What Fishing Gimmick Did You Fall For?

[Smokinal]

Fluorocarbon and its "no stretch" qualities  😅🤣😂

I've tried 7 different brands/types...spared no expense...bought the best stuff available. This stuff is an absolute rubber band. Never experienced so much stretch in any line. I had it on my jig rod and couldn't stick a fish to save my life. Went back to braid/fluoro leader and everything was fine again.

At least I have a lifetime supply of leader material now 😉

 

[Reel]

The red head is the original color for Ned Rigs.  That's what the inventor caught the most fish on.  

[ike8120]

The Inu Rig for me. May work overseas but not for me.

[F14A-B]

9 hours ago, Craig P said:

I can’t say I fell for it but I had to prove or possibly disprove it on my own, the endless amount of bass fishing techniques and baits. 

 

These endless techniques and baits force us to kneel to the bait money, the rod & reel monkey and honestly, makes us second guess every second we don’t catch.

 

Find a technique or two you like and roll with it, the fish will come. I promise that!

 

 

 

😂😂😂 Dude! I met the bait monkey in about 1977.. the thing is relentless and was probably a part of creation! 
 

Get use to it 😆 

[TyphonMike]

The flying lure back in the 90s $40 for weights that kinda worked but mostly just caught tree limbs

[Swamp Girl]

11 hours ago, Craig P said:

Find a technique or two you like and roll with it, the fish will come.

 

No truer words.

[DinkDonkey30]

I’m shocked at the amount of people claiming rods are a gimmick. Yeah you can use a senko with an ugly stick but you aren’t throwing a big glide on an ultra light. No you don’t need a 600+ rod but a Googan green series rod certainly isn’t the same quality as a St Croix. Ask me how I know 3 broken Googans 0 broken St Croix under the exact same use conditions. Could I use my 8ft fast action deep crank rod as a flipping/pitching/frog rod probably but it’s not going to like it. The only gimmick I can think of off hand is the banjo minnows. We caught some with them but they certainly weren’t all that was advertised.

[rboat]

I think most lures are gimmicks depending where you live. Some areas things work great, other areas the fish wont even look at the same lure. We as anglers buy all of them hoping for that one that is magic.

A few I fell for:

1. When I was younger I thought the short pistol grip rods were the ticket. Now I do not use one.

2. Dance's eel

3. Live target crank with the 2 little minows in a clear body. - nothing

4. Flourocarbon line. I know some swear by it, I swear at it. 

5. Tiny lures and big giant ones.

6. Drop shot/shakey head, caught mostly moss and mud.

7. A-rig, - still trying but nothing so far.

I am sure there are many more, since I have more lures than I could possible fish with.

[LootyDjibouti]

On 1/7/2025 at 5:45 AM, Reel said:

It's funny how somebody elses gimmicks are another person's staples.  

Gimmick: "a trick or device intended to attract attention, publicity, or business, often with little intrinsic value"

I think some folks ITT are stretching the definition of "gimmick" ITT.

I suck with a jerkbait, I know it's not a gimmick. I hate fishing a drop shot, but that's a proven technique for fresh and saltwater fish alike. JMO!  

[F14A-B]

47 minutes ago, DinkDonkey30 said:

I’m shocked at the amount of people claiming rods are a gimmick. Yeah you can use a senko with an ugly stick but you aren’t throwing a big glide on an ultra light. No you don’t need a 600+ rod but a Googan green series rod certainly isn’t the same quality as a St Croix. Ask me how I know 3 broken Googans 0 broken St Croix under the exact same use conditions. Could I use my 8ft fast action deep crank rod as a flipping/pitching/frog rod probably but it’s not going to like it. The only gimmick I can think of off hand is the banjo minnows. We caught some with them but they certainly weren’t all that was advertised.

I’m with you, rods might be more important than a reel to be honest.

 

But I’m fortunate to be able to have better reels as well as rods. 

[DinkDonkey30]

I agree I think reels are probably just as important. Although I don’t think the quality vs brand vs price varies as much as the rod category.

[Smirak]

23 hours ago, LootyDjibouti said:

Calling DT's a gimmick are fighting words! 

They are currently on sale at TW for 30% off. 

[bait__Monkey]

EYe LerNEd U hUMEns R WeeK

[the reel ess]

4 hours ago, rboat said:

I think most lures are gimmicks depending where you live. Some areas things work great, other areas the fish wont even look at the same lure. We as anglers buy all of them hoping for that one that is magic.

A few I fell for:

1. When I was younger I thought the short pistol grip rods were the ticket. Now I do not use one.

2. Dance's eel

3. Live target crank with the 2 little minows in a clear body. - nothing

4. Flourocarbon line. I know some swear by it, I swear at it. 

5. Tiny lures and big giant ones.

6. Drop shot/shakey head, caught mostly moss and mud.

7. A-rig, - still trying but nothing so far.

I am sure there are many more, since I have more lures than I could possible fish with.

1. When I was young, that's what there was. 5'6" was the standard and there were a few up to 6'6", but they were end heavy. When guys started flipping they had someone make their custom 7 footers. I got my first longer rod with a straight handle I guess in the early 90's.

3. Yep. 

4. Double Yep. I don't think I own any fluoro right now.

7. I've lost two and caught zero.

[Aaron_H]

10 hours ago, Smokinal said:

Fluorocarbon and its "no stretch" qualities  😅🤣😂

I've tried 7 different brands/types...spared no expense...bought the best stuff available. This stuff is an absolute rubber band. Never experienced so much stretch in any line. I had it on my jig rod and couldn't stick a fish to save my life. Went back to braid/fluoro leader and everything was fine again.

At least I have a lifetime supply of leader material now 😉

 

 

I had this issue when I first started throwing some baits on straight mono/fluoro. Turns out I just had to tighten my drag way up compared to how I set it for braid, excellent hook penetration after that.

[jbmaine]

If you try hard enough and long enough or hit one of those one in a million days, almost any " gimmick" lure will catch fish. I've even seen a fish suck down a cigarette butt once my friend threw in the water.

[Bankbeater]

Pocket Fisherman from back in the 70s. 

[Craig P]

13 hours ago, MinDoFmejiA said:

I ALMOST fell for the "bfs" trap. I would still like to have atleast one set up even though I know for a fact that I can do the same on spinning gear for WAY CHEAPER.... and yet the bait monkey keeps poking. Every time I have had the chance to invest Into it I talked my self out, and it's getting harder each time.

 

I don’t know if you’re on Facebook but there are a couple of groups based on BFS that you can join.  Many there run very economical equipment with good things to say about it. If you want some reading that is. 

I know for me, I have a couple of BFS setups that are on the cusp of just being light bass setups. While I fished my whole life using spinning gear and pride myself on my accuracy with it, it’s just too fun using light bait casters….I can’t go back!

[crypt]

the helicopter lure...........omg.....wth was I thinking?

[king fisher]

In 1978 I fished an Arbogast bait called an Arbogaster often.  It had a metal diving lip, and a hula skirt.  For some strange reason, I was starting to think metal lips were far inferior to plastic ones. and when the new Arbogast Bugeye came out I thought it would be the best lure in my box.  They had adds in every magazine, and all had offers of two Bugeye's for the price of one.  I sent in the card from the add, and patiently waited for my new super bait.  Three weeks later my friend and I got our new baits on the same day.  We had been checking our post office boxes every day for awhile and were sure we both would now be able to catch bass every cast.  He had his drivers license so we borrowed his parents car, and immediately drove to the local lake.  

 

The baits were the worst bait I have ever bought.  They looked great but had zero action.  I think this may have been the only dud Arbogast ever had, but it was a complete failure.  I was an Arbogast fan, and my friend was partial to Bomber.  He always brought up the complete failure the Bugeye was every time I ever mentioned Arbogast lures.  I returned the favor when I bought my first rattle trap, and out fished him with his model A's buy 50 to one for most of the summer.  

 

That is not the only failed gimmick I have bought, but it is the one that stings the most.  

 

Another from that same year was a spinnerbait that had wooden blades, that were supposed to float and spin while the spinnerbait sank.  I can't remember the name of the lure, but it was also a complete failure.

[Happybeerbuzz]

It feels like it is safe to say "all of them" including the ones that have not been announced or released yet.  

 

[Swamp Girl]

@TnRiver46 once wrote that I could catch bass with my car keys. Well, I use a key fob, so I cast that. I had a couple hits, but couldn't hook them without hooks. So, key fobs are total gimmicks, plus you have to walk home. 

[Smirak]

5 hours ago, bait__Monkey said:

EYe LerNEd U hUMEns R WeeK

With all due respect, screw you.

 

and I said with all due respect, so you can’t be mad at me…

[gim]

After reading through this entire thread, I’d say the tackle industry is pretty good at doing their job here. Whole lotta suckers I associate with lol

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, king fisher said:

In 1978 I fished an Arbogast bait called an Arbogaster often.  It had a metal diving lip, and a hula skirt.  For some strange reason, I was starting to think metal lips were far inferior to plastic ones. and when the new Arbogast Bugeye came out I thought it would be the best lure in my box.  They had adds in every magazine, and all had offers of two Bugeye's for the price of one.  I sent in the card from the add, and patiently waited for my new super bait.  Three weeks later my friend and I got our new baits on the same day.  We had been checking our post office boxes every day for awhile and were sure we both would now be able to catch bass every cast.  He had his drivers license so we borrowed his parents car, and immediately drove to the local lake.  

 

The baits were the worst bait I have ever bought.  They looked great but had zero action.  I think this may have been the only dud Arbogast ever had, but it was a complete failure.  I was an Arbogast fan, and my friend was partial to Bomber.  He always brought up the complete failure the Bugeye was every time I ever mentioned Arbogast lures.  I returned the favor when I bought my first rattle trap, and out fished him with his model A's buy 50 to one for most of the summer.  

 

That is not the only failed gimmick I have bought, but it is the one that stings the most.  

 

Another from that same year was a spinnerbait that had wooden blades, that were supposed to float and spin while the spinnerbait sank.  I can't remember the name of the lure, but it was also a complete failure.

I have one of those, never knew what on earth it was