“Gimmick” lures in tournaments

[Cbump]

I watch a lot of tournament fishing and I’ve noticed that the hammers that get the coverage are always throwing mainstays- bladed jig, spinnerbait, t-rig, senko, shakey,frogs, some buzzbait, crankbaits, jerkbait, drop shot depending on the guy…. Might have missed some but that’s about It. 
 

What I don’t see are dark sleepers, sleeper gills, weird topwaters like hellraizers and whopper ploppers or rats, crazy colors of all shades, geecracks, cover scat, no 15+” magnum worms, etc….

 

Kind of makes you wonder why we buy so much gear when the biggest tournaments in the world with the best anglers are won with senkos and chatterbaits and some roboworms. Lol

 

 

PS- I’m currently watching Redcrest so if you’re planning to say well “so-and-so just won Redcrest with a savage gear anaconda” please no spoilers. 

[Bird]

Every time I hear " gimmick " lure I can't help but think of the Banjo minnow. Lol

[PressuredFishing]

17 minutes ago, Bird said:

Every time I hear " gimmick " lure I can't help but think of the Banjo minnow. Lol

 

 

Hey! Those some fighting words!

 

[Drawdown]

Fish smarter, not weirder.

[Deleted account]

Why do pros use proven lures? Is this a real question?...

[Cbump]

43 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Why do pros use proven lures? Is this a real question?...

Ok smart a.
It’s more just my thoughts on how marketing suckers the consumers when we could do just fine with a few proven lures. More of a rhetorical question. But thanks.  

[Team9nine]

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen them spray, dip or paste their baits with scents or attractants to any degree either, but if you’ve read these forums long enough… ? ?

[Cbump]

Very true @Team9nine lol

[Deleted account]

11 hours ago, Cbump said:

Ok smart a.
It’s more just my thoughts on how marketing suckers the consumers when we could do just fine with a few proven lures. More of a rhetorical question. But thanks.  

Is the question then "Do advertising and endorsements work?" They do Don Draper, they do. Marlboro man, Tony the Tiger, Mr. Wipple, Insurance mascots, famous athletes, influencers, yeah, it's a thing, and it goes way way back.

[Cbump]

Interesting

[gim]

12 hours ago, Cbump said:

It’s more just my thoughts on how marketing suckers the consumers

I can attest to this.  Whopper Plopper sucker right here.  Proven once by Chris Lane at Toledo Bend and marketed to the every corner of the bass fishing realm, including me.  Final destination: christmas tree ornaments.

[Ktho]

I'd imagine it's a follow the money type deal. Guys do use glide baits, random chopper topwaters etc. but if they're not sponsored by them you you'll probably mostly hear about the Zman, Strike King, etc. lures they used instead. 

[Logan S]

They also use a lot of flourocarbon...To quote @Team9nine, but if you’ve read these forums long enough…

 

There was the fuzzy cube lure in the spotlight just recently though, sooooo....

[Cbump]

Just now, Logan S said:

They also use a lot of flourocarbon...To quote @Team9nine, but if you’ve read these forums long enough…

 

Haha! 

[Fishin Dad]

19 hours ago, Cbump said:

I watch a lot of tournament fishing and I’ve noticed that the hammers that get the coverage are always throwing mainstays- bladed jig, spinnerbait, t-rig, senko, shakey,frogs, some buzzbait, crankbaits, jerkbait, drop shot depending on the guy…. Might have missed some but that’s about It. 
 

What I don’t see are dark sleepers, sleeper gills, weird topwaters like hellraizers and whopper ploppers or rats, crazy colors of all shades, geecracks, cover scat, no 15+” magnum worms, etc….

 

Kind of makes you wonder why we buy so much gear when the biggest tournaments in the world with the best anglers are won with senkos and chatterbaits and some roboworms. Lol

 

 

PS- I’m currently watching Redcrest so if you’re planning to say well “so-and-so just won Redcrest with a savage gear anaconda” please no spoilers. 

I fully agree.  I do think sponsor $$$ play a big roll.  It does seem like the Japanese anglers are bringing unique baits/techniques and actually using them.  However, a lot of that is probably sponsor $$ from their area of the world.  They do seem to fish differently and SLOOOOOOOW.   You can’t discount their success though it seems.  
Glide baits played on Norman last weekend.  That hasn’t happened often.  I think with the added pressure that we are seeing, new baits are going to play more.  

[gulfcaptain]

So every bait has its moment. Seen plenty throw ploppers, seen them throw big worms. You have 2 different ways of fishing covered on TV now.  The every fish counts throwing all of what you said produces numbers and is proven. If you're fishing 5 and can sit on a ledge or brush pile throwing a big worm works great but it's a SLOW presentation.  You're looking to catch a few bigger fish but in an every fish counts it doesn't work  to well. I throw a big worm, catch 5 nice 3 to 4lb fish.....16-20lbs or maybe a kicker for 22-24lbs for the day while that guy just 2lb me to death with 20 fish for 40lbs.  So it depends on what you're doing and how you're fishing. You want numbers or want quality? If you feel the baits you bought are a gimmick,  well then when you fish that lure you have ZERO confidence in it to work and you've already given up on it. 

[Cbump]

2 hours ago, gulfcaptain said:

The every fish counts

They don’t do that anymore. 

[Tlauz]

I have seen TV personalities crush fish on their shows with a new bait.  Then 3 years later it is in a bargain bin.  I have been persuaded to buy a few things after watching a show.  I think I would have better luck fishing the lake they are on, then using the same lure!! ?

[gim]

Hey @Tlauz it’s good to see you back posting again. Hope to see some of those bigguns from the Bemidji area posted again this season. If the snow and ice ever melts.

[MN Fisher]

3 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Hey @Tlauz it’s good to see you back posting again. Hope to see some of those bigguns from the Bemidji area posted again this season. If the snow and ice ever melts.

Ya - welcome back dude...gotta let me know how the old 'home turf' does this year.

[gulfcaptain]

17 hours ago, Cbump said:

They don’t do that anymore. 

Yep they changed it. I liked it in the format of cup  no practice ones, wasn't a fan when they can practice. I like that they changed it back although I believe the cup series will still be every fish.

[galyonj]

On 3/14/2023 at 9:10 AM, Deleted account said:

Is the question then "Do advertising and endorsements work?" They do Don Draper, they do. Marlboro man, Tony the Tiger, Mr. Wipple, Insurance mascots, famous athletes, influencers, yeah, it's a thing, and it goes way way back.

 

People are shmucks. Especially hobbyists of any sort. Same as it ever was.

[Deleted account]

9 minutes ago, galyonj said:

 

People are shmucks. Especially hobbyists of any sort. Same as it ever was.

 

Not really, we are just motivated by, and act upon stimuli that have little to do with common sense or informed decision making, and experts know all about it and make full use of it. 

[galyonj]

I know. I researched and made use of those motivations for about a decade when I worked in marketing.

[KSanford33]

One of the few articles I read in Bassmaster is the top performing lures from the previous tournament. I should tally them up at some point, but I bet 90% of them are jigs, worms, and crankbaits. You very rarely see someone in those articles claiming they used some weird new bait.