Simplifying Soft Plastics

[bassh8er]

I've recently come to an epiphany regarding my soft plastics. I spent a whole weekend last summer building a shelf to neatly house all of my soft plastics. I'm not a tournament angler but had amassed over 400 bags of plastics in over 30 different styles and countless colors and brands.

While getting ready for the first outing of the year a couple of weeks ago, I realized that even with my large assortment of styles and colors, I really only threw a handful of baits. Before each outing I would grab the bags that I thought I would use because there was no way to take all of them to the lake, and even if there was, I literally had never opened over 300 of the bags and kept going back to the baits that I had confidence in.

That's when it hit me. Why not buy 2-3 colors of only a couple of different baits not clog my mind and wallet with so many choices? This would also be a good way to try some of the plastics that I normally considered too expensive previously. So far it has worked out well, and I have enjoyed my success with Gary Yamamoto and Rage Tail plastics. I've narrowed it down to black and green pumpkin for most of them, with a few exceptions.

Does anybody else do this? I know that there are better colors for particular water clarities, but I always found myself going back to the same colors and throwing baits other than plastics in really dirty water; hence the reason I chose natural colors and black (the soft plastic color I have the most confidence in).

Tought to give a good report on how well it's working because it's only been a short time, but it has helped my narrow down my choices and make accessing my gear easier.

Would love to hear your thoughts / experiences.

[Hooligan]

I have several styles of baits, and several colors in those several styles. There are some venues that specific baits in specific colors are on tap, there are a handful of baits that I have wherever I go. Take some of my jig trailers, for instance, I have at least five packs of six colors of Rage Craw and five and five of Lobster at all times, that's usually an absolute minimum. My dropshot worm, I buy by the 1,000. I have three colors in two sizes that I will fish anywhere in the US, usually there are 500 of each in the boat. In short, I'm very much the same. I have the standards that I live and die by, but I have a lot of them. I don't typically stray from those standards unless it is an odd situation, or there's a specific bait for a specific lake...

[ww2farmer]

I came to that conclusion a few years ago as well. Now insted of having hundreds of bags in a wide array of styles and colors, I have hundreds of bags of just a few things in a few colors LOL.

[SausageFingers]

I'm trying to get there. I have a couple different preferences depending on the situation. Im weaning out the other stuff.

I've been buying two or three colors in the bait styles I like and keeping the supply reasonably full.

[J Francho]

I got standbys, and many times it's only one color. Rage Craws for instance; I only throw Bama Craw. It usually works. Other things, just look funky to me. I have confidence that there are only a few things that can be done to a plastic bait that would actually repel fish, so I generally fish whatever looks cool to me. There are some baits I have fished so much, that I can perfectly envision how they look, where they go, and how to control, and those become my standbys.

[Nitrofreak]

If you would have just purchaced a bigger boat with extra seating capibilities for you and your bait monkey, the epiphany you had could have been easily avoided.

[Bass Dude]

I did the same thing a couple years ago. I keep it to about 4 colors and I only use one brand of plastics that has all the styles I need. I don't have every companies beaver, worm, tube or creature creation, I just use one brand that I like and that covers everything.

[buzzfrog]

If you would have just purchaced a bigger boat with extra seating capibilities for you and your bait monkey, the epiphany you had could have been easily avoided.

haha, yea i look at some of the colors, and i think how will these catch fish, so most of the time i stick to 4 colors, though everytime i got to the wallworld around her,i notice everything watermealon candy is out, i may get a few

[roadwarrior]

Well, I don't think you can have too much, but I don't think you need 1000 of the same thing.

I still have 5 or 10 years worth of GYCB plastics, but hardly fish anything other than Rage Tail

and a few different brands of small swimbaits.

[Catt]

I am a soft plastics freak

With that being said while may have 100 pounds of plastics they are of limited type & color.

Take for instances the Rage Craw, I prefer the Lobster's larger profile. I use it Texas rigged for flipping/pitching/punching & as a jig trailer. If I want a Rage Crawl size trailer I'll cut the Lobster down. The same goes for colors, I have 3 or 4 colors that I have total confidence in & seldom throw any thing else.

[Flukeman]

I started doing that 6 years ago and donated all the rest to my junior bassmaster group. I have 4 main colors, and choose the brand of the type of bait I like best. I am not wed to any one company, but instead I use the bait that has the motion I am looking for from that style(worm, creature, etc). I do have some special colors for certain locations also.

[Hooligan]

Any of the baits that I buy by 1000 count, I'll go through in less than a 12 month calendar year. I save approximately $150 buying them that way, too.

[backcast88]

I have always kept it simple because I don't really have the time or money to be buying tons of plastics or other baits. I keep mine below 50 bag. I have 3-5 confidence colors and use Zoom and Roboworm products in my colors. Simple, easy on the wallet, and effective for catching bass.

[.ghoti.]

I tried to cut down, starting a few years ago. I now have about twice as much as I had when I started trying to trim it.

Resistance is futile.

[smalljaw67]

When I find baits that work for me I'll keep a bunch on hand and if I hear of one getting discontinued I'll buy up all I can find so I have enough that will last for a few years. I just found a new craw that works really well on my finesse jig set up and since it is a small company I got 50 bags so I don't run out for at least 2 years.

[scbassin]

Well said Ghoti!!

[Raul]

Better have and not need than need and not have.

I hate fsihing with soft plastics however, being a tackle junkie I got hundreds of bags of different styles, sizes and more colors than the rainbow has, RW got 5-10 years worth of GYCB, well I got enough to inherit the next 3 or 4 generations of my descendants.

Yet, the truth is that I can do well with a handful of baits:

Flukes

5" curlytail grubs

6-7 ish straight tail worms

Craws

Heck, I think they are the stupidest baits ever invented but I got to give them the credit they deserve : Stickbaits ( aka, "senkos" )

With a few of those you got everything you need for almost anywhere & anytime, it´s more a matter of knowing a bunch of rigging methods.

As for colors, well, watermelon & green pumpkin seem to catch almost all the time so that simplyfies a lot.