jr231

I don't think the baby analogy was the best comparison lol. Ya better be careful with all that bud. If you love fishing like I do, you'll go whenever you can and try your hardest regardless of conditions (within reason)

I think havoc and BBB are definitely good values worth mentioning ! I don't think they hold a candle to what zoom has to offer but a good value nonetheless.

I like variety and honestly GY is my favorite (senko, fat ika, double tail hula grub, shad shape worm and kut tail) . Zoom being a close second. And In terms of cost and effectiveness I don't think there is a better buy !!! Zman is a good point ! They are pretty cheap compared to some and last so long it's crazy. I've had them melt on me tho where my other baits didn't and I don't like fighting with the keeper and the elastic qualities it has. So I have to tear the keeper of my jigheads and use super glue.. which I don't have to with any other company ... And if it was a contest on who could catch most fish the ned rig would probably win.. unless we are only counting fish over 16" lol. Not saying it doesn't appeal to big fish but all I catch on the thing are 8-12 inchers .

Z-man is a good one... Probably going to be the best response of the thread

I agree with you. They are priced nice! And last a long time. I've had a couple issues with that company but some of them are really good baits. Overall I don't think they are better than zoom. But I'm sure many will probably side with you on this ! Honestly they have better value in terms of durability...

Is there a more modest priced and better producing product than zoom plastics ??? I'm a huge fan of GY, strike king , yum and several others... But every time I reach for a zoom plastic Im catching bass ! And often at a fraction of the price of the "top shelf" soft plastics. I love the made in USA stamp on the bag and the durability these baits have as well!! If you look for deals you can get these baits super cheap and I never see any of them over 5 bucks a bag... Trick worms come in bags of 20.. like who does that ??? No company that I'm aware of.. but I appreciate it for sure !! Between the fluke , trick worm, finesse worm, horny toad , fat Albert grub, salty chunk and brush hog I think I could switch to all zoom products for all my soft plastic needs... Same can be said about many other companies but at what price ?? Other than yum (which I like but not as much) I don't see any company that produces as well as zoom (for the price) Also correct me if Im wrong but they are pretty much the only major company without a senko knock off .. well they have one with a fluke tail but alot of the others are obvious complete copies without any attempt to be innovative. Any companies that you think compare to zoom ? (Besides yum in terms of cost and effectiveness )

It is definitely awesome for punching. There's a huge pond I fish that has the thick slop around the whole edge about 10 to 15 feet out. And the bass just hangout under this stuff. This is my favorite application for the rage bug. I also like to use it on the "jika" rig .. actually... It's my favorite bait on this rig so far .

On a jig?? Awesome !!

This seems to be the buzz lately.

Menace rigged vertical. And a kalins lunker grub are my favorites.

Lol i appreciate your enthusiasm bro. I'd love to do that seriously. I have other expenses though ! Lol i appreciate your enthusiasm bro. I'd love to do that seriously. I have other expenses though !

@J Francho likes to use them for fishing beds

Right but can you justify the 250 dollar price difference between the two reels pictured ? I'm sure you can if you read through the replies... It's not much in my opinion. Im glad you can afford things like that tho! I could too if I didn't wanna pay my bills or feed my child lol Maybe one month we can go without electric and I can get one

I've caught fish on the rage swimmers... I don't think they are junk... But not exactly the extreme movement we've all come to expect from the rage line... I see why some are frustrated..

@Sam I get where you're coming from.. and I agree about the confidence but no. Lol you did a good job explaining why higher end reels cost more than lower end... But you didn't really point out what the main difference was between the 2 reels I provided .. and justify the 250 dollar difference... Here's what I got... A little lighter/ more compact frame.. a lighter spool.. a little more quiet and possibly a tension knob cap... Pretty much have my answers. Some good replies. And I can easily tell who likes what and how they feel about this

Retired in Florida. 800 dollar reels. You made some good choices along the way didn't ya. I'm glad you said this though . ! I value your opinion. And although my view on this subject may be a little biased (because I'm on the outside looking in) , I'm not so sure I could be convinced otherwise !

That rage bug tho

Sloppy isn't a very good adjective ... What makes it sloppy compared to this steez other than noise ? Aye dude if you have the money for it more power to you.. I'm just trying to figure out why it's 250 dollars extra... A little more quiet doesn't justify it for me.. but it's a start.

Anybody care to try and answer why a tatula costs 200 and a steez is 450??? I mean it's the same company... now I understand Chevy makes the Cobalt and the Corvette .. but is this a correct comparison for the tatula and steez?? I feel like the only reason it's that high is because some people want to pay that much!!! ( so that "regular" folks can't own one.. ) Please anybody. Try and justify 250 extra dollars. I could own 2 tatulas and spool them both for what it costs for one steez . What's so special ?? Truly that much better ?? Or are we just being ritzy...

I caught my PB on a rapala skitter pop. The oversized one in a brown frog pattern... This was in June , mid day when it's "too hot to fish" ... Heaven forbid you throw a topwater in these conditions.

Which species of carp are we talking about when you say this ? The common?

Imma go with the jig rig.

Try a dropshot with a small minnow imitation. There are Plenty to choose from...

Feathers are perfect for jerkbaits that you plan on letting suspend for more than a few seconds. Sometimes, regardless of how much you pay for a jerkbait, they don't suspend perfectly. Meaning either slow sink or slow rise... Usually it's slow rise. Suspenstrips (lead tape) is perfect for getting them to suspend just slightly nose down. I use braid with a loop knot for jerkbaits and since braid floats I usually have to use just a small piece of lead tape to get the jerkbait to stay put. Some say you rip the hooks out of a bass mouth using braid with trebles. This has not been my experience at all.. just a nice smooth sweep has worked for me just fine.

I have packs and packs of the GY hula grubs.... They're killer weightless too. So if you go that route be sure to try them weightless before you give up on them.