Why so many lures??

[famous187inc]

I was in my boat the other night after a day of fishing putting everything back in its place and was wondering why I have so many diffrent lures. I feel like having confidence in what your throwing is just as important as the lure you are using. Is there really a need to own four diffrent brands of 6" plastic lizards or eight diffrent brands of 3/8oz flippin jigs? Why do I have an entire box full of drop shot lures, hook, sinkers when I NEVER throw a drop shot, in the situations you throw a drop shot I prefer a shakey head?? I like trying out and buying new tackle just as much as the next guy but, I feel like I might be missing out on sharpening a few techniques to the point that I have absolute confidence in them. So, I guess my question is do you guys try to be good at evey technique / lure or do you concentrate on a few diffrent tactics to become great at them? I'm thinking of changing the way I fish in order to progress, taking a step back to take two steps forward if you will. I'm considering streamlining all my tackle and go more towards the KISS ideaology.

I was watching Classic Patterns the other day and Terry Scroggins was on there saying that he only uses 5 or 6 diffrent techniques / lures and within those diffrent lures he only carries a couple diffrent colors. Anybody believe this? I'm thinking of this as more of a tournament fishing standpoint. Do you think you have greater success at catching fish if you only throw a few diffrent lures but, you have supreme confidence in them and know the lure in and out. Or do you think you have a better chance if you are just good at a lot of diffrent lures??

I feel like if you are great at a few diffrent lures that cover the water column top to bottom then you can go to any lake and catch fish and be competitive.

sorry for the long winded post, this is just something i've been thinking about for awhile.

-chris

[Catt]

3 parts of the water column:

Top of the water column: hard top water lure, soft top water lure, & buzz bait

Middle of the water column: spinner bait, crank bait, swim bait, & depending on depth Carolina Rig.

Bottom of the water column: Plastic Techniques & Jig-N-Craw  

[Chris]

It was the bait monkey talking to you that told you to buy that stuff to keep him happy. Ask Raul

I have a core selection of lures and colors that i stick to and lures that i use in niche situations. My niche lures do something that my core lures don't do and have their place.

[famous187inc]

3 parts of the water column:

Top of the water column: hard top water lure, soft top water lure, & buzz bait

Middle of the water column: spinner bait, crank bait, swim bait, & depending on depth Carolina Rig.

Bottom of the water column: Plastic Techniques & Jig-N-Craw

I was hoping you would respond. I enjoy reading your posts on the forum. I'm hoping to go to a system like you use. Let me ask you something, do you have 4 or 5 diffrent brands of crankbaits or do you use say for example, a Rapala DT06 and DT10 depending on the depth and keep a few diffrent colors? Same with spinnerbaits?

thanks

chris

[islandbass]

You probably already know what techniques and colors work for you in your area. Focus in on those and either leave the rest at home or give them to some kids.

My entire arsenal of hard lures can fit into into 5 planos, one large, one medium and the other 3 small, and my soft plastics can fit into my little BASS bag.

When I came to that realization, I gave away my lures to kids and that made them happy campers and got them excited about fishing.

I will agree your baitmonkey might have had something to do with that.

[fishfordollars]

Here's what I fish:

Top:

Sammy115

Chug Bug

Buzzbait

Frog

Middle:

Spinnerbaits

Pointer

LVR7

LVR10

Bill Lewis Trap 1/2 & 3/4

RC 2.5

Bagley Balsa lures

Bottom:

DT-10

DT-16

DD-22

Zoom Trick Worms (Wacky & T-rig)

Zoom Ole Monster

Zoom Baby Brush Hog

Lake Fork Tackle Ring worms

Lake fork Tackle Lizards

    Senko

Jigs

That's about it.

[roadwarrior]

George Welcome and clients only fish a few lures:

Suggested Florida tackle (although not restricted to), would be:

Various plastics in dark colors (Yamamoto Senkos in 5" are highly recommended)

4/0 Offset Worm Hook (We Prefer Gamakatsu)

Small Barrel Swivels For Carolina Rigs (#10)

Bullet Weights (3/8 Ounce Is Most Common For Carolina Rigs)

Storm Rattlin' Chug Bug 3.5" 3/8oz (Chrome & Blue, And  Your Other Favorite Colors)  

Any Of  Your Favorite Top Water Lures

Bill Lewis 1/2 Ounce Rat-L-Taps (Chrome Blue w/ Orange Belly, Craw Dad, And Fire Tiger)

Buzz Baits (White, White And Chartreuse)

Spinner Baits (Fire Tiger, White, etc:) (Terminator T1 3/8 oz With Thumper Blades work extremely well)

Flukes (Watermelon, Salt And Pepper, ) (Zoom Salty Super Flukes work well)

Line of choice: (17-20 pound test recommended)

Hard Jerk Baits (Bomber Long A (B15A) 4 1/2" Shiner Pattern)

__________________________

He seems to do "okay".

8-)

[bigtimfish]

:)I feel the same way. i often question why do i have soooo much stuff? I have never thrown a lot of it. But yet i STILL buy more. And dont get me started on colors. I always seem to go back to throwing the same ol things that im CONFIDENT with. I never REALLY try to throw a new thing, because i feel like maybe im not doing it correct and i KNOW i could catch them with this. Maybe i need to just pull out the .45 and get rid of the bait monkey . But if i know him he'll be back no matter what.

[Catt]

80% of my tackle is plastics, divided by popularity worms, craw worms, creatures, lizards with a few frogs & swim baits.

10% is Jig-N-Craws & various trailers

5% Crank baits with the majority of these Rat-L-Traps

5% Buzz baits & Spinner Baits

I carry only 5 rod/reel setups

[Raul]

It was the bait monkey talking to you that told you to buy that stuff to keep him happy. Ask Raul

Who ? me ? don 't know what you are talking about.  

Really, I have to admit it I 'm a tackle junky ( how many times I 've admited it already ? ), the truth is, tackle fascinates me and I do enjoy purchasing tackle, some people like to jog, others like electronics and so on, fishing tackle is what tickles my fancy.

Here 's my everyday baits:

Topwater.-

Jitterbug,

Hula Popper,

Baby Torpedo

Middle.-

Shad Rap SR7,

Wiggle Wart,

ThunderCrank,

Rapala Original Floating Minnow,

Rat L-Trap

3/8 oz Single Tennessee blade Strike King spinnerbait

Bottom.-

5 " Zoom Salty Fat Albert ( grub )

Zoom Trickworm

1/2 oz jig

Shad Assassin or Superfluke, that one doesn 't fit any of the bove because you can fish it from the top all the way to the bottom.

That 's what you will see in my rods the most times.

What ? NO SENKO ?!?!?!?!?! Nope, I do have senkos, hundreds of them, I seldomly touch them.

You don 't "need" all the crap I 've got ( neither do I ), with a few carefully selected baits you can do all the damage you want ... if you know how to fish them right ( the right location & presentation ), of what I 've got 95% of it has never touched the water, I only fish with 5% of what I 've got ( and probably less ), very seldomly I do need something else other than what I usually fish with.

[KevO]

My tackle bag weighs 27#.  It is overflowing with baits most of which hardly get used.  Right now I'm trying to figure out how to get the rest of my tackle that sits on a shelf in the bag.  I have 7 setups I use consistently, each one is setup for certain baits.  I have my go to baits tied on each of those rods.  When I am fishing I rarely if ever cut off one bait to tie on another, I just switch rods until I find whats working that day.  I don't know why I even bring my bag with me it usually just takes up space in the boat.  I guess I'm addicted to fishing tackle. ;D

[aarogb]

    I love me some fishing tackle and rods and reels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  My mom and dad think I like it to much though  .

[DINK WHISPERER]

I just gathered up all my excess tackle that i don't use and/or have too much of and included it as part of my wifes yard sale today. Believe it or not i made $172 of of just plastic lures and an Abu spinning reel!!!  ;D

[CWB]

It was the bait monkey talking to you that told you to buy that stuff to keep him happy. Ask Raul

What ? NO SENKO ?!?!?!?!?! Nope, I do have senkos, hundreds of them, I seldomly touch them.

Hey Raul-

I'll be happy to help you free up some space and take those senkos you don't use off your hands. P.M. me

If you are like most of us you always have to at least try the hot new bait in every color under the sun and then they are permanently added to your collection. My rule is if it hasn't seen the water in 2 years, it goes on ebay unless it has some sentimental value.

You guessed it. Very little goes on ebay.

[christopherjake]

Because it's fun and it gives me an alternative when I'm not catching w/ my bread and butter.

[ikefan]

i have a small 10' jon w troller that i hardly ever take out...most of my fishing is in chest waders. this has forced me to streamline my tackle and my strategy because i do not want to be tied to extra setups and a tackle bag on shore.  i leave my boxes and bags in the truck and load essentials in a fishing vest.  i bring what i'll need to cover the entire water column.  i'll use what info i have before getting to the lake and have an idea what i will primarily throw that day.  (weather, temp, baro, time of year, time of day..the fact that i know my home lake).  but i will wait until i get to the lake to see the water, wind, etc...to tie on.  i've had so much fun and success fishing this way... since it's a little bit of a pain to cut and tie something different on, i tend to stick with my original plan longer than i would when i bring 5 setups on the boat. (tight fit on a 10 footer!)  i feel like it has helped me become a much better angler, because i generally stick with two or three techniques per outing and i've gotten really confident in what i'm doing.  alot of times on the boat, i'm thinking about what to use next, instead of focusing on what i'm doing in the moment..or changing how i'm working the lure.  it's worked for me.... that being said, that darn bait monkey knows where i live!

[MyKeyBe]

5 " Zoom Salty Fat Albert ( grub )

Whoa!

The man who patented the term bait monkey (you should have done that Raul ;D ) and also the guy who has 3 of every piece of bass fishing tackle made since 1973 still fishes a lowly, run of the mill, find them everywhere everyday grub?

Who would of thought.

The Grub has always been my favorite lure.

If Raul approves I must be doing something right!

[CODbasser]

i normally always have a few certain lures on

spinning rod- dropshot rig

spinning rod- shakey head

spinning rod- wacky rig

casting rod- jig and chunk

casting rod- jerkbait...usually a pointer

casting rod- c-rig

casting rod- whatever the bait monkey made me buy on the last trip to the tackle shop

[Raul]

5 " Zoom Salty Fat Albert ( grub )

Whoa!

The man who patented the term bait monkey (you should have done that Raul ;D ) and also the guy who has 3 of every piece of bass fishing tackle made since 1973 still fishes a lowly, run of the mill, find them everywhere everyday grub?

Who would of thought.

The Grub has always been my favorite lure.

If Raul approves I must be doing something right!

Don 't ask me what 's so special about it, I 've studied it in detail and don 't know if it 's the body, the tail shape or whut  :-?, but in my neck of the woods that grub outfishes any other grub, they want that one ! so I always keep a good supply of them  .

The only other grub that catches as fish as much as the Fat Albert for me is the JDM Ecogear Paramax, but those are not only hard to get, they get quite expensive in both ways, shipping plus if you sneeze hard on them they break down to pieces ( just like GYCB senkos  :.

Another bait I 've discovered to be quite good lately is Zoom 's G-Tail Ringer, the size, length and tail type is almost identical to the larger versions of the Paramax and as good catching fish as the Paramax. I purchased several bags a couple of years ago and as many times, forgot about them, then at December last year I rediscovered them while organazing my fishing junk, took a pack to try the bait and oh boy ! them things are good.