm sure more people would buy their product. Some of the Googans are okay (Jon b, lake fork guy) but others act like snotty nosed  Junior highers! Just hard taking them seriously.

[cyclops2]

Location location location

When the fish are there...when the fish are there

 

That has ALWAYS worked for me.   Me     ?

[RDB]

On 1/30/2022 at 12:18 PM, WRB said:

I believe most bass anglers on this site have low strike detection using jigs.

I agree…I would bet many anglers get many more bites than they realize.  Also, while jigs often will not produce the same numbers as other techniques, they often produce a higher quality bite.

 

14 hours ago, Skunkmaster-k said:

Drop shot is a tough nut for me to crack. 

You probably know this but since drop shots often appear on these lists, a few things to consider.  A drop shot is at the opposite extreme of a search bait.  It is super finesse, gives off little vibration, is generally a small profile, doesn’t fish great in cover, and is typically most effective with minimal movement.  In essence, it is largely a site presentation.  If you are blind casting, it’s going to be a crap shoot.  If you know or are confident fish are there, it is deadly. 80% of the time when I fish a drop shot, I have already located fish.  The other 20% is in high potential spots.

[the reel ess]

On 1/30/2022 at 1:24 PM, PressuredFishing said:

do you like semi slack line or tight line on jigs? 

Tight. If your line is semi-slack you'll miss bites. I try to maintain a tight line on them at all times. Of course you can't always. Even on a tight line, often I just see the line moving but don't feel a thing. Or I'll just not feel any weight. The big fish usually feel like a yank in the opposite direction and they don't usually drop it when they feel resistance. 

2 hours ago, RDB said:

I agree…I would bet many anglers get many more bites than they realize.  Also, while jigs often will not produce the same numbers as other techniques, they often produce a higher quality bite.

 

Oddly, the jig is my go-to when I can't buy a bite on anything else. I just go to the laydowns, overhangs and stumps and methodically pitch them. I won't catch numbers as you say. But I feel a lot of confidence in getting a bite or three, and good ones at that.

[the reel ess]

13 hours ago, Kenny Yi said:

berkley baits, they catch fish but i refuse to use them because of their scent

They smell like a seafood restaurant's dumpster. But I caught a lot of bass on the Chigger Craw. They would swim around all day with it. Gave plenty of time to set the hook.

21 hours ago, Log Catcher said:

For ,me it would be the Hula Popper. Tried them 50 years ago and never got a bite on them. No need to try them again.

I fished with those since I was a kid and only caught one on it a couple years ago. I think they're better suited to small bodies of water that have weeds and frogs present. They don't resemble baitfish to me. And shallow bass are much more prone to take a topwater.

[Sam]

On 1/30/2022 at 12:46 PM, TOXIC said:

I am having a terrible time catching anything on a chatterbait. I throw it a lot and to date I have caught 1 yes 1 bass and I think I hit him on the head with it.  I am leaving for Lake Okeechobee in a couple of weeks where Swimbaits and chatterbaits traditionally do well.  

Let us know how you do in Florida.

 

I do best on rivers with Chatterbaits, Jackhammers, and Molex Love's.  Not too good on lakes.

[king fisher]

Any lure that costs more than $10.   I have bought lures that cost more( Jack Hammer, Spro Rat) and they have not caught more or bigger bass than similar lures, that cost less.  Add to that, the fact I'm scared of loosing them, so I don't fish them in places the fish live, making them basically useless.  If I can't catch a bass with one of the hundreds of lures  I own, that cost $10 or less , it is because of my angling skill, not because I need a more expensive lure.  I just remembered the A rig.  I will make an exception for it.

[rboat]

I got a few,

1. bass jig

2. dropshot

3. Carolina Rig

4. A-rig

Never catch a thing on a jig or dropshot. I have caught a few on C-rig but tying it up, casting that leader and dragging it is kind of boring. Never tried A-rig, never will, too big and complex, might as well cast a net. 

 

[roadwarrior]

VERY narrow minded, All four are BIG producers for me. In the spring, the A-Rig is THE BOMB!

 

[MN Fisher]

Just now, roadwarrior said:

VERY narrow minded, All four are BIG producers for me. In the spring, the A-Rig is THE BOMB!

 

Wish I could legally use one here to see what all the hype is about

 

Personally - Jigs, Dropshot, Whopper Ploppers and a few others mentioned have all produced for me.

 

Different lakes I suppose.

[Avalonjohn44]

As far as the Googan stuff goes, I don't care about the personalities of folks that sell or design lures. (If I did, I'd boycott anything designed or produced by that tool Mike Iaconnelli).  That said, a lot of the Googan stuff I won't throw because I just don't like the product, particularly their cheaply-made crankbaits and spinnerbaits... I do really like their Bandito Bugs & Trench Hogs though, and keep those pretty well stocked.

 

Another company I won't buy anymore is Lunkerhunt. I just don't like the baits. The frogs never produce and their other stuff just doesn't work for me. Sold all their junk at a swap meet, and was glad to be rid of it.

 

Not baits, but I have had dreadful luck with Okuma reels. Multiple reels from them have failed on me.  No more!  Daiwa or Lews for me from here on out.

 

[MacJig]

16 hours ago, Avalonjohn44 said:

As far as the Googan stuff goes, I don't care about the personalities of folks that sell or design lures. (If I did, I'd boycott anything designed or produced by that tool Mike Iaconnelli).  That said, a lot of the Googan stuff I won't throw because I just don't like the product, particularly their cheaply-made crankbaits and spinnerbaits... I do really like their Bandito Bugs & Trench Hogs though, and keep those pretty well stocked.

 

Another company I won't buy anymore is Lunkerhunt. I just don't like the baits. The frogs never produce and their other stuff just doesn't work for me. Sold all their junk at a swap meet, and was glad to be rid of it.

 

Not baits, but I have had dreadful luck with Okuma reels. Multiple reels from them have failed on me.  No more!  Daiwa or Lews for me from here on out.

 

Funny you should say that about Okuma reels. Probably, no certainly, the worst reel I've ever owned was an Okuma. It was a casting reel. At that point I swore off Okuma forever. Their customer service, at least for me, seemed non existent. I've just recently started coming back with tiny steps. But that Okuma reel left a sour taste in my mouth!

[roadwarrior]

Well, we have a great relationship with Okuma. Not every company works for everyone

I guess. If you ever decide to give them another shot, contact me personally with ANY

issue.

 

-Kent

[Basser2021]

On 1/31/2022 at 5:55 AM, MacJig said:

Oh man, for me the Pit Boss in green pumpkin is dynamite! I really don't mind the scent all that much. In fact, I put some of my other plastics in The Pit Boss package just to pick up the scent!

If they didn't act like such a junior high knuckleheads I'm sure more people would buy their product. Some of the Googans are okay (Jon b, lake fork guy) but others act like snotty nosed  Junior highers! Just hard taking them seriously.

About the Googan Squad..... some of them do seem to do stupid things like go fishing in places they shouldn't just to get kicked out by a "Karen" and get views. But most of them are okay. You mentioned Jon B and LFG are fine but I would add AYO Fishing to that list. He acts mature, has a good sense of humor, and has interesting content.

 

As far a Googan baits the soft plastics are OUTRAGEOUSLY priced. They are so cheaply made that they barely last. I doubt I'll ever use their plastics again, but I tend to prefer their hard baits/ topwater over other brands.

 

Another one for me besides googan plastics is the berkley pit boss. I love the power worms but I can never catch anything on the pit boss.

[Elkins45]

11 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

Well, we have a great relationship with Okuma. Not every company works for everyone

I guess. If you ever decide to give them another shot, contact me personally with ANY

issue.

 

-Kent

Off-topic, but I had a new Okuma spinning rod that broke on the first small fish it caught. I asked them to replace the top section and supposedly they sent me one. After a couple of months I contacted them to see if they had forgotten and they said they send another one. Never received either. Either they need a new shipping company or they just told me a story to make me go away. No more Okuma for me.

 

As far as never again lures I have to say it would take real desperation before I would throw a senko again. I've never had any luck with them. Yes, I realize I'm the only one who can't catch fish on a senko. Never had any luck with an A-rig either, and those things are a lot of work to throw. Feels like muskie fishing!

[MN Fisher]

9 minutes ago, Elkins45 said:

Yes, I realize I'm the only one who can't catch fish on a senko.

Not the only one - I've yet to catch one on a Senko either

 

Or a Stik-O...any stickworm really.

[Cdn Angler]

I won't refuse, but I've had little luck with a chatterbait or buzzbait. 

 

A buzzbait I don't get. It just seems less lifelike and you cant pause it like a walking bait, popper, whopper plopper, wakebait. I guess if you have a trolling motor and want to cover a lot of water extremely quickly it makes more sense. Doesn't get bit much up here though it seems. Also casts worse than the above alternatives. 

 

Chatterbait I'm going to try to gain some confidence as it must work. 

 

Flukes likewise it sounds like I'm best off dead sticking them rather than using like a jerkbait, but I have way more confidence dead sticking a senko so why use a fluke? I need to experiment more.

 

In anything but the most thick vegetation I can't see why I'd throw a hollow body frog with a 40% hook up rate vs dragging a texas rig across mats of vegetation. Again I think I probably just suck at frogging so need to put in more work.  If it's open water I cant see why a frog would be better than a popper with trebles.