I’m still learning what I like and what works.

 

I like classic lures and lures that have been pushed aside for the new and shiny.

 

That said I do enjoy a modest tackle collection; always have.

 

 

I embraced a minimalist style long ago.

 

All of the baits I need are in 2 Flambeau Super Half Satchel (4510). And terminal in a single Terminal Tackle Satchel  (4510FB).

 

As new baits come out that appeal to my preferred techniques, I buy a single bag and test it out against my current "Gold Standards" to see if it's a worthy upgrade. If not, I give it away.

 

I still firmly believe if the fish can't be caught with a handful of baits using a handful of skillful presentations...they aren't going to be caught that day regardless.

I go through "growth spurts" with my tackle. When I got back into it when I got my house I was buying A LOT and covered a lot of different techniques. Over the recent years I've found things I enjoy fishing and techniques I'm good at. Once I find a technique that hits both I'll dive in deep and I'm OK with it because I use it all. My issue now is the accumulation of the early years when I was searching for things I liked but yet dont want to get rid of in case I take a trip somewhere I'll need it.

 

Things I've dove into deep

Jerkbaits

Swim Jigs

Chatterbaits

Spinnerbaits

Frogs

Walking Baits

 

Things That fell to the wayside

Drop shot

Ned Rig

Crankbaits

Berkley Gilly

Whopper Plopper

 

All full setups and some small "collections" of each that I now rarely if ever use. I've slowly given some stuff away when I find someone getting into it I like. 

 

17 minutes ago, RRocket said:

I embraced a minimalist style long ago.

 

To a degree, I'm a minimalist too because I simply can't carry much. Even at the two ponds where I've a canoe stashed, I still have to carry my four to six rods, two paddles, net, flashlight, pepper spray, and tacklebox through the woods, often at four in the morning. So, my tacklebox is necessarily small. If I have to carry or wheel a canoe too, I'm only taking two to four rods.

 

@Functional: I'm surprised a popper didn't make your list. For late summer and through fall, it's my most productive lure. Sadly, it's not warm enough to them to hit it yet.

@Swamp Girl I'm surprised too. When I lived in NY the chug bug was nearly all I used for top surface. Down here in NC they just hit the walking baits much better. I still have about 5 chug bugs but I'll take a walking bait over it 9/10. 

3 minutes ago, Functional said:

@Swamp Girl I'm surprised too. When I lived in NY the chug bug was nearly all I used for top surface. Down here in NC they just hit the walking baits much better. I still have about 5 chug bugs but I'll take a walking bait over it 9/10. 

 

We really do have to determine what our local bass want. My preferred walking bait is the Dual Realis Pencil. It makes a chirping sound when I walk it and my local bass prefer that over other walking baits I've tried. Do I think anyone else should buy it? Only if they live in my town. 

9 minutes ago, Functional said:

When I lived in NY the chug bug was nearly all I used for top surface.

As a NYer, the 2.5” chug bug has taken more smallies for me than any other bait. 

1 minute ago, Jar11591 said:

As a NYer, the 2.5” chug bug has taken more smallies for me than any other bait. 

 

I had to Google Chug Bug and I was tempted, but stood strong.

5 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

I had to Google Chug Bug and I was tempted, but stood strong.

Let me see what I have sitting around. Maybe I'll send one up your way. 

 

EDIT: @Jar11591 I think I use the 3.25" versions. Doesnt matter time of day or cloud cover, it really draws them up north. 

Say, I was sitting in my chair reading this thread when I suddenly levitated. Yeah, I was floating. I said:

 

 

Then I got a notice from Bass Resource that I have reached the rank of Double Digit. I said:

 

 

Now this is me:

 

I'm up there in age too, in reality I have more lures then I could ever use in my fishing lifetime. 

Replacement hooks and plastics beside, it's hard to resist the allure of a new "hot" lure 

I need to slow down for sure.  I have enough to fish for the rest of my life. I don't lack for tackle. I just wish I had time to fish and enjoy it all. 

It's the only addiction I have and when I apologized to my wife today for buying another armload of tackle at the flea market and admitting I'm an addict, she looked at me and said "You're not drinking and your not spending money on strippers. I'm ok with that." she's an enabler...

I agree. It’s funny I was actually sitting in the basement last night. Man I have a lot of stuff. I made a give away pile and organized what I need. Honestly probably can fish this whole season and not need to stock up on anything except the soft plastics I burn through. But even some of those I buy in bulk lol

The only thing I really purchase any more are hooks and fishing line.

I was doing well until last week's flea market. New in package Silver Minnows...I had to buy them all!

 

Oh, and every used Rebel and Bomber he had, plus a few Fat Raps and Normans.

My wife is going to the states for a week, so I decided it would be a great time to buy a couple of necessities and have her bring them back home in an extra bag of luggage.  Earlier this year I had decided, I had way to much tackle, and didn't need to buy anything.  I had determined since I only bass fish for fun, not food or money, than the only thing I was doing was enjoying the challenge of catching a bass.  I told the Monkey that the challenge of catching a bass on the lures I already own, was just as rewarding as catching bass on new lures.  I was going to have the attitude, that catching bass on the lures I have would be more enlightening than catching a big bass on some new magic lure.  Of course he gave me the what have you been drinking look.

 

I did need to replace terminal tackle and line, both of which are not allowed as carry on baggage, so that is where my wife would be able to help.

 

I put some line, hooks, and weights in my cart on Tackle Warehouse.  Then I took a look at Siebert Outdoors website, and noticed that I could get 10 tungsten sinkers for the same price as three on Tackle Warehouse.   I decided it would be worth putting in an order for 20 weights at Siebert's rather than the three I really needed.  While placing the order I noticed a spinnerbait in a color I had never seen, and it looked like a bass would have to hit it even before I could get it out of my tacklebox.  Now I make my own spinnerbaits and have at least 100 baits made, and parts to make another 100.  The last thing in this world I need is another spinnerbait, but somehow that bait was to good  looking to pass up.  Since I was already expanding out of the necessity terminal tackle category, I added a pack of Magnum Rage bugs, and some punch weights with skirts attached.

 

It was then I realized I needed to remove the tungsten weights out of my cart on Tackle Warehouse and finish my order there.  Thinking that I saved so much money on tungsten weights, I might as well buy a few more crankbaits.  After all, I did loose a couple of my best crankbaits on my last trip, and replacing them wouldn't really be like buying something new.  I couldn't decide if I needed a DT 15 more than a DT 10 so I bought a couple of both.   It was then I realized  I had been fishing bladed jigs more than ever this year, and I better buy a couple of them in case I loose some of the ones I have.  Of course I needed to buy trailers for the bladed jigs so in the cart they went.  By then I was starting to get out of control, but since I already had one foot in the door of the crazy train, I put a Lucky Craft LV 500 in the cart.  I have put an LV 500 in every cart then removed it on every order in the past 3 years.  I catch many bass on a rattle trap, and have always wanted a lipless crankbait that would work better at deeper depths.  It doesn't help that the Monkeys cousins Matt and Tim, catch monster bass on the LV on almost every video they put out.  So this time the LV made it past the cart and on to the order.  I didn't even stop to think that if the LV works so well at catching bass in deep and shallow water, I didn't need the crankbaits I was ordering, because I would be using the lipless instead.  I'm sure somehow I will find time to fish both, of them, equally along with all of the other lures I can't live without.

 

Luckily before the train pulled out of the station with me riding in the front seat I remembered the relationship my wife has with the Bait Monkey and managed to stop, but that is how my resolution of only buying hooks and line came to an end.

 

The Bait Monkey always wins.

 

  

Yeah, I've pretty much reached critical mass with bass stuff, and I'm getting close to it with muskie tackle.

I've hit the limit - now that I have a time-table...the monkey glared at me and ran off...probably to pound more on the rest of you.

The monkey left me note:  Keep buying or I’ll pee in your boat.

5 hours ago, Bazoo said:

I’m still learning what I like and what works.

This right here. 👆

1 hour ago, Bankbeater said:

The only thing I really purchase any more are hooks and fishing line.

This is where I’m at now too. I basically just replace line, hooks, sinkers, and plastics. No more hard baits, no more lures.

 

I also haven’t bought a new rod or reel in years. I only intend to buy one when a current version breaks or fails.

 

It comes down to will power. Takes a lot of it to walk into a Cabelas and walk out without buying items other than a fishing and turkey hunting license. I’ve managed to do it for 3 years straight.

1 minute ago, gim said:

Takes a lot of it to walk into a Cabelas and walk out without buying items other than a fishing and turkey hunting license. I’ve managed to do it for 3 years straight.

 

Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set your monkey free?
Always buying those new baits
Do you hear the monkey or think gear is free ?
Why can't you do it?
Why do I have I have to listen to the monkey?
Hear the monkey? (Monkey)
Hear the monkey? (Monkey)

 

 

Oh, I  bought ten baits
But I need ten more
And I don't know why
But I need ten more
If he speaks again
Like he did just now
Like he did just then
I’m gonna be poor 

I've had the rest
Now it's time I had the best
So when he  tells me
My tackle box needs more

Well I'd write Tackle Warehouse a letter
But I think the monkey knows better
If I keep on ordering maybe
I'll get what I'm asking for 

9 hours ago, TOXIC said:

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.  

@TOXIC if they send you any 3" slim senkos that need testing, I'll take the hit and test them out for you   Always willing to help a brother out!

 

(The 3" slim senko is my all time favorite bait that seems to only be available in their on-line store.  As an ultralight guy I love em!)