I turn 69 this summer and I have enough lures for the rest of my life with the exception of Senkos, paddletail's, and a few other soft plastics that I'll lose to wear and tear. I'll have to buy hooks, underspins, and sinkers too, of course, but if I lived another 30 years and fished hard, I don't think I'd use and lose all my lures.

 

Plus, I used a pink and clear Shimano Flashboost Popper heavily last summer and caught hundreds and hundreds of bass with it. It's scuffed and battered, but the bass don't care. I don't need to replace it. And when a pickerel steals it one day, I have dozens of other poppers to replace it.

 

I understand that many anglers love collecting lures and I understand the appeal, for they are beautiful, but I have shelves of lures I'll never use and I've settled into the lures that give me confidence. 

 

Anyone else saying "BAH!" to the Bait Monkey? Or do you love having the Bait Monkey perched on your shoulder, with Tackle Warehouse boxes forever on their way?

I have tried for years to kick the Bait Monkey habit for good.  In the end the Monkey always wins.  I have come to the conclusion, that nobody likes a quitter. 

I don’t really like the bait monkey and it’s caused me quite a few problems. Honestly I should take responsibility and say it is 100% my fault which it is. But I get crazy ideas in my head about trying this or that and the cycle goes on. I am going to be 38 this year and I have probably more than I could ever use in my lifetime already, a 55 gallon tote full of plastics and then some and probably 20 different rods once again and maybe 10 reels. I am good but it doesn’t stop me, I have gotten extremely picky about what I buy though so that helps a little bit lol.

I have become pretty resistant to the bait monkey myself. The last few trips to the local shops have had me come home with just a few little things instead of a bag full.

 

My last trip came home with a spool of 15lb Big Game because I was out. A pinkish DT8 because  I don't have any DT8's and pink tends to show as bright orange in the root beer colored Ontario waters of our June Smallmouth trip. I think the only other thing I grabbed was a pack of small jigheads to use with some little 2.5" Great Lakes Craws I had picked up at a show last year.

 

For me to come home with 2 or 3 things is an accomplishment! I really have no need for any other tackle, rods, or reels and have been pretty successful resisting! In fact I just gave away 3 reels and a couple rods to a friend's son to use. I have more than I think I could ever really use!

I'm with you Katy.

It's a love/hate relationship for me. I love getting new lures, but I also hate it because I don't have enough fishing time to lose all the lures I buy. The monkey knows right where to hit me. He knows I'm a sucker for a sale on Strike King Rage Tail lures, Dingers, Trick Worms, Zakos, lizards, brush hogs, lipless cranks, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, rods, reels, and of course hooks, line, and sinkers. 🤣

That's what he wants you to believe 

I was 6 months clean until a recent stumble.

Upgraded 2 rods and reels and purchased a couple of spinnerbaits.

Wife even asked " I thought you were done ". 

I said " wasn't my choice " . 😄

 

good luck with that.  

It has nothing to do with 'need' for me...I collect tackle.  I had to make that realization/admission a few years ago.  I enjoy using, looking at, and organizing my tackle.  

I am in a quandary.  I swore my allegiance to Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits 20+ years ago and as a result swore to never have another plastic in my boat.  For so many years there was never a temptation to venture beyond that even though top management wanted me to throw others creations to report back on how they worked and what GYCB could do to make their line better.  I begrudgingly threw a Stanley frog before Yamamoto came out with their own version, I occasionally made color suggestions for other baits and some made it to market and remain in the lineup today.  But here’s where I am getting exhausted, since the acquisition by GSM, Yamamoto has gone from what I call a “boutique” bait line to a “utilitarian” line that has exploded with new offerings, styles and colors.  It is my job to be able to truthfully represent ALL of the Yamamoto product line, the best way to do that us to fish the entire product line and as a result, the bait monkey can’t get past the boxes of Yamamoto for me to try anything else.  The good part is that so many of the new offerings are winners.  

11 minutes ago, KP Duty said:

It has nothing to do with 'need' for me...I collect tackle.  I had to make that realization/admission a few years ago.  I enjoy using, looking at, and organizing my tackle.  

 

I get that. I also understand why someone who fishes heavily fished water would always be looking to cast something that their local bass haven't seen yet.

yoU R weAK

I have no need for any more lures,  EVER!

 

Unless someone comes out with an interesting new design,  or a cool color,  or maybe a different size of one of my favorites,  or maybe if there is a good sale,  or if someone wins a big tournament on a lure I don't have,  or if I have a REALLY good day on a lure and I have less than 10 of them,  or if the weather has been bad for several days and I just have to go to a tackle store for a fix,  or .....

I share the thoughts of @KP Duty

It’s easy to quit a tackle addiction. I’ve quit 3 times this month!

The bait monkey has determined this is a lie.

32 minutes ago, bait__Monkey said:

yoU R weAK

 

1 hour ago, KP Duty said:

It has nothing to do with 'need' for me...I collect tackle.  I had to make that realization/admission a few years ago.  I enjoy using, looking at, and organizing my tackle.  

 

I do too but it's second to fishing with it LOL

 

I truly believe I have enough tackle for three lifetimes for what it's worth 😵😵😵😂😂😂🫣🫣😉

21 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I truly believe I have enough tackle for three lifetimes for what it's worth 😵😵😵😂😂😂🫣🫣😉

 

Me too. We should be on one of those hoarders shows. I can see it now:

 

"Let's find someone we can put in the donate bin. Something. Anything. How about this?"

 

"No, that's my only 2012 MegaBass 110 in Double Yum Clownface XT3000!"

 

"But there are a dozen others that look just like it."

 

"Different vintages." 

I've pretty much quit and only buy hooks, sinkers and 40 packs of Zoom worms a year.  

I definitely went through a stretch when I was starting out of trying so many lures, and also looking for diamonds in the rough of good value baits. Ultimately at this point I know what I like and why I like it and I mostly just restock. I like to see what new things come out but unless they're unique or intriguing my temptation to  buy them is not what it used to be. 

It's my only addiction. 

I live 4.5 hours away from the closest Bass Pro. I recently went on a family holiday and went into 2 different BPS locations…and did not buy a single piece of tackle! 
Needless to say my wife was confused and concerned about my well being haha

 

I’d like to say I’m done with buying new stuff and I’ll probably succeed until winter when the bait monkey becomes rabid

Wish I would have seen this a few hours ago. I just left Bass Pro, had time between appointments.

I swear I was just going to look around and kill some time.  

@Glenn is part in blame here, he just did a video of the cool hook with a swivel for neko rig, by Gamasuko ( how ever you spell it) 

so I had to look for it….. then I wanted nail weights to go with it. Then I saw some thing else, then I spotted line conditioner.  
Now I’m   sitting at my next appointment, wondering what happened.
Might have to bring in my bag of stuff and try and trade for my MRI. 

hahaha