How many stretch there soft plastics as far as they can despite the bait monkey keeping you well supplied

[Cgolf]

So I think I have two problems, one I have bought way too many baits over the years, especially in overlapping categories, and I have enough plastics and cranks to keep me going for quite a while. This winter I did a full inventory of both plastics and crankbaits to force myself to justify any new purchases, which has worked so far. As long as I don't say buy more single tail 5" grubs or tubes since well I have more than enough lol. Also I learned to try a bait like the producto tourney grub in small quantities before you buy over 400 of them to get to free shipping and because they are cheap. The bait works great, but is super durable and that is pretty much a lifetime supply.

 

Problem two is my wife has taught me to be thrifty, not all bad, but this carries over into my plastic use. In most cases I could afford to lose baits at a good clip to thin my backstock at least a little. Since I rig all my plastics on either slider spider heads or ned heads I have the oppurtunity to leave baits rigged and I take advantage of that. The problem is that I will fish a bait until it basically falls off the hook. This means flipping baits over once the nose tears out on one side. 

 

There is something to be said for a chewed on bait getting more bit than a new bait, but is there a point that I am just pushing the get the most fish out of a biat a bit too far and I should just change them out? I have attached a pic of a Menace grub that was retired at that point after catching well over 20 fish. 

 

Am I doing this wrong, or if it isn't broke don't fix it? Really courious how beat up people let plastics get before they change them out? If I am doing this wrong how do I break the habit? 

[J Francho]

I flip them, after a certain length of time of not getting bit, I replace.  Can't really say how long that is.

[NoShoes]

Depends what you’re fishing in. New bait stays on the hook better. Less snags. 
 

 

[A-Jay]

I would not purchase a jacked ripped up bait, so I won't fish one either.

Once a rigged bait, swim bait or any trailer, no longer fishes like it did when it first went on, it gets replaced.

A-Jay

[TOXIC]

I did a little experiment to see just how long and how many fish I could catch on 1, 5in Senko.  Tally was 30.::That being said, I’m a stickler for proper rigging and that helps with the longevity of a Senko.  First was Texas rigged weightless on a 4.0 ewg hook.  After the head got ripped, I bit off about a 1/4 inch.  After it got ripped enough again, I turned the Senko backwards and finally, I wacky rigged it.  That’s just keeping it weightless.  I could have bit off more and used it on a Ned or a dropshot or a jig trailer or any number of different ways.  I don’t like to fish a Senko in a weightless rig more than a couple of ways because it destroys the action. I’ve told the story about a friend who flew in from Australia to fish with us on St Clair and he found my pile of discarded baits in the cup holder and caught fish all day on them.?

[A-Jay]

About time we hear from the record holder @Team9nine

A-Jay

[Finessegenics]

I'm a big fan of Mend-it. It helps a bit in adding longevity to a bait if it's just minor tears from re-rigging or 1-2 fish. If a plastic is torn up really bad, I don't bother with the mend-it and stop fishing them. 

[casts_by_fly]

Last week the fish liked a 3.8 Keitech.  I started with supergluing it to the head.  Then when the first half inch got tore up I nipped it off and had a 3.25 keitech.  I fished that for a while and caught fish.  When that got tore up I nipped the tip and had a 2.75 keitech.  I didn't fish it anymore that day, but I did save it.  I then fished it Sunday morning as a mini swim bait because there were some perch and crappie chasing.  Its not on the rod anymore, but I still haven't thrown it away...

[WVU-SCPA]

All based on what it is.

 

Z-man products fish better used IMO.

 

keitch/craws/trailers I'll use as long as they still function as intended.

 

I burn through the maxscent products.  The fresher the better.

[Catt]

You can have lures in your tackle box or fish in your livewell...you can't have both.

 

If any lure I buy catches one bass it did it's job!

[Chris Catignani]

I like a bait that's been chewed on a bit...then it gets remelted.

My wading tackle box consisted of an old Trilene box that fit in the back pocket of my jeans.

Only room for a set number of Sliders...they would go from 4 inch and get reduced in 1/4 inch increments though out the day.

[Cgolf]

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

I would not purchase a jacked ripped up bait, so I won't fish one either.

Once a rigged bait, swim bait or any trailer, no longer fishes like it did when it first went on, it gets replaced.

A-Jay

 

I do agree with this, if a bait starts to pick up weeds more than normal or the action is just off it gets tossed. That Menace in the picture worked like a normal menace right up to the last fish. I gave up on it to not leave a broken plastic in the water or in a fishes stomach. And because I am a bit sentimental/goofy I decided to pack that bait away and I believe I still have it today.

 

I have also found largemouth to be very gentle on baits vs smallies. Baits probably last 75% longer when chasing largemouth. For whatever reason smallies really tear up plastics, they must hit them different than largies do. Not sure if others see this as well.

[WRB]

It depends on the soft plastic and the availability to replace it.

If a soft plastic worm, grub, creature is ripped where the hook is inserted It gets replace with a fresh bait. 

If the soft plastic is a rare or hard to replace bait it goes in the fixit bag, If not the trash bag. I used a Wormizer tool to weld tears in the soft plastic or to attach tails.

Tom

[fishballer06]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

If any lure I buy catches one bass it did it's job!

 

*cries as I buy up old Wiggle Warts and RC 1.5's* 

[BrianMDTX]

3 hours ago, TOXIC said:

After the head got ripped, I bit off about a 1/4 inch.  After it got ripped enough again, I turned the Senko backwards and finally, I wacky rigged it.

That’s what I do as well. 

[Team9nine]

4 hours ago, Cgolf said:

Am I doing this wrong, or if it isn't broke don't fix it?

Bolded above. I stretch my soft plastics as far as “practical.” That will be different for different baits and rigging. On jigheads (Ned), trimming/shortening as the head of the bait gets destroyed can make a bait last a good while. I do this a lot with things like finesse worms. Fatter baits like TRDs and TicklerZ just get rotated a lot to adjust for tears around the hook bend. Texas-rigging though, I have a thing about the head being in original shape and condition, so I’ll replace as often as necessary. In general, if whatever form of rerigging and manipulation keeps the bait working relatively as original, then I’m good. I also won’t buy things like Senkos just because of their known “planned obsolescence” ? On the Zman record, one bait per fish would have cost me nearly $160 in plastics (and the record - lol). Instead, we got it done for $0.62 with a little creativity. That’s simply good ROI ?

[Cgolf]

One bonus thing I have learned from this thread, is the Menace grubs I tear the head out on texas rigging them I could repurpose them as swim jig trailers. Generally I wouldn't use a menace as a swim jig trailer due to cost per bait and how little I use a swim jig, but this would be a great way to try it.

[fin]

I use them until I have to put my glasses on to see how to hook it without hitting a hole or tear.

 

After that, I throw all my old soft plastics into an old plastic coffee can, just in case some day I get really desperate.

[Revival]

8 hours ago, Finessegenics said:

I'm a big fan of Mend-it. It helps a bit in adding longevity to a bait if it's just minor tears from re-rigging or 1-2 fish. If a plastic is torn up really bad, I don't bother with the mend-it and stop fishing them. 

This.  Mend it works wonders especially because I like changing Jackhammer trailers.

[Bird]

Not very tolerant for scars and deformity on any soft plastics, especially swimbaits and trailers.

If they require adjustment to hold on they get replaced promptly.

I'm constantly inspecting and doing test swims. Lol

Wish I was more tolerant but Oh well.

 

[CM-fisher]

After a soft plastic has been slightly used for me, I put them all in a ziploc bag for repurposing later. I will use half senkos as ned rigs baits, wacky rig old texas rig worms and cut a little bit off of grubs, craws and swimbaits to be reused as trailers. Once the bag starts to fill up, sometimes I will go to a lake where I can catch numbers on soft plastics and make it a point to use as many of the old baits as possible until they're completely destroyed. (However, I do NOT mix the Z-man stuff with everything else, because I learned the hard way when I first started out bass fishing)

[PhishLI]

If a bait gets torn I don't nip a piece off and re-rig. I chuck them in a bag and rig on a new one, or one that I've repaired beforehand.  Once I end up with an accumulation of torn baits and have some time to kill they'll get fixed with Mend-it. It's amazing how many times a bait can be repaired. As far as I can tell the fish don't care whether a bait has been fixed or not. Unlike super glue repairs, Mend-it repairs are as soft as the bait, and many times you can't even tell.

 

My local lakes are all similar. Tree lined up to the water then ringed with a beaten path several feet off the shore, then woods. The paths are criss-crossed with exposed and raised tree roots. Not looking down when walking the paths could easily result in a jambed toe or a faceplant wipeout. I've avoided the faceplant, but not the jambed toe. I've witnessed a few wipe-outs though. Anyway, it turns out that plenty of slobs toss their GY senkos on the paths, and because I need to look down as I go I spot them constantly. Plenty of other plastics too.

 

I really haven't fished all that much this year, but I've already accumulated a really nice pile of 4",5" and 6" Yamamoto senkos, craws, etc, Those who've tossed them clearly haven't discovered the twist lock hook. All the baits have had their noses ripped by standard worm hooks. Good for me. It's an easy repair. Just as easy if the egg sack is torn nearly in half. Doesn't matter, and they're as good as new once fixed. With what I've rescued over the past few seasons I won't need to buy senkos for years. Same thing for most of my swim baits.

 

So yes, I'm all about stretching out plastics to the limit. 

[PourMyOwn]

I pull the plug pretty quickly,  because I just remelt all my used stuff. 

[J Francho]

None of you chuckers ever used a Hudd, lol.

[Cgolf]

56 minutes ago, J Francho said:

None of you chuckers ever used a Hudd, lol.

 

I have tried swimbaits here in WI and caught a couple of bass on them, but maybe its because we have the smaller northern strain bass, they just aren't as effective, at least for me. I do use swimbaits for Musky, but I stay away from the soft body ones because that would get very expensive fast.