Super User Paul Roberts Posted February 19, 2009 Super User Posted February 19, 2009 Seems we get a lot of posts that ask if this lure or that are any good. Most of the time I could chime in, "Yeah, great lure!" It seems LOTS of things can catch bass. So...can you think of lures that DON"T work? I'll offer a couple, and what I did to fix the "problem", or not. I had a cheap prop-bait (topwater). The props wouldn't turn, or the body would turn instead! I took off the props to make a Spook type bait and found that (with light line) it would walk, but just beneath the surface rather than on top -like a Rapala Subwalk. Turned out to be a great lure. Fished with a young guy who hadn't fished artificials before. For our outing he bought some of those Burke Erthworms (natural colored 6" plastic worms) and while I worked the pond he fished away without a bite. I finally came around and checked in. He had two hooks on the line about 15" apart and a worm all balled up on each hook. I re-rigged his worms straight and he caught several good bass and was darned pleased. I'm often real picky about how my lures look or are rigged. I make sure my tubes and soft jerks swim right, and my cranks are properly tuned. But one day... I met a kid who invited me to fish his neighbor's pond. I brought quite an assortment of (well crafted and tuned) goodies. He had ONE lure. It was a cheap knock-off crankbait that was so badly out of tune it spun tight circles on the retrieve! Before I could offer to tune it for him, he had a good bass. Then another, and another. He and that "ridiculous" plug accounted for the most bass that morning! Needless to say I didn't fix the problem, even though I couldn't stand the sight of that plug, nor have I de-tuned any of my own plugs since. Quote
Eddie Munster Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 Waiting for someone to ask how to fix the Banjo Minnows.... Quote
Big Tom Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 I bought two Original Zara Spooks a couple of years back. One was the Baby Bass color and the other was just the plain ol' Bone color. Well, I could not get bit on the Bone Spook at all. I could take it off and put the other on and catch a couple. I have no idea what was up. I usually don't pay that much attention to colors but the differences were night and day...and they both have white bellies...I will never understand that. That is the only thing that I have had trouble with really. I was lucky enough to start bass fishing with a couple of more experienced anglers and they really helped keep me away for the junk/gimmicky lures out there. Quote
Super User Raul Posted February 19, 2009 Super User Posted February 19, 2009 The only lure I own that has never caught anything is Heddon 's Cousin II, it don 't even catch the brush I 've thrown it to in an attempt to snag and loose it ! Ahhh, but if it were a Lucky Craft or Megabass ...... : One lure that has been challenging for me are buzzbaits, I can count with my fingers the fish I 've caught with them in more than 20 years of fishing. Quote
mrbassky Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 All lures work to some degree. Bill Dance can do a show catching big fish on anything because he fishes ponds. In a good pond with dumb bass you could catch fish on a texas rigged tampon. The question is if a bait is worth using. If a bait is not as good as other baits in the same situations its useless. A bait may catch a few fish occasionally but it may not be as good as other options. Just go with baits that are proven by tournament anglers and guides who have time to try all the different baits and you cant go wrong. The worst place to learn about new baits is on a fishing show where the earn a check just by using a bait and dont care if something else would do better (Bill Dance, Roland Martin) Quote
Super User Bassin_Fin@tic Posted February 19, 2009 Super User Posted February 19, 2009 Lures that don't work: JIGS > I can see the trash flying already and am ducking for cover ;D Not my thing... On a more serious note one exapmle comes to mind first for me is a devils horse. I hate it with the front prop on it.Not only does it tangle my line but I have never caught a fish with it that way. I take the front prop off and tweak the rear in my own special way. Reminds me also of a recent post about floating rattle traps. No fixing that one.They just suck. Quote
Dixon Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 Bass Finatic are you serious. Jigs are killing right now. They are great baits. Quote
farmpond1 Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 Waiting for someone to ask how to fix the Banjo Minnows.... Maybe they are out of tune. Quote
Super User Bassin_Fin@tic Posted February 19, 2009 Super User Posted February 19, 2009 Bass Finatic are you serious. Jigs are killing right now. They are great baits. Dead serious.I hate them and it just feels like I am dragging a chunk of pond scum around. It's a confidence thing :-/ Quote
shootermcbob Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 I have a black cavitron buzzbait that I bought after several folks recommended here. I have caught one baby bass, weighed maybe 4 or 5 ounces, came off right at shoreline and I spent 20 minutes fishing it out of the rocks so it wouldn't die. Not the baits fault, but at least so far, it has not worked well for me. I will keep trying, but I have caught fish on a jitterbug fished over the same exact area as the buzzbait. Quote
CFFF 1.5 Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 Lures that don't work: JIGS > I can see the trash flying already and am ducking for cover ;D Not my thing...On a more serious note one exapmle comes to mind first for me is a devils horse. I hate it with the front prop on it.Not only does it tangle my line but I have never caught a fish with it that way. I take the front prop off and tweak the rear in my own special way. Reminds me also of a recent post about floating rattle traps. No fixing that one.They just suck. You aren't the only one. It must be a florida thing. I was taught early on that you always take off the front prop and tweak the back prop. I recently put both props on the back and have had a good amount of success that way. I have honestly never fished a horse with the front prop on. That is one of my go to baits when the bite is tough. My fishing parter and I say, one of us has to tie on a DH (baseball term). Quote
Steven Ladner Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 Waiting for someone to ask how to fix the Banjo Minnows.... Maybe they are out of tune. You can't fix those screwed up "fishing lures". The Banjo Minnow System gets my vote for lures that don't work. I still can't believe I bought in to those. Quote
Big Tom Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 But the Banjo Minnows trigger a genetic response in Predatory fish that makes them bite even when they are not hungry. I remember those commercials so well. Quote
Steven Ladner Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 But the Banjo Minnows trigger a genetic response in Predatory fish that makes them bite even when they are not hungry.I remember those commercials so well. That's one of the things that tricked me. Quote
Super User Paul Roberts Posted February 19, 2009 Author Super User Posted February 19, 2009 Interesting range of responses! Dance's Eel: Never tried one, but somehow I'm not surprised. I've caught bass on the Banjo Minnow, and have a friend that LOVES them for chain pickeral. Just another soft jerk I think. Heddon 's Cousin II: I have two of those! And they've never seen water. Not sure where they fit. A lip-less made to bottom crawl. Hmmmm... I look at 'em every year, and they've yet to make it into my working box. One of these years.... Not the baits fault, but at least so far, it has not worked well for me. I will keep trying, but I have caught fish on a jitterbug fished over the same exact area as the buzzbait. Keep trying. When they are willing to take a buzzer, nothing will fill the boat faster and easier. In a good pond with dumb bass you could catch fish on a texas rigged tampon. Never tried that one...but I once found a pond so full of stunted bass that the first time I fished it I stopped counting at 130. I later went back with a lure I made from a "Creepy Crawler" mold, using melted plastic worms. It was a Tarzan mold, and made a little ~5" soft plastic human. I T-rigged it and fished as a topwater, humming the Jaws theme song all the way. It even worked as just a torso, after the arms, legs and head were torn off. Jigs...I hate them and it just feels like I am dragging a chunk of pond scum around. Jigs work so darn well that I'm now not sure why I feel compelled to pull the weeds an scum off them! ;D Quote
farmpond1 Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 One lure that has been challenging for me are buzzbaits, I can count with my fingers the fish I 've caught with them in more than 20 years of fishing. Not to say buzzbaits always work. Obviously they don't. But you might try this: Instead of making a single cast where you believe there ought to be fish, make numerous casts-even to the exact same spot. Buzzbaits are great at "aggravating" bass into biting. I love 'em-especially if you can get them to make a nice metallic squealing sound (you'll know the sound when you hear it). Quote
Super User Paul Roberts Posted February 19, 2009 Author Super User Posted February 19, 2009 Here's one along similar lines. I worked in a tackle shop and some Snoopy bobbers came in. I was float fishing for steelhead a lot at the time and decided to fish one instead of a regular quill float, just for grins. On the particular day I used it, I found a pod of nice fish and caught 9. Several other anglers stopped to inquire what I was using. I showed them ol' Snoopy and a few actually said, "I'll have to try one. where'd you get it? Quote
detroit1 Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 I haven't tried banjo minnows, but i've seen Babe W. (on tv) catching monster pike on the biggest ones. Of course he was at some canadian lake, in the middle of nowhere, with very little fishing pressure, at the prime time. Quote
Bantam1 Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 Anything that is not in my boat tackle locker does not work Quote
rickster Posted February 19, 2009 Posted February 19, 2009 My Dance Eel swims, but is it suppose to catch anything? Quote
Super User Muddy Posted February 20, 2009 Super User Posted February 20, 2009 Waiting for someone to ask how to fix the Banjo Minnows.... 16 seconds into the first round and we have a KO!!!!!!! Quote
guitarkid Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 lures that don't work.... Anything that says "out fishes live bait 3:1" or "banned in 4 states" Almost anything endorsed by roland martin. He did endorse that helicopter lure and the rocket rod. Generally any t.v. commercial bait fishing "systems" i.e. banjo minnows. -gk Quote
BassnMan Mike Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 Hudds Please tell me your kidding. I've caught alot of very big bass on them. My only complaint is they are not very durable. As to what lure does not work...... Roland Martins Helicopter Lure. What a joke! Quote
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