screw Gary Y.

[Brad_Coovert]

...If that's the case then I guess I can understand but for the 99.4 % of the rest of the season, when any senko will do.....

I will disagree with your statistics above. I have had many times that bait X outproduced bait Y in a given situation even though they were both similar baits and both perfectly suited for the fishing at hand. Why is that? No one will ever know. I try to go beyond just finding a pattern. I want to find the patterns within a pattern that turn a good day into a great day and a good tournament into a great tournament. Sometimes those smaller patterns are all about the fish, other times they are the bait or tackle. Being able to make the change was well worth any money spent on the baits.

Like I said before, I fish with several brands of soft sticks and they all have their place in my boat. The same goes for crankbaits, topwaters, spinnerbaits, etc. I won't let a few $ get in between me and a good bait. It's not about the money, it's about the fish. I have 100% confidence in everything I use. Confidence is one of your best allies. Lack of it is one of your worst enemies.

LBH, I do not need to justify my use of GYCB Senkos just because you have a personal gripe with Gary and there are cheaper brands out there. Inventory all your reels, line, rods, baits, boat and engine. There are cheaper brands out there for all of them. The question is, will they work and perform equally as well for you? In reality, price is seldom the real reason we select the stuff we fish with.

Brad

[mike90]

brad- i agree with you, it seems people are willing to spend thousands of extra $$ to catch more fish but won't spend the extra $2 for bait.

i am 15 and i fish senko;s and senko knock off's. i always seem to catch more fish with the senko's and thats why i use them. however if i caught more fish on yum dingers or other knock off's that are cheaper then senko's it would be stupid to continue buying senko's

a lot of people on here said they never tried senko's because they could get the same thing for $2 less. well i think it would be well worth it to at least try them once and see if you like them better.

gary has the right to charge more he was the first to make them and i think most of his baits outfish knock off's, or the knock off's would soon catch on and charge more IMO

see you out on the water

[5bass]

I buy all the different types and keep them all handy....if I run out of one,I replace it with the same.There are times like Brad said that X bait will outfish Y bait and that is very true.It happens all the time.I do think the Yamamoto baits are overpriced but I'm a tight-azz so my opinion on their price doesnt really count.

It comes down to the confidence thing once again.If you can catch plenty of fish on Dingers,buy Dingers.Same with Tiki's,Kinami's,etc.....I like the Yamamoto baits because of the soft texture and I think that is what makes the big difference AFTER the initial bite.I hardly ever have a fish spit out or just bite the tail on any Yamamoto bait I throw.I really believe that the soft texture of the Yam baits sets them apart from the rest.Not crazy about the price but I still buy them on a regular basis.

[earthworm77]

So then does that mean GY is a thief for copying Nick Creme's plastic worm??? Each guy who copied that bait did it with one...well two things in mind, make money and make it better. Some did, some didn't all made money. Don't player hate!

[Nick.Culver]

Okay theirs been atleat two or three other people who have said that they support originality and you say it to me. I in a way find that rather offensive. I haven't come out and attacked anyone or anything. I just said it was all my opinion and no one elses. Yes, I do believe in originality. Every little detail in a biat that is different counts as not being the same. But, the original creme worm is the original and it's true he copied. I never stuck up for GYCB and the high prices only that they work under curtain circumstances and conditions. That's what I wrote and I'll stick behind it. I pay alot of attention to the fall rate and who makes it. During the summer when it seems they like the bait falling more and to sit in their face I tend to sway towards the Tiki Stick and the Yum Dinger. I do use other peoples bait. Just like I use Sweet Beavers and since they can't keep up I've looked else where for the same bait. But when my favorite tackle shop has them in stock I'm sure as Hell am down their buying reaction innovations baits over the next because they spend all their time and money working on perfecting this bait. Plus I use them so much that i know exactly what color and what colors I like to use. Also I use about 8 different companies baits when it comes to finnesse words. As in other posts I've written I've said that I belong to no one unless they show absolute loyalty to me and then I'll show the same if not more. That also depends on the circumstances.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

nick, I hope it wasn't me that offended you. I have enjoyed your posts and are one of the few who's opinion really made me think a bit. I think we both just stated our opinions which aren't the same but that's a forum, right?  I may not agree or disagree with you but your opinion is always welcome and respected in my eyes.

[Nick.Culver]

No don't worry it wasn't you.

[heresdustin]

Who cares!  Why does it matter who's buying what bait, at what price!  They all catch fish people!  You guys are concentrating on all the wrong aspects.  WE ARE BASS FISHERMAN!!!!!  We are all going to fish a little differently than the next guy!  I don't know about you guys, but the only thing I really care about is keeping those poles bent, and those lines tight!  Can I get an AMEN!!!!!

[Max-in-Mn]

Amen brother, well said!

[heresdustin]

Thanks Max.    

[STUMP_CATCHER]

Thats what I'm saying also.If you don't like it ,then don't buy it.Personally I have never used that type of worm by him or anybody else.I mean 6 or 7 dollars for a pack of worms.I spend 10.00 bucks a pop on yo-zuri baits .I think they are high just like everything else,but I buy em cause I like em.I bought 2 daiwa certate's finnese spinning reels 2 weeks ago.They are really high,but I wanted em.Price bass boats.I mean  a lot of em cost more than my house did.My gosh look at the price of cars and trucks,25 and up.As long as people keep buying they gonna keeping making em.I can't see spending 15 bucks a pop on LUCKY CRAFT BAITS ,but if people want to , go for it.More power to ya.I know what would happen with me if I bought one.I would use line the size of well rope,to make sure it didn't break. ;D

[heresdustin]

Right on, Stump!

[SENKOSAM]

I think what we're talking about here is quality vs. price. This will always be a confidence thing and based on personal bias. People buy Lexus and Mercedes. Are they better riding, more comfortable, better on gas and more reliable than a lower priced luxury counterpart like the Maxima? The same goes for any 50k plus vehicle vs. a comparable vehicle at 30k. It's simply based on a personal prejudice that one is best overall and worth the price. That's how certain companies can easily stay in business versus their economy counterparts - they sell less for more and continue to hold market share.

This thread has been started on many bass forums and the consensus is always the same - buy them if you believe they always have an edge over all copies or buy copies if 98% of the time you find them to be just as good, based on you're experience and confidence level.

If given free Senkos and free copies, I would probably fish Senkos 50% of the time, but only because I hate to change baits after every 5th cast or after one or two fish. I use Assalt sticks (which are the same price as Tikis) and find them to be as good as Senkos 100 % of the time.

The same goes for my own handpours because I've gotten the salt:softness ratio down to a science. If I want a bait with more softness and wiggle, I use more softener, but expect the durability to be less. At a nichel per bait, I don't care if I lose 100/day versus $.80 or more/bait when you count tax and/or shipping and transportation.

It breaks my heart to see 80 cents quickly sink to the bottom of the lake because a pickerel or small bass jerked the bait off the line. Let's see .... the price of five Senkos, lost in 10 minutes, equals the price of a good crankbait or spinnerbait, which are good for 30 fish. I'm no math major, but the numbers speak for themselves.

So, as far as me buying Senkos ever again, I'll stick with the economy models that give me more satisfaction per bait due to the fact that my imparted action makes the best copies work as well and I don't have to take the time to change baits as often.

As far as rewarding the inventor or innovator - BUNK! As long as Gary and Randy (RI) haven't applied for patents, royalties are the only thing they should be missing out on, not lost business due to legal competition. Everything else should be based on price and demand.

Gary didn't invent the plastic worm, soft jerk stick, creature bait, hula grub, curl tail grub or salt impregnated plastic. He built on those concepts and came up with variations, variations that have made him a millionare.

I thank all of the observant and creative individuals who have contibuted to my fishing pleasure and have indirectly paid them for their products, but my loyalty only goes so far.

[Jeff_NHBA]

I conducted my own totally non-scientific testing of the fall rates of some different stick baits.  I used a 5" Senko, 5" Yum Dinger, 5" Tiki Stick, and 5.5" Case Magic worm.  The baits listed are in the order from fastest descent to slowest.  I filled up a bucket with cold water, and placed each bait right on the water's surface them let 'em go.  I did this test because after reading some of the posts on this subject I got curious.  Maybe the different fall rates affect bass differently at different times.  Sometimes the fish might want a slow descent, other time not so slow.  At least I know what the differences are and can change bait accordingly.  I'll find out this weekend what the fish have to "say" on this subject.

Enjoy the fishing regardless of what lure you use.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

thanks shellback

ps-u a turtle fan?  I got an easter box that has free reign of my house.  funny his name is "dinger"

[Flashpoint]

thanks shellback

ps-u a turtle fan? I got an easter box that has free reign of my house. funny his name is "dinger"

He's either a turtle fan or a sailor who's crossed the equator  

[playmaker47]

i personally think that if some people want to spend 8 bucks on plastic worms then they can. its their money. i personally will spend my money on the best over-all value. sometimes that means the cheapest sometimes that means the most expensive. i get what i need at the lowest possible price, and usually i will spend 2 to 4 dollars on plastic baits. and you know what i catch fish. im not a tourney fisher yet because im only 15, so i dont need to have the perfect bait for the perfect scenario. i can see how you guys who fish tourneys would need everything that you could get to catch bass and hey thats great. but for me im just going to stick to fishing for fun, at least until i start fishing tournys.

[Chris]

Well, I guess the first thing I will note is we all have options. Some love to use senko's some yum dingers whatever floats your boat. To be honest for me I catch more fish on a senko. The last tournament I fished I went through 3 bags of them. I guess I could have used something else but why change when its working. People can grip all they want for the price of a lure and you have the option to buy something other than Gary's products. The fact is if the bass are on a senko I don't care what you throw they are not going to hit it like a senko. Other days you can make the same case for another style of stick worm. $6 or $7 for something that could help me win a tournament isn't much considering I loose more money than that in the hard baits I loose. Every year someone comes out with something new that works. Then everyone pitches a fit about the price (me included). Then you start fishing against someone who just took you entry fee to the bank because you where to proud to get the lure he was using. You can only do that so long before you break down and buy it. Then when you have a working relationship with the lure you begin to understand why it works. In shallow water I would say 3 ft or less it don't matter what style you use. When you get out in the deeper water the fall rate of a senko makes all the difference. It takes less time to hit the bottom. This means that you can fish faster and cover an area. In a tournament time is money and the faster you can fish a spot thoroughly the more water you can cover. This bait will help you do that. The other baits on the market will do the same thing but you got to slow down way down to fish it. In 12 ft of water I don't have time to wait.

[roadwarrior]

Wow Chris, that really sums it up. Although I am not a tournament fisherman, I still want to have the best advantage whenever I have the time to fish. I try to fish locally two or three times a week, after work and Saturday on the river. Every moment is precious to me.

I fish other lures and other techniques, but soft plastics are undoubtedly my strong suit. I occasionally use other brands of specific lures, Gitzits come to mind. However, on the whole, GYBC makes the baits I know I can count on. They are worth every penny to me.

[Jeff_NHBA]

Yup.  Crossed the equator at 55 degrees east longitude while in the Navy.  We had just finished an operation to get UN troops to Somalia and were headed for Austrailia.  As proof of completion of passing into the sacred realm of Neptunus Rex, the Sailors and Marines aboard my ship, USS TARAWA LHA 1, received a laminated card and diploma sized certificate.  I can remeber as if it were yesterday a young Marine looking at the document and wondering out loud why they only listed the longitude of the crossing...   ;D

I explained it to the young lad.  Marines are a good lot.  Wouldn't want to fight alongside anyone else.  

[texasbass1]

Voicing that it is capitalizm isn't denying that something is over priced. It is just a fact of life, prices will stay up as long as people are willing to pay the price. Once the demand drops so do prices, just look at gas (going up daily). One thing that a lot of you guys may not know is that GY isn't just a capitalist he also recognizes  the greatness of America. In April there was a welcome home tournament held in Texas for the returning troops to Ft Hood, Gary donated Senko's to be given out to each participant. There were well over 1000 people fished that day and along with that he had the Air Cav emblem put on the package. While it may seem like a little thing as a veteran it meant a lot to seem that kind of support for our military members.

JMHO

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

texasbass-you have just changed my opinion of  Gary single-handedly

Support the troops that risk themselves for me and my family, and I will join your parade.  Way to go Gary.

[Chris]

I'll tell you what there is a kids bass club out where I live that Gary sends 3 boxes of free baits to. You can dog him if you want but to be honest he is not a bad guy and more giving than you know.

[playmaker47]

i dont think that he is a bad guy at all. in fact he seems like a very generous, kind guy. i just think that he overcharges for his stuff. hes not the only one either. the worst job of overcharging is lucky craft. there prices are just outragous. i wouldnt spend 20 dollars on a lure in my life. IMO Rapalas and Bombers and Strike Kings will work just as good, and they only cost 4 or 5 dollars.

[roadwarrior]

Well, if you are just trying to get from point A to point B, a Chevy will do just as well as a Lexus. For $25,000 you can get a very well equiped Chevy or for something north of $65,000 you can own the Lexus 400. Where is the value?

Is it safety, design, engineering, innovation, craftmanship or performance? Maybe it's materials and constuction or maybe its dependability and service. I don't know, I don't own a Lexus.

I like GYBC poducts and Lucky Craft lures. I don't know exactly where the line is drawn and value is defined, but it seems to me that I'm getting my money's worth from both companies.