been seeing more and more stuff on megabass. the vision oneten has always been a hit, but I'm hearing about this bfs Karashi? looked it up and its not cheap. none of their baits are, but they do get a lot of praise. im mostly pond hopping, so not using any sonar, which I see megabass is highly associated with. should I invest in megabass or not, and why?

All baits catch fish. I think Megabass baits get me more bites.

I think it's worth trying. Don't go off buying a dozen of them at once. Try one, and if it's successful, then another, and another, etc. Eventually you'll have a few of them. If you don't like it, then you're only out one. That's what convinced me to slowly accumulate a few jerk baits of theirs.

3 minutes ago, gim said:

Try one, and if it's successful, then another, and another, etc.

That is how it always starts. Please tell me how it ends.

If you're just pond hopping, I wouldn't go too heavy on them and I say that even though I'm a huge fan of Megabass. I would look at the following baits.....

Karashi - game changer for me

110 Jr - doesn't go to deep. Good for ponds

Griffon - good small bait but takes some getting use to

Pop-x or Pop Max - fantastic popper

Dog-X Diamante - great topwater walk the dog

SV 3 - if spinnerbaits work at your ponds this one is awesome

Dark Sleeper - another awesome bait but it can get stuck in rocks

S Crank - great square bill that gets the job done but I would throw the ATV

Great Hunting Humpback 51 - it will catch anything but made for trout

3in Spark Shad - in a pond with bait fish this one will bring them in

Magdraft 5in or 6in - great swimbait if your pond fish are after something big

There's more but a few of these should get you started and yes they are worth it if you can find a good deal. Paying full price for one and then losing it can be painful.

For the karashi, just buy a few of the knockoff versions on ali express and put on your own rear feathered treble. I've caught hundreds and hundreds of fish on the knockoffs, never used a real one. So I can't comment on the comparison, but my success with the Knockoff karashi speaks for itself.

The only real Megabass baits I have, and I will say are 100% worth the money are the vision 110 jerkbait series. I'm a big jerk bait fisherman, and these for me are a must. The way it's designed it has a perfect buoyancy when it's killed, meaning it doesn't float up nor sink, which seems to drive the fish wild.

Magdrafts, Sleeper Gills, and SV3 are part of my regular rotation.

3" Spark Shads are Smallmouth candy.

Replace the hooks on your Visions if you throw them on casting gear.

They make quality products that work as intended and look great, but I think you can usually do fine with much cheaper alternatives. I have not fished the Karashi though, so I can't speak to that bait. It does seem kind of unique, whereas there are millions of crankbaits, poppers, walking baits, swimbaits etc.

I use the Pop Max and it's great, but I don't think I catch that many more fish on it compared to a $10 popper. The 110 I haven't had any better success than the Jackall Rerange, though that isn't exactly cheap at $20. The Duel Hardcore jerkbait at $12 I have had near as much success on, same for the Rapala Shad Rap.

The biggest "pro" in favour of Megabass is that the quality control is impeccable and every bait works as intended. A suspending jerkbait suspends, crankbaits run right, the paint doesn't wear off quickly, treble hooks don't get caught on your line, a popper will walk fairly well etc. They aren't magic baits that catch more fish by default, but you don't have to worry about them "not working as intended." Whereas most bait manufacturers pump out baits ranging from amazing to sub-par and you have to wade through them to see which ones are which.

17 hours ago, austin_the_fisher said:

been seeing more and more stuff on megabass. the vision oneten has always been a hit, but I'm hearing about this bfs Karashi? looked it up and its not cheap. none of their baits are, but they do get a lot of praise. im mostly pond hopping, so not using any sonar, which I see megabass is highly associated with. should I invest in megabass or not, and why?

There's so much on YouTube about the Karashi there has to be something to them. And I could see why. It's appealing. I'm sure it works. But that price! I already have a small X-Rap that does a good job in that general area of bait. I don't use electronics either. Besides, finesse is not my bag. I know it works. I just don't like to fish that way.

Megabass is not just hype, they do indeed create quality stuff. Baits and rods are all great. My only negative about them is the warranty on rods, and how they don't allow you to purchase a certain section of a rod when your multi piece rod has broken. If they allowed it, and put like a 10y warranty on their higher end stuff like the P5's, they'd be the best of the bunch in my opinion.

When I moved to the Ozarks I owned 0 Megabass lures. I now have 4 boxes of them, mostly 110s; my most recent additions are five Karashi, two sizes. I also have Magdrafts in 5" and 6" and Spark Shads in 3", 4", and 5". I'm convinced.

If you fish ponds I’d start with a pop max. You can pop it and let it sit, walk it like a spook, or mix up both. It’s my favorite popper. Lobina Rico is a close second for something more finesse.

Everyone has their own criteria for assigning worth/value.

These are the Megabass baits I like (A LOT):

X-Nanahan +2

Vision 110 Jr. +1

Vision 110 Jr.

Vision 110

Karashi

Karashi 80

Pop-X

Pop-Max

I have multiples of all of the above because they have all earned their keep IMHO.

They have enticed me to try a few other Megabass hardbaits that have not been as productive. . . . for me.

7 hours ago, Jerkbait22 said:

If you fish ponds I’d start with a pop max. You can pop it and let it sit, walk it like a spook, or mix up both. It’s my favorite popper. Lobina Rico is a close second for something more finesse.

Agree

On 4/30/2026 at 10:46 PM, king fisher said:

That is how it always starts. Please tell me how it ends.

I definitely will. I just pulled the trigger on a karashi, pop max, and a oneten Jr.

On 5/1/2026 at 2:12 PM, FishTank said:

If you're just pond hopping, I wouldn't go too heavy on them and I say that even though I'm a huge fan of Megabass. I would look at the following baits.....

Karashi - game changer for me

110 Jr - doesn't go to deep. Good for ponds

Griffon - good small bait but takes some getting use to

Pop-x or Pop Max - fantastic popper

Dog-X Diamante - great topwater walk the dog

SV 3 - if spinnerbaits work at your ponds this one is awesome

Dark Sleeper - another awesome bait but it can get stuck in rocks

S Crank - great square bill that gets the job done but I would throw the ATV

Great Hunting Humpback 51 - it will catch anything but made for trout

3in Spark Shad - in a pond with bait fish this one will bring them in

Magdraft 5in or 6in - great swimbait if your pond fish are after something big

There's more but a few of these should get you started and yes they are worth it if you can find a good deal. Paying full price for one and then losing it can be painful.

So looking at the spark shad, it seems pretty similar to a crushcity mayor. Also, what would you rig one of those guys on? I love the SV 3, my buddy caught a 14 pounder on one of those guys. Finally, it looks like that great hunting humpback is a BFS style bait. what others from that list would be considered bfs?

What’s your fishing style and what are the ponds like that you fish? I can suggest some other baits but the 110 variants and pop max are two of the best so you’re off to a good start.

3 hours ago, austin_the_fisher said:

So looking at the spark shad, it seems pretty similar to a crushcity mayor. Also, what would you rig one of those guys on? I love the SV 3, my buddy caught a 14 pounder on one of those guys. Finally, it looks like that great hunting humpback is a BFS style bait. what others from that list would be considered bfs?

It's different from a lot of other 3in paddle tail swimbaits. It has a flat top and somehow that keeps it on an even plain. The Mayor is heavier and sinks like a rock. Both work well but they don't seem to compete with each other. It's more like when one doesn't work, the other does. In a pond, it might not make a difference. I do catch more fish on the Spark Shad and a greater variety. Hooks up are also better. For the most part, I use a 1/0 or #1 1/8oz ball head jig like the Keitech below.

https://www.keitechusa.com/keitech-jig-heads/keitech-tungsten-mono-guard-jig-heads/keitech-tungsten-mono-guard-jig-head.html

I throw it on either a Megabass P5 Whippet or a P5 Cliff Hanger Thrilling.

The GH Humpback is more of a sinking BFS bait but for a pond it's fantastic. It's pretty easy to cast. It can be thrown on BFS gear or a ML spinning rod. All you have to do is keep it off the bottom and real it in on a stop and go retrieve. You will need to keep the drag light and eventually you will need to change out the hooks.

The only other bait I would consider BFS on that list would be the Karashi. It is more difficult, for me at least, to cast than the GH Humpback.

Also, just noticed you are from FL and having fished several ponds down around Tampa and Bradenton when I was younger, 5lb's can be a regular thing. Every pond seemed like its own eco system. Some wanted big baits while others wanted small stuff or even just topwater. The list I posted was based off of the ponds I fish in Indiana. Where you are at, it can be a totally different ball game. If I was back down in Florida I would go with the regular 110 (if your pond can handle a bait that goes 4-6 feet deep), the Pop Max, the 6in Magdraft or the SV-3. Another might be the Z-Crank Z-1. Great finesse crankbait that you can throw on regular gear.

On 5/3/2026 at 10:01 PM, FishTank said:

It's different from a lot of other 3in paddle tail swimbaits. It has a flat top and somehow that keeps it on an even plain. The Mayor is heavier and sinks like a rock. Both work well but they don't seem to compete with each other. It's more like when one doesn't work, the other does. In a pond, it might not make a difference. I do catch more fish on the Spark Shad and a greater variety. Hooks up are also better. For the most part, I use a 1/0 or #1 1/8oz ball head jig like the Keitech below.

https://www.keitechusa.com/keitech-jig-heads/keitech-tungsten-mono-guard-jig-heads/keitech-tungsten-mono-guard-jig-head.html

I throw it on either a Megabass P5 Whippet or a P5 Cliff Hanger Thrilling.

The GH Humpback is more of a sinking BFS bait but for a pond it's fantastic. It's pretty easy to cast. It can be thrown on BFS gear or a ML spinning rod. All you have to do is keep it off the bottom and real it in on a stop and go retrieve. You will need to keep the drag light and eventually you will need to change out the hooks.

The only other bait I would consider BFS on that list would be the Karashi. It is more difficult, for me at least, to cast than the GH Humpback.

Also, just noticed you are from FL and having fished several ponds down around Tampa and Bradenton when I was younger, 5lb's can be a regular thing. Every pond seemed like its own eco system. Some wanted big baits while others wanted small stuff or even just topwater. The list I posted was based off of the ponds I fish in Indiana. Where you are at, it can be a totally different ball game. If I was back down in Florida I would go with the regular 110 (if your pond can handle a bait that goes 4-6 feet deep), the Pop Max, the 6in Magdraft or the SV-3. Another might be the Z-Crank Z-1. Great finesse crankbait that you can throw on regular gear.

alright. thanks for the explanation. the site was down for quite a bit, so sorry for the delay. i recently got a curado bfs and a dobyns sierra ultra finesse, so i will definitely be grabbing the humpback and spark shad. i already have those keitech jigheads, and they do wonders for me. thanks for the recommendation.

To me? Yes. I love their Jerkbaits. Karashi is also nice. Owm some of their topwaters as well.

Definitely overpriced but they work.

9 hours ago, austin_the_fisher said:

alright. thanks for the explanation. the site was down for quite a bit, so sorry for the delay. i recently got a curado bfs and a dobyns sierra ultra finesse, so i will definitely be grabbing the humpback and spark shad. i already have those keitech jigheads, and they do wonders for me. thanks for the recommendation.

I have the same set up (700C for the rod). It's pretty versatile. I know you are asking about Megabass bait but there are tons of other BFS baits outside of what Megabass has. I would look at these as well and these are just a few.....

Bassday Mononofu 50s

Shimano Tiny MacBeth

Evergreen PC-5

Duo Realis Rozante 63SP

Crush City Mayor 2.75

6th Sense Whale 3in

Also, be prepared to replace treble hooks. I would invest in a small pair of split ring pliers or tweezers and some #8, 10 and 12 trebles. To give a good example, I caught over 30 two weeks ago on a Megabass BFS Griffon SRX and had to replace the treble hooks twice. A couple of 5lb largemouth and a really nice catfish did them in.

On 5/22/2026 at 10:13 PM, FishTank said:

I have the same set up (700C for the rod). It's pretty versatile. I know you are asking about Megabass bait but there are tons of other BFS baits outside of what Megabass has. I would look at these as well and these are just a few.....

Bassday Mononofu 50s

Shimano Tiny MacBeth

Evergreen PC-5

Duo Realis Rozante 63SP

Crush City Mayor 2.75

6th Sense Whale 3in

Also, be prepared to replace treble hooks. I would invest in a small pair of split ring pliers or tweezers and some #8, 10 and 12 trebles. To give a good example, I caught over 30 two weeks ago on a Megabass BFS Griffon SRX and had to replace the treble hooks twice. A couple of 5lb largemouth and a really nice catfish did them in.

so with treble hooks, what hooks would you recommend to replace them with? I would expect it to be pretty hard to find little tiny trebles for bfs lures. I have always been a fan of the mayor, and usually have 2-3 packs in my bag. as for the others, I will for sure grab the whale, mononofu, and rozante. As for the cranks on the list, I have never had luck on crank baits, you still think I should get them? I'm in Florida, so there is a ton of grass and stuff for them to get caught in.

34 minutes ago, austin_the_fisher said:

so with treble hooks, what hooks would you recommend to replace them with? I would expect it to be pretty hard to find little tiny trebles for bfs lures. I have always been a fan of the mayor, and usually have 2-3 packs in my bag. as for the others, I will for sure grab the whale, mononofu, and rozante. As for the cranks on the list, I have never had luck on crank baits, you still think I should get them? I'm in Florida, so there is a ton of grass and stuff for them to get caught in.

For treble hooks, I like Ryugi Pierce and the Pierce Daggers. I have also used some from BKK. I usually order them from Japan, the Hook Up Tackle, or even Amazon for BKK.

As far as crankbaits go in Florida, it depends on the lake or pond conditions. I've seen some shallow with lots of grass, making BFS almost impossible so I would just use your best judgment. Topwater BFS would be awesome. For me, I like to bounce small cranks off rocks in shallow water on a stop and go retrieve. I don't focus on cranking the bait back in. I just go for feeling the rocks. That seems to draw the fish to the bait. In grass though, I would start with the Megabass BFS Griffon SRX. Its shallow running and has a built it in action on a stop and go retrieve that makes it look like its bouncing off of something. The Mononofu does the same thing.