Tackle Brands YOU Trust

[BassFishingMachine]

Well, I just got to thinking of lure brands that earned my trust. What I mean by this, is that they sell products that are geared more to catch fish, rather then catch fishermen. And you can always rely on their baits to be worthy of buying, and not having to wonder to yourself "Hmm.. this I'snt just some crap they thought would make a few bucks for em is it? Don't know if I should buy it.." But instead "Ah... this company never let me down, this must be something worth a shot." So what are some bait companies you trust to always make good stuff? Here are some of mine, and a description of why they have earned my trust.

1. Ragetail (These baits simply work, all this guys baits have great action, and come in great colors, and they all seem to catch fish. I believe the maker to be more concerned about whether the fish will like the bait rather then how the fisherman will respond when he sees it. I am highly eager to see the new baits this guy comes out with, they seem to impress me more and more than the next.)

2. Zoom (These baits are cheap, effective, and have never let me down. I can't say I use every bait they make, but they definetly make some top notch stuff. And I have yet to see them produce any baits I would consider a bait designed to catch more fishermen then fish.)

3. Gary Yamamoto (This guy's baits have definetly earned my trust for the most part. I know his stuff is good stuff and is geared to catch fish. But IMO I believe he occasionally makes something to just try and make a few more bucks rather then worrying about what the fish will think of it. Again this is just my opinion. Despite that majority of the stuff he makes I love, and I will keep my eye open for anything new of his.)

4. Netbait (These baits work great, and again...like ragetail.. I believe this maker to be more concerned on the fish's take of the bait rather then the fishermens.)

5. Luckycraft (Do I even need to explain this one... You get what you pay for, and Luckycraft may be expensive but their stuff is simply incredible, and has never let me down. At the price they charge it better work!)

These are the 5 companies I trust most. A few other companies who I wouldn't say earned my trust entirely, but I definetly use and keep an eye out for their stuff are YUM, Berkley, Rapala, Yozuri, Waveworm, Terminator, Booyah, and Strike King.

[bigtimfish]

1. Rapala (X Raps) 2. Smithwick (Devils Horse and Rogue))3. Bandit (all cranks) 4. Big Bite Baits (plastics) 5. H2O (medium and shallow cranks) 6. Stanley (spinnerbaits) 7. Norman (DD22) 8. Strike King (10" Iguana) 9. Heddon (Torpedo and Spook) 10. Hart (spinnerbaits)    Notables Xcalibur (lipless cranks)  Bill Lewis (Rat L Trap) Spro (lipless cranks)

[Fishing Rhino]

There are none of the major brands that I don't trust.

Granted, I don't have them all in my gear selection.  It would be financially impractical.

It is obvious to me that there are many diverse opinions as to which worms, jigs, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, etc. are best.

If someone considers a particular brand to be the best, it should be deduced that brand produces well for them.

Conversely, some on here have no use for this or that brand or particular colors.

But, because one or a few cannot catch a cold using a particular lure or type of lure does not prove it cannot produce.  Were that the case, crankbaits would not work, because I just plain do not have the knack for fishing them.

While I prefer Owner hooks, I have no qualms about using many of the other brands.

The question is like the arguments about car brands, and which is best.

While I may prefer a particular brand, I would trust other brands to be reliable transportation.

[Willzx225]

Lucky Craft, Rapala, Zoom, Owner, Berkley Line, tru-tungsten, to name a few

[Muddy]

I keep it simple and cheap!

Rapala: Original Floaters,Jointed,SHAD RAP( best plug ever made)

            Fat Rap and DT's

Arbogast: Jitter bugs,

***; all his proucts are excellent and more than fairly priced

Manns; Jelly Worms!

Zoom Plastics

Mustad,VMC and Owner hooks

Bagleys Baits

Trilene XL Line

Rods: Cabelas and Fenwicks

Reels Pflueger,ABU and some of the BPS reels

[MALTESE FALCON]

Line:

Berkley Trilene

Crankbaits/Jerkbaits:

XCalibur, In my opinion, the best lipless crankbaits.

Rapala, Always consistant quality, and they catch ALOT of fish.

Bomber, Square A, say no more.(Thanks roadwarrior)

John Mills Custom Baits, John knows how to make crankbaits that catch fish. And they're pretty.

Norman, DD 14 & DD 22.

Lucky Craft, Like Rapala, always consistant Quality. Best suspending Baits.

Plastics, ***, GYCB, Zoom.

Reels, Abu Garcia, "For Life", Daiwa.

Rods, Quantum, Overlooked by alot of fishermen, great rods , especially for the price, St. Croix.

Hooks, Gamakatsu, VMC, XCalibur.

Falcon

[roadwarrior]

Soft plastics:

Rage Tail

GYCB

NetBaits

Roboworm

Slug-Go

Hardbaits:

Some lures from a number of companies are special, like

Rapala X-Raps for example. But for performance across the

board, nothing I fish compares to Lucky Craft.

Hooks:

Gamakatsu

Owner

Mustad

VMC

MegaStrike Product Lines:

Cavitron Buzzbaits

MegaStrike

Evolution e2 Jigs and e2 Shakey Heads

8-)

[Gangley]

Soft Plastics:

ZOOM

Culprit

GYCB

Hard Plastics:

Rebel

Rapala

Strike King

Norman

Hooks:

Owner

Gamakatsu

Mustad

Jigs:

KaRu

Booyah

[DINK WHISPERER]

Abu Garcia reels

Powell rods

Gamakatsu hooks

zoom lures

Berkley line/lures

Stren line

FireLine

Rapala lures

Strike King lures

Culprit lures

[slider head]

Soft plastics:

YUM, GYCB, Zoom, Net Bait

Hard Baits:

Mann's, Bandit, LC Pointers

Jigs:

Jewel w/paca chunk

Spinnerbait:        Buzzbait:

War Eagle            Booyah

Rods:

all BPS Extreme's and Loomis

Reels:

all Quantum PT's and Revo's

Line:

Berkley Trilene XL, BPS Floro

Hooks:

now its Owners and Gammy's

Shakey heads:

All Terrain

[tritz18]

Soft plastics:

GYCB, Zoom

Hard Baits:

Lucky Craft, Rapala

Rods:

St. Croix, G Loomis

Reels:

Shimano

Line:

Trilene

Hooks:

Gamakatsu

[J Francho]

Owner, P-Line, Daiwa, Shimano, Deps, Lucky Craft, Megabass, GYCB, Megastrike, KVD L&L, Columbia, Keen, Yo-Zuri, Power Pro, Flambeau, Falcon, Sufix, Raection Innovations, Gambler, Ragetail, Outkast, Skinny Bear, SWL, Stanley, Spro...

I'm sure I missed a few.

[grimlin]

Soft plastic:

Mizmo

Yum

Berkley powerbaits

Bass Snacks by Joe.S

***

Gambler

Hardbaits:

Big M's custom baits

H2O assorted lures from academy

Lucky Craft

Rods:

Shimano

Cabela's

Reels:

Shimano

Daiwa

Line:

Trilene XL & XT

Hooks:

Owners

Jigs:

custom bass fishing lures(by Gman)

[Steven Ladner]

My main brands:

Soft Plastics- Zoom, GYCB, Rage Tail

Hard Baits- H2Os, Lucky Craft

Reels- Daiwa

Rods- Loomis

Plus the Spro frogs

[xxmurrxx]

Shimano -       Reels

Rapala  -         *

St. Croix -       Rods

BooYah -         Spinners

*** - plastics.

[aarogb]

Soft Plastics:  Gambler, Zoom, Powerbait, GYCB

Hardbaits:  Lucky Craft, Norman, Rebel, Spro

Rods:  Shimano, Quantum

Reels: Quantum

Terminal Tackle:  Tru-Tungsten, Owner, Spro

Line:  Berkley, Vicious

[Mottfia]

I've got to say that I haven't really thought about this in awhile but it does get me to thinking.

So for plastics: Netbait...I've had alot of success with their whole line of lures

Jigs are Davis Jigs and Arkies...Davis jigs have great colors and a high hookup percentage for how I fish...arkies are cheap and effective when fun fishing.

Crankbaits have become an issue with me. I was a huge fan of Norman...still am but I have had a number of Deep little Ns and even the newer Strike King Cranks have busted on me. I still trust the Norman's DD22  and Bandits. They can cover a number of uses.

Spinnerbaits...they may be my pickiest category and maybe not. I have used stanley wedges, strike king, hank parker classics, and Davis spinnerbaits. What have I decided..Nothing, they all work fine. The only thing I have to say is that once I get used to using a blade the company stops production on it.  :-/

Reels are Ambassedeurs. They just don't break.

Rods...I'm cool with All Star and Ugly Sticks.

Line... Trilene XT

Mottfia

[CWB]

Plastics- Strike King including and especially Rage Tail

GYCB and Yum

Powerbait

Cranks- Bomber

Excalibur

Bandit and Strike King

Spinnerbaits- Terminator

Strike King

Stanley

Jigs- Terminator Football and Pro's Top Secret

Strike King Football and Denny Brauer Premier

Evolution

Line- Yo-Zuri Hybrid

Trilene Big Game

Power Pro

Reels- Abu

Shimano

Higher End BPS

Rods- St. Croix and BPS are all I use.

[bmadd]

Reels: Shimano, Diawa

Rods: Shimano, Powell, G. Loomis, Fenwick

Line: Berkley, Suffix, PowerPro

Hooks: Owner, Diachi

Soft Baits: Berkley PowerBait, Zoom, NetBait, RageTail, Yamamoto, Yum

Hard Baits: Big M, Lucky Craft, Rapala, Norman, Bomber

Spinnerbaits: War Eagle

Other: Bull Frog sunscreen, Lowrance electronics, Columbia PFG clothing, Gemini fishing jerseys, Spike-It, JJ's Magic

[Bankbeater]

Heddon

Zoom

Cotton Cordell

Arbogast

Mann's

[Catt]

Gene Larew: I order 100 worms in bulk and usually get 125-130; their Hawg Craws are deadly as a jig trailer or T-rigged. If haven't punched a Hoo-Daddy what's stopping you!

Rage Tail: Right now the Smokin' Rooster is the hottest grass baits since the Brush Hog and the Thumper Worms in Red Bugya better be holding your rod tight

Zoom: They just catch fish

Rattle Head Spinner Bait: This baits ability to come cleanly through Hydrilla, Coontail Moss, Milfoil, and Skunk Weed was unbelievable; usually with a quick flick of the wrist cleared all grass.

Jig: Terry Oldham's Eye-Max Jig is one of the most effective grass jig made; the 5/0 Siwash Salmon Hook is a super stout round bend.

Shimano Reels: I like my tools simple, functional, durable & dependable

Mustad Straight Shank Denny Brauer Flipping Hook p/n: 32807BLNU32 Ultra Point, Nor-Tempered, Straight Shank with 2 Slashes on shank, Round Bend, Small Barb, Black Nickel Finish

Bill Lewis's Rat-L-Trapit's a classic

Original RB1200 Smithwick Rattlin' Rogue; Gold, Black Back, Orange Bellydon't come no deadlier

Berkley Big Game 15# Mean Green

[zbigbadaaron]

Soft Baits: GYCB, Zoom, Culprit, Yum, Berkley Powerbait, and Rage Tail

Hard Baits: Rapala, Bomber, Zara Spooks, Rebel, and Strike King

Spinnerbaits/Buzzbaits: Booyah, Stike King, and Terminator

Jigs: Booyah, and Strike King

Hooks: Gamies, Owners, VMC's

Rods: Gander Mountain

Reels: Pflueger, Mitchelle

[Hammer 4]

Soft Plastic...GYBC---Roboworm--Ragetail--Zoom--Wave

Cranks...Rapala---Norman*** Swimbaits Mattlures and Spro

Spinnerbaits...Strikeking

Jigs...Booyah, and some custom made.

Chatterbaits..Strikeking Pure Poision

Line..Yozuri Hybrid Ultrasoft

Hooks, Qwner, although I still have some Gammies

Rods...Diawa---Shimano

Reels....Shimano

[THEbassmaster]

gammy and owner hooks

lucky craft and some rapala cranks/jerks

quantum and shimano reels

g-loomis, shimano, and quantum rods

p-line, trilene, and power pro

strike king spinnerbaits

zoom, gycb, yum, and strike king plastics

[Pantera61]

Reels: Abu, Daiwa

Rods: Evergreen, Megabass, Daiwa, St. Croix, Falcon

Hard Baits: OSP, Imakatsu, Megabass, JDM Lucky Craft

Soft Baits: GYCB,------------------>Jackall, Megabass, Innovation Reactions

Line: Sunline, Berkley