Combining BOSS components to make jigs, spinnerbaits, and buzz baits puts a quality lure on the end of your line for around 2.50ea.

On 12/1/2019 at 10:48 AM, TnRiver46 said:

I say it all the time! Those Ned heads are too rich for my blood. I use round ball heads that cost less and other worms that cost less 

Elaztec stuff will melt together on a hot day, even if it's in a tackle bag and out of direct sunlight. It's good stuff, but I've had to throw out a couple bags of it, which makes it less cost effective. 

I bought some plain 1/4 oz. weedless Arky jigheads a while back and used them with a plain soft plastic craw or a Hula Grub. That's a cheap bait right there. I haven't lost a single jighead yet and caught a PB at one time on this rig. Granted, you can go through GYCB baits quickly, but you can use a Rage Craw or any other plastic craw. I guess you're not limited to craws either.

 

2 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Ya catching "dinks" cause ya fishing where dinks live!

Truth.

2 hours ago, Maxximus Redneckus said:

Cheap made lures  work ...cheap lures work my idea of cheap is a 1 six inch manns jelly worm about 20 cents 1 owner 3/0 worm hook about 60 cents and a 1/4 bullet weight about 10 cents ...with 90 cents i caught my personal best in maryland in 1985 at 10 lbs 4 oz .....cant get any cheaper IMO spending over 10 bucks for a swimbait like a rapala j 14 is all about...hey look at me i paid 200$ for a bait that will catch the same size bass as you ....its just for prestige

Devil's advocate here, how many $.90 rigs did it take to get you your PB? 

 

Don't get me wrong, my personal best is from a T-rig worm as well.  I bet I spent well over $200 in worms to get it, though.

2 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Devil's advocate here, how many $.90 rigs did it take to get you your PB? 

 

Don't get me wrong, my personal best is from a 10" T-rig worm as well.  I bet I spent well over $200 in worms to get it, though.

I lose treble baits way more often than worms . If they made a weedless vision 110 I would probably buy one 

43 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I lose treble baits way more often than worms . If they made a weedless vision 110 I would probably buy one 

Fish are just super inconsiderate. They should stop living in places that eat lures.

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

If they made a weedless vision 110 I would probably buy one

They do, it's called a Super Fluke.

2 minutes ago, J Francho said:

They do, it's called a Super Fluke.

As such, I have lots of those and zero megabass haha

A split shot rig - EWG Hook and pea-sized split shot + whatever plastic is on sale.  Two years ago I got a bag of $2.99 Yum Crawbugs and threw them on a split shot rig in some drainage ponds/ditches in Florida while on vacation and must have caught 100 fish on half a bag of craws...

1 hour ago, FryDog62 said:

A split shot rig - EWG Hook and pea-sized split shot + whatever plastic is on sale.  Two years ago I got a bag of $2.99 Yum Crawbugs and threw them on a split shot rig in some drainage ponds/ditches in Florida while on vacation and must have caught 100 fish on half a bag of craws...

There's 8 in a bag.  Are you saying you got 25 fish per bait?  I use these pretty heavily as well, but I don't that kind of life out of them.

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

There's 8 in a bag.  Are you saying you got 25 fish per bait?  I use these pretty heavily as well, but I don't that kind of life out of them.

I can't catch crap on these things.  Are you drop shotting them? 

There's a multitude of rigs that work: on an open football jig, stand up jig, DS, split shot rig, but the rig I use the most is with a nail weight in the tail, on a wacky rig hook, similar to how you'd hook a live craw, through the tail.

4 hours ago, J Francho said:

There's 8 in a bag.  Are you saying you got 25 fish per bait?  I use these pretty heavily as well, but I don't that kind of life out of them.

I used 4-5 in the bag... granted these were 1-2 lb largemouth but yeah they caught a lot! 
 

I just checked, my bad they are TRD crawZ not crawbugs! 

21 hours ago, J Francho said:

Devil's advocate here, how many $.90 rigs did it take to get you your PB? 

 

Don't get me wrong, my personal best is from a T-rig worm as well.  I bet I spent well over $200 in worms to get it, though.

Ahhh you have a point ....from that perspective i spent prob  4 or 5 yrs doin that with the same setup of course not the same setup ...plenty of 5 lbers 7 lbers etc etc then the 10 4 ....

1 hour ago, Maxximus Redneckus said:

plenty of 5 lbers 7 lbers etc etc then the 10 4

Similar experience, but it took longer.  Probably 20 years of throwing baits, with plenty of 5# class fish.  Then, boom! A 7-2, from an unlikely body of water, in an unlikely location, on an unlikely cast and retrieve.

Hunting or fishing is not really cost effective  ?

37 minutes ago, Catt said:

Hunting or fishing is not really cost effective  ?

I think it can be.  It has to be, especially for young 'uns to get into it.  Not all kids have parents or grandparents like us that will gladly supply them with what they need to experience the catch.

Anyway you slice it, eventually the Bait Monkey comes for you and it's game over ?

As far as lures that you mentioned, the Big Bite Baits senko knock offs are great and I picked up a ton of them at Dick's Sporting Goods for $1 or $2 a pack, as are the Creme lures pre-rigged swimbaits (use the 3" for bass). Yum Dingers are also a decent cheaper senko alternative that are sold at any Walmart.

 

But I wouldn't worry too much about cheap as I would on buying quality lures that work. You don't have to go out and buy the LiveTarget frogs that I love, but at least pick up a Booyah Pad Crasher over the cheapest alternative as they are cheaper and hold up well and catch 90% as many fish. Buy Strike King, Booyah or War Eagle spinnerbaits instead of the River2Sea and Terminator T1 spinnerbaits (which I happen to like). Over time if you don't snag too many, you'll have a collection of usable lures that work.

On 1/10/2020 at 2:42 PM, Rpratt said:

Anyway you slice it, eventually the Bait Monkey comes for you and it's game over ?

The bait monkey always wins --- always.

On 1/8/2020 at 6:25 AM, J Francho said:

Devil's advocate here, how many $.90 rigs did it take to get you your PB? 

 

Don't get me wrong, my personal best is from a T-rig worm as well.  I bet I spent well over $200 in worms to get it, though.

 

I caught the PB in my current avatar on a Super Fluke. My second biggest on a $2 Walmart crank 3 weeks later. Caught em both from the same spot on shore about 4 months after I started serious bass fishing last year.

 

They're only 5 pounders but there isn't anything much bigger around here. I only had one rod at the time too, so I hadn't spent much.

 

I'm upgrading my rods and reels as I go but I don't spend a lot on baits. Yet. And my most expensive reels are Presidents, so I'm still cheap.

 

I'm starting to put together my own jigs too. Last summer was all about crank baits. This year I'm going to try jigs and jerks more.

 

Saving money so I can get a boat!!!!

You can catch bass on a budget...

 

Pflüeger Trion medium spinning combo if you need to upgrade to something a little more hefty.  

 

Scumfrogs...the regular ones will catch as many or more than $10 frogs and they cost around $3 at Walmart and nothing is more exciting than topwater frog fishing.  The frogs are also light and ok for spinning rod/reel application compared to heavier frogs.

 

A good pack of EWG hooks along with Yum Dingers and white pearl Zoom Flukes will catch anything in the lake/pond

 

H2O lures from academy are good and inexpensive.  they run sales often

 

My most productive crankbait in the last 5 years has been a cheapo bass pro version of a bait that dives no more than 1 foot...I don't know the name of it but it is an awesome lure for around $3.  It isn't the one called "the egg" but the regular one...

 

bomber cranks are good and inexpensive...the 1.5 bomber crank is a bass catcher

 

Jitterbug for topwater is fun, cheap and catch fish

 

H and H spinnerbaits...around $2 at academy.  I caught a nice one today on an H and H.  

 

 

 

 

 

22 minutes ago, Plottman1974 said:

Pflüeger Trion medium spinning combo if you need to upgrade to something a little more hefty.

Currently, I have two Trion setups. One is a Trion-30 on a Dobyns FR702SF - this is my general finesse rig. The other is a Trion-35 on a M/F Aird-X. Last year, the 30 was on the Aird and used for small cranks/jerks, light t-rigs, wacky and light jigs. I've been thoroughly impressed with my Trion, which is why I bought another...darn good reel for the money.

2 hours ago, Plottman1974 said:

Pflüeger Trion medium spinning combo if you need to upgrade to something a little more hefty.  

 

I have a medium President combo, it's actually not half bad for the $50 or so I spent on it!

On 11/27/2019 at 11:10 PM, BaitFinesse said:

Yum solft plastics are affordable and work great.   Easy to find at your local Walmart.  Speaking of Walmart the Ozark Trail hard baits are not half bad.  Not my cup of tea but they catch fish. 

I picked up the Ozark Trail 5 lure kit. 1 twitching minnow, 2 square bill crankbaits, 1 lipless crankbait, 1 popper. Best part is they come equipped with eagle claw treble hooks. Not the best but better than some mystery hook.

Don't know if mentioned H20 Express Lures.