Just asked a buddy this but wondered what everyone's thoughts were on here.  If I have plastics rigged up on a lure (jig, chatterbait, swimbait, etc.), how long do you guys leave that plastic tied on before you feel you need a "fresh" one on.  Keep in mind that I'm asking this question under the assumption there isnt anything wrong with the plastic itself like tears, ripped off appendages, or anything.  Just wondering if anything feels that plastics need to be "fresh" in order to be effective on whatever rig they are on.

In winter I’ll leave it until it’s no longer usable, but I “rejuice” it every outing. In summer, especially the heat of it, it is never really a problem. I’ve used it or lost it per trip. 

i drag all my plastics outside the car window while driving to the lake to get them worn in looking. ?

I guess it kinda depends how your setup is stored when not fishing.  Leaving plastics in the hot sun or exposed to extreme temperatures is probably not great for them, especially the z-man ones.

 

If you put the setup in a rod locker or store it inside, then it probably lasts for a while.

 

I personally do not change them out unless I visibly see an issue with it like physical damage or fading.  I fish about twice a week.

Myself - I remove all plastics from lures/hooks at the end of the day. If they're still usable, they go back in the original bag...otherwise they go in the trash.

 

I get out maybe once a week, I don't like the idea of the plastics sitting on my hooks - possibly doing damage - for that long.

All get removed at the end of the day and separated from the good stuff. Every week or other week torn stuff gets mend-it'd together. 

They stay on until I lose the bait which is often considering where I throw them.

When the fish quit biting it.

Why would you change a plastic that doesn't have anything wrong with it?

47 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Myself - I remove all plastics from lures/hooks at the end of the day. If they're still usable, they go back in the original bag...otherwise they go in the trash.

 

I get out maybe once a week, I don't like the idea of the plastics sitting on my hooks - possibly doing damage - for that long.

Ditto

 

 

 

 

Mike

I fish almost every day once the weather allows and I'm off work for the summer.  Mine stay on until they aren't usable.  Hopefully that's a few hours or so rather than days! LOL

1 hour ago, ajschn06 said:

Why would you change a plastic that doesn't have anything wrong with it?

Similar to the reason i wouldn't drink a bottle of pop thats been in the fridge for a week or longer after being opened.  It's gonna get flat and taste that way too.  

38 minutes ago, walt-14 said:

Similar to the reason i wouldn't drink a bottle of pop thats been in the fridge for a week or longer after being opened.  It's gonna get flat and taste that way too.  

The rage craw that was on my black/blue jig when I stopped fishing last October is the same one I'll use as soon as the ice melts this year...

A plastic bait is gonna go flat?

 

I leave 'em on until they can't be used. In fact I find YUM Dingers get better action the more they get torn up. Heck I've caught fish with plastics I've found on shore. And many of my plastics have been opened for a year or two.

 

Send me your flat and tasteless plastics, I'll even pay for shipping

Your plastics will be fine but if we're talking an extended period of time then I'd start to worry about the hook (and/or skirting material) the bait is rigged on

I take the bait off at the end of the trip and put it back in the bag. 

I leave my t-rigged plastics on my rod & I leave trailers on jigs.

 

With that said I'm retired & subject to bale at anytime!

The one thing I will never do is put anything back in a bag or even plano box for that matter on the day I use them.  

6 hours ago, walt-14 said:

Similar to the reason i wouldn't drink a bottle of pop thats been in the fridge for a week or longer after being opened.  It's gonna get flat and taste that way too.  

The plastic doesn't fundamentally change in a significant way while on the hook.  Well, you might lose some salt (if it is salted) or a bait might - maybe - lose some of a coating due to drying (e.g. if it already had a lubricant/scent).  None of these things should affect the quality or action of the bait too much for it to be unusable.

I sometimes repair baits with Mend-it.  I guess my SK baits wind up tasting like ripped plastic mixed with coffee with a double espresso shot of PVC pipe glue.  Apparently tastes good to a bass!

36 minutes ago, Deephaven said:

The one thing I will never do is put anything back in a bag or even plano box for that matter on the day I use them. 

I keep a plano with my used ones and fish em till they can't be fished again.  Many will get glued and re-used.  To each his own in terms of convenience, but in terms of capability to produce, I don't see a difference.

Well if in doubt throw it out...then run out and buy more. Gotta keep those dudes at Scheels in business bro.

I didn't know you even could change them out.  

Plastics that are very salty and have rusted my jigs and hooks quickly get pulled at the end of the day. Mend-it makes them new again.

If plastics is "rusting" your hooks, y'all fishing cheap hooks!

 

Ain't had a hook rust in 10-12 years ?

I'm a firm believer that battered, abused, and used Z-man plastics are more productive. Thats been my experience anyway. 

54 minutes ago, Catt said:

If plastics is "rusting" your hooks, y'all fishing cheap hooks!

 

Ain't had a hook rust in 10-12 years ?

I fish on the fairly light side of my techniques. Don’t know, most likely because I’m a river rat for Smallies and think the finesse or smaller presentations is the way to fish. But anyway......... for soft plastic worms I’m pretty much rigged up on a Gammy light wire worm hook or a Tru-Turn worm hook and they are a bronze/steel. That worm salt attacks them pretty quickly. So I just pull them off when finished. But I do notice on larger baits and pitching and flipping hooks they are coated heavier.