screw Gary Y.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I'm starting my own personal boycott.

Gary yamamoto baits are as greedy as the company I work for (UPS). Beelieve me, that's saying quite a bit.

I could understand setting a minimum price when you have a product that is deadly, new, and when it's the only one made. However, now that other bait companies have produced senko look-alikes, I think it would be nice to see their prices come back to earth. Even if it was just 50 cents a bag, a show of good intent.

Now we have yum dingers, tiki sticks, etc etc etc and they work just fine. In the last 2 weeks we did a small experiment. My partner used gary y exclusively and I used yum exclusively. He is by far a better fisherman than myself but I still outfished him by 4 fish (close one) and 2 lunkers (over 3 lbs).

The fact that I won doesn't mean that I think dingers are better than senkos but to me it illustrates that they perform every bit as well.

Some guys will have an opinion that when one works, the other doesn't and vise versa. Sorry, I'm not a believer. If both people are throwing the ssame color, I believe it comes down to where the cast lands.  I track every fish, weather trait, bait, etc on an excel spreadsheet and I am about 9% better than I was last year and I have not bought 1 bag of yam. baits.

Sorry, but I think it's rude to charge $7 for a bait that does no better than one that costs $3.50. The problem is that anglers keep paying it!!! Gary must be sitting back chuckling allllll the way to the bank with YOUR money!

I'm all about the companies that appreciate their customer base. In my opinion, Yamamoto baits is not one of them.

I'll be fishing just fine without his product

ok guys, lemme have it!

[texasbass1]

Good for you. But it is called Capitalism. that and Freedom of Speech are what make this country the greatest Nation on the planet.  8)

[George Welcome]

So, you have made a decision. That's great, but do you now expect a following?

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Don't expect anything from anyone. Don't know why you would think that. If people want to pay twice as much for the same results,...like it says,...it's a free country.

I'm not criticizing people who swear by Gary, just my opinion. I will have the same opinion if someone paid $40,000 for a Mazda Navajo when they could buy a ford explorer (same car) for 10k less.  Mazda , however, doesn't charge twice as much as ford because everyone knows it's the same car.  Now that there are baits that perform equally, I think Gary should show some support for his customer base and not rape the people who support him so steadfastly.

[JUST_ONE_MORE_CAST]

I don't buy GY's either, because they are so expensive and at the rate soft plastics wear out/get thrown in the drink by big fish, I just can't afford it and would feel like a real idiot paying double for something I can get at wal-mart and catch fish all day. I don't get paid one single dime to fish. But as far as I am concerned he can charge 150$ a bag. I just ain't buying 'em.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Amen, Low_Budget_Hookers

I have done a similar experiment with similar results.

[roadwarrior]

Well, I guess I'm willing to pay a little more for innovation. I discovered the Senko at an outdoor show in 1998 and it really kickstarted my renewed interest in bass fishing. I started catching more and bigger bass, it's that simple. I don't fish 5" Senkos anymore because I think they catch too many small bass. Now, that may sound silly, but I'm a recreational fisherman and I target big bass only. The 6" Senko has moved my bass fishing to another level.

I mentioned innovation. Does any other lure company make a Fat Ika knockoff? Maybe the general fishing community hasn't really discovered this lure and that's fine with me, maybe I should quit bringing it up. This one lure has produced more 5+ lb bass for me in the last two years than all other lures combined over all the years I have been fishing.

Largemouth bass fishing is kinda secondary to me, most of the largemouth I catch are caught on ponds. I primarily fish for smallmouth and this time of year, stripers. As a result I probably only go through a bag or two of Yamamoto products a month. So lets say that's around $14 per month, probably less. Since that's not all I throw, I can't attribute all my fish to GYCB, but most of my 5+ largemouth bass can be. The baits are worth every bit of their cost to me.

[OkobojiEagle]

Roadwarrior,  You've caught my curiosity about the Fat Ika.  Did you fish a traditional tube bait before trying the Ika?  If so, how do you fish the Ika differently than the tube?  Other than the Ika being solid and a tube hollow, what makes the Ika different than a tube?

[JUST_ONE_MORE_CAST]

Other than the Ika being solid and a tube hollow, what makes the Ika different than a tube?

Belief and confidence....nothing more.

[roadwarrior]

Although the profile apperars the same as a tube, the fall is totally different. I have fished it with the skirt up (the "correct" way) and with the skirt down with comparable success. I fish it weightless on a Gamakatsu 3/0 EWG.

With the skirt at the top (eyelet of the hook), the lure falls away from you. I would decribe the rate of decent as medium, you'll get a better perspective if you work it a little in a swimming pool, although I never seem to catch anything in mine.

Another interesting aspect of the lure is it's aerodynamics. You can cast this thing a mile, even against the wind. It's incredible!

I fish it just like a Senko: Let is fall to the bottom and sit for awhile. I then move it 6-12" with a horizontal sweep, not a verticle hop, just lifting it off the bottom. After you move the Fat Ika, let it fall on slack line and repeat until you feel you are out of the zone. I get most of my bites on the movement after the lure has sat on the bottom, not on the fall, but that's not always the case.

p.s. I caught a 25 lb flathead and a 8 or 9 lb bass on the Fourth of July on a Mizmo tube, black with red flakes, on back to back casts. The bass took the bait while it was lying on the bottom. Now, that doesn't have anything to do with the Fat Ika, but I can assure you, they are a totally different lure even though they may look alike. (See the post "Surprise!" in the Outing section)

[John Cullum]

I don't agree with you Low Budget about thier company being greedy,I believe the correct word would be SMART. Why lower their price when they don't have too. But don't you think that if YUM could get $6 a bag they would also? The ONLY reason you are buy them is because they are cheaper. I believe that a majority of the fisherman that purchase the YUM Digger is basing their purchase on the fact they work like a Senko and they are cheaper per pack not because they work better.

That being said if YUM Digger and the Senko were exactly the same price you wouldn't see many people purchasing the YUM product over Garys bait. Don't fool yourself into believeing YUM is doing you a favor buy giving you a "deal" if they could get $6,7 a bag you bet your arse they would.

The Senko is one if the biggest if not the biggest "NEW" bait stroy we've had the last 20 years. This bait literally took the fishing world by strom. No other bait has caused this kind of talk and results.

These companies make baits to make MONEY not to give you a "deal". It wouldn't be a very smart business disicion to cut your prices for no reason. If YUM could get $6 a bag they would, but few can, and Garys Senko is one of them.

If there were more guys like you Low Budget that made a stand and said enough is enough maybe Gary would lower his price a bit, but there is 100 to your one that will/would be willing to pay $6 a bag and I'm one of them.

[earthworm77]

Low Budget, I've been echoing your sentiments for several years, especially because I pour my own baits that I know are just as effective if not moreso than the Senko. However, you must understand this, GY targets the tournament angler as his consumer base, therefore, these anglers will likely pay much more for a bag of baits that they know work well and are essentially 1 fish/1bait. The strategy is smart and it works. I make the same type of bait for 4.00 a bag. I am making a good profit on them and the fact that many people refuse to pay 5.99 or 6.99 for Senkos helps me out. If you knew what GY pays to make a bag of baits and the turnaround profit on them, you'd really think he was greedy. Some said this is capitalism and they are 100% correct. So stay the course on your boycot and stand true to your beliefs. I haven't purchased a bag ofSenko's since 1999. It helps to have several friends on the gY staff who regularly replenish me but I don't use the bait all that much anyway.

[Jeff_NHBA]

I'm pleased from the fact that I can catch fish on Senko look-alikes like Case Magic Sticks, Yum Dingers and Tiki Worms without paying the GY Senko price.

I think it is more important to use my brain to figure out what the fish are doing, establish a pattern and present whatever bait accordingly.

I don't blame GY for charging more.  If people are willing pay, why not?  But I'm glad the rest of the Marketplace has caught up with the Senko-type lure to provide us with an alternative (at a lower price, I might add.)  

[playmaker47]

I dont buy senkos because they just cost to much. i wont buy soft plastics that cost more than 4 or 5 dollars a bag and i try not to buy crankbaits/topwater that cost more than 4 or 5 dollars. im only 15 and im not made of money so thats why i dont spend alot, but i still catch fish and i still catch quality fish.

[Nick_Barr]

I mainly use Clearwater custom tackle wacky stix which are $3-4 a pop, I only buy yamamoto's when they are on sale.

[BassnG3]

I too was fed up with paying $5 a bag for senkos so I started making my own.  Like earthworm said I can tailor them to my needs to maximize the effectiveness.  If fishing shallow I can make them with less salt to slow the fall rate or more so they fall like a true senko and I add alot of scent to mine.  They are an inovative lure and for some reason the fish like them and I usually have one tied on every tourney I fish.

Scott

[Boo]

Hey GY Senkos are great but I'm not willing to pay for it! But this is America and if there is demand for a high dollar GY Senko, there's nothing wrong with him supplying it. Capitalism, the American way. :)I'll just keep throwing my $2.99 per bag Tikki Stiks. ;D

[digdug]

This may sound a bit odd, but everyone is right.

If gary y want to sale his lures at $7, that's his right, but we don't have to buy.  Now there are sometimes and conditions here if you don't have the exact lure profile, your not going to catch fish.

[Hamlet]

The problem is that anglers keep paying it!!! Gary must be sitting back chuckling allllll the way to the bank with YOUR money!

I'm all about the companies that appreciate their customer base. In my opinion, Yamamoto baits is not one of them. I'll be fishing just fine without his product

I agree. The problem is always with the people who are willing to pay for outrageously priced items. Some of you guys keep talking about capitalism and capitalism is also about choice. If the price of Gary Y. lures do not come down then more and more people will choose dingers and tiki sticks,..at least I hope they will have the sense to do that because they are the same lure. In other words, Gary Y. can "capitalize" on these worms right now but the longer he waits to drop the price, the more people he will lose to competitors. Its all about being a smart consumer.

[Shad_Master]

"because they are the same lure"  - I'm not sure you can say they are the same lure.  GY started a revoloution when he came up with this simple design that catches fish.  Lots of people tried to imitate this lure and some did, but some didn't.  There is more to a lure than the overall shape.  When GY's son decided to start his own lure brand, Kinami's, his dad gave him the mold, but not the formula.  There is a guy in this part of the country that manufactures a Senko "knock off" that works great and was used to catch the Kansas Small Mouth record a couple of years back.  They sell for a lot less, and catch fish like crazy, but they ain't Senkos.  What you have to consider is, do the fish know the difference?  If they do, they may bite one bait when they won't bite another.  Last year I fished with a guy using Kinami's in red shad while I used Trick Sticks in the same color.  He caught fish and I didn't.  Was it the bait?

GY is carrying all that money to the bank 'cause he has a product that people want.  If they stop wanting it, you can bet your bottom $ that he will find another way to get that money, if he can.

[BAMA_BASS]

I agree I have learned that cheaper lures can work just as good as expensive ones. But the quality is usually a little better IMO with the more high dollar lures.

[Brad_Coovert]

Let me get this straight.  You have found a bait you feel is equal to the Senko, costs less and you are using that bait and catching fish.  So, why do you even care about how much a Senko costs?   ???  

BTW - Gary does not charge "twice as much" - the others all charge half as much as Gary.  On a level $ for $ dollar playing field, Senkos would outsell all the copies combined.  Still, at $6 a bag, they are #1.

Gary has been selling plastics for $6 a bag for over a decade.  It's really no big deal.  His DT Hulas are still the best seller in skirted grubs.  He still sells tons of worms, craws and lizards and there is no innovation with those baits.  His Kuttails do well as does the Kreature.  GYCB has a reputation for top quality products and top quality service and that is why they will always be a good seller, even at $6 a bag.

Either use 'em or not.  It's really not an issue.

Brad

[BAMA_BASS]

Your basically paying for the NAME.

[earthworm77]

Senkos would outsell all the copies combined.  Still, at $6 a bag, they are #1.

I have to disagree. Do you realize how many copies there are? As far as being the best, it is all a matter of what works for you.

[downeaster]

Right on Brother