Biggest Surprise/disappointment 2024
bkohlman reply :
What lure has given you the biggest positive surprise and biggest disappointment?
Surprise - Eakins Finesse Jig
Disappointment - Cavitron Buzz Bait - black with red blade
shimmy reply :
Hmm, great question.
Surprise= BBZ-1 8" swimbait
Disappointment= too tough to recall but will go with go with manns jelly worm-chartreuse green.
ww2farmer reply :
Surprise: this goes back a while, and now I am not surprised because they are my go to hard baits, but Strike King cranks, any of them. They, for me, out produce much more expensive stuff on a regular basis, I have very few QC issues with there mass produced stuff, and when you loss a bunch of them every year to things with teeth, $6 a pop hurts alot less than $15.
Dissapointment: any and every thing with the Rapala name on it. It's all over priced junk. From DT's that break bills off left and right, X-raps that sink and take on water, the list goes on and on. Cherish your Rapala baits made in the 80's because the new ones are garbage. And there customer service, or should I say lack of, is laughable.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
surprise--SK Red Eye Shad 1/2oz Chrome Blue
disappointment- Spro Baby BBZ-1
A-Rob reply :
Surprise: 1/8th oz weights....I caught so many more fish when I down-sized weights on my soft plastics especially when I got used to casting the lighter weight, will never go back
Disappointment: Snag Proof Frogs (besides Ish's Phat Frog...different hooks)
Jake P reply :
Biggest surprise= Academy H20 Square bill's. I broke off my last KVD 1.5 Sunday on a tree and tied on an H20 squarebill I have had for a while that was unused. Flat out tore em up. I was VERY surprised at the "hunting" action this crank has much like the KVD series I'm in love with. Durable paint and a nice rattle. The hooks are so so. But for a few bucks I have no complaints!
Biggest disappointment= Not really a disapointment since I sort of expected them to be crap- BPS cranks of any kind. I cant really think of many baits I have been disappointed in because I don't buy all kinds of makes and models. I stick with SK for the most part and am a happy camper.
papajoe222 reply :
My biggest surprise was the rebirth of a spinnerbait as my numbers bait. It just flat out produced all year.
My biggest disappointment was a jig. I completly lost confidence it what has been my confidence bait. My fishing log proves that I wasn't mistaken. Less than 30 fish caught on jigs this year. I actually caught more fish on tubes which I rarely use.
Kachok reply :
Surprise: jigging live (oversize) bluegull. 30" and 31" bass in two days!!
Disappointment: All crankbaits, have yet to land a largemouth bass on one, though I have caught stripers and saltwater trout on them.
loodkop reply :
Biggest surprise: Original Slug go. I couldn't believe how bass would annihilate this shapeless piece of plastic whatever. Disappointment Sebile Magic swimmer. I ordered 1 after watching an Elite series event and still have to catch a keeper on it.
MCS reply :
Surprise would be Vibe worms, When I got them I didn't think they would produce like they have this year for me.
Dissappointment would be Mag Trick Worm Wat Red. Fished trick worms with great success this yr but haven't gotten anything worth a hoot on these. Dunno if it is the color or a different action.
scaleface reply :
On 10/30/2012 at 10:42 AM, A-Rob said:Surprise: 1/8th oz weights....I caught so many more fish when I down-sized weights on my soft plastics especially when I got used to casting the lighter weight, will never go back
Disappointment: Snag Proof Frogs (besides Ish's Phat Frog...different hooks)
Same here. Back before our lakes were overfished I used heavier weights. This day and age , light weights rule.
Biggest disappointment . A homemade buzzbait I purchased last summer. It would not squeak . I left it in a rental boat for someone else to use.
Quitlimpin reply :
Surprise: Fat Ika. Looking at it, I thought there's no way it would catch fish. Now, it's my #1 producer by far.
Disappointment: Red Eye Shad. I know you guys slay with them, but I have literally never caught a single fish with one. I do however, kill with the old school rattle trap.
Skeet22 reply :
Surprise - The size of fish that will eat a Bite-It! Baits Double x being it is a reletivly small bait.
Dissapointment- That SK plastics are not more competivly priced per bait. I have really taken a liking to caffiene shads and rage craws but hard to justify the cost if you go through a lot of baits. I think a lot of the cost comes from marketing packaging etc when imo the baits would sell them selves without all the hype if they were priced close to zoom,netbait,berkley etc. I like the Rodents also but hard to justify paying the same price as the original RI Sweet Beaver and getting 4 less baits in a pack.
Kevinator1 reply :
I'm with you ww2. The DT bill issue has been ridiculous. I can't fish them the way I want to because the bills break so easily. I have contacted Rapala about it and didn't get any response. With many of us on here complaining about the broken lips its amazing that they don't try to fix the problem. Apparently they have made enough money on them that they don't care.On 10/30/2012 at 9:59 AM, ww2farmer said:Surprise: this goes back a while, and now I am not surprised because they are my go to hard baits, but Strike King cranks, any of them. They, for me, out produce much more expensive stuff on a regular basis, I have very few QC issues with there mass produced stuff, and when you loss a bunch of them every year to things with teeth, $6 a pop hurts alot less than $15.
Dissapointment: any and every thing with the Rapala name on it. It's all over priced junk. From DT's that break bills off left and right, X-raps that sink and take on water, the list goes on and on. Cherish your Rapala baits made in the 80's because the new ones are garbage. And there customer service, or should I say lack of, is laughable.
bkohlman reply :
That does seem like a pretty common issue, bad service and poor quality will catch up with them.
crossthemeverytime reply :
Surprise: Berkley Shaky Worm, 5" in red shad. Tied these on with a red 4/0 ewg hook one rainy day and i spent the rest of the day cussing up a storm over line breaks due to big fish.
Disappointment: Zoom Super Flukes. I don't know if it's the way i'm fishing them or the color or what, but i've never had a single tap on these lures.
LgMouthGambler reply :
Surprise: Gambler Big EZ (I catch 1 lbers on them too, lol)
Disappointment: Chatterbaits.
Bassego reply :
Surprise: Luck-E-Strike Rick Clunn Squarebills
Disappointment: BPS plastic lizards/any BPS plastic.
jignfule reply :
Surprise- Spro baby popper frog
dissappointment- ?
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
Surprise would be a tie between h2o square bills on the lake and yum mighty bugs on the river. Both has produced well
Disappointment--- Alabama rig. Can't catch a thing with that stupid thing.
retiredbosn reply :
Surprise buzz baits
Disappointment Dancin Eel
thehooligan reply :
Surprise: the yozuri pins minnow 2-3/4 jerkbait. The variety of fish from decent size bass, to chunky crappie, perch and pickerel, i love this bait, definitely my favorite jerkbait.
Disappointment: Pretty much all live target crankbaits, ive had no luck with the perch, pumpkinseed, bluegills, crayfish and smallmouth bass. I ended selling them all on ebay, lol. I do better with r2s, rick clunn, sk cranks.
11justin22 reply :
surprise-15" inch worm fished a night tournament this year with a guy that drug some of those out. i laughed at him until he started catching fish......then sheepishly asked to borrow one.
disappointment- beaver style baits, i have fished with different styles a couple of times and have yet to catch a fish. probably just a matter of time though. i haven't given up on them yet.
Bankbeater reply :
Surprise: 1/16 rooster tail. For years I have thrown the larger sizes without any luck. Last year I bought a 1/16 size that was on sale at the local bait shop. I have caught everything on that from LM bass to small sunfish.
Disappointment: Bought a couple of chatterbaits when they first came out. I have used them pretty regular over the years and have never gotten a single strike on them.
TNBassin' reply :
Biggest surprise bait for me is the Yum F2 ribbon tail. I stuck one of them on a Luck E Strike football jig head, and I catch bass like no other. Biggest disappointment bait is the Rage Tail Smokin' Rooster. I've fished it quite a few times, and haven't caught anything. It looks amazing in the water, but maybe it's too "loud" for the sissy bass in our lake?
Hooligan reply :
While what I buy, and why I buy it is fairly systematic, I'm surprised from time to time at just effective a bait is after I've thrown it for a while. The Havoc line has surprised me more than any other indecent memory. It deals more with the durability of the baits than anything. Yes, the baits are effective, which is why I bought them in the first place, but wow at how many fish I can stick on a single bait.
I did have a stroke of disappointment from different crank baits this year. The RCX jerkbaits have turned out to be more fragile than their genuine Megabass counterparts. The Jackall squarebill has been a bait that is incredibly hard to tune, and to have stay tuned. The last bummer I've had has been Zoom, of late. I've fished one of their works for years and years, recently, though, the worm has been very poor quality. Often deformed and with tails that pull off from the simple act of casting.
SirSnookalot reply :
I do believe different types of lures and baits are needed for different situations, but I don't feel 1 brand over another produces any more fish in a given specific type. I do tend to buy the same lures over and over because I'm comfortable with them, but when I do try a new one I don't see much difference in the catching.
West Coast Bass reply :
surprise: strike king shim e stick or yamamoto fat ika. watermelon or green pumpkin. best producing plastics for me thus far.
disappointment: buzzbaits. they elude me, need to put in some more time to believe
(='_'=) reply :
surprise: gary yamamoto senko... i had always avoided them, couldnt believe how a "worm" without a tail could have any action at all.... then i read a lot about them, and a friend gave me some he got i dont know where... i began catching fish with them when the rest of my plastic baits were not working... now i made it a habit that every time i have to purchase something fishing related, i add to the cart at least 2 packs of gary yamamoto senkos...
dissapointment: gary yamamoto senkos... they last exactly ONE fish, maybe even less.... i think i have yet to reuse one of them after catching a bass.... sometimes after a couple of short strikes, the bait will break at mid flight during the cast.... and they are not so cheap either as to keep replacing them...
McAlpine reply :
Surprise(s):
Xcalibur squarebills. I have caught so many large fish the last two springs using these that it simply boggles the mind. I had never used a squarebill before spring two years ago.
Stupid BPS green watermellon 3" senko knock off. First off, I live near a BPS. Moved to an area where my wife is from about 5 years ago and they built the BPS about 4 years ago. My dad came to visit when they first built the BPS and he was sooooo excited to go there. So, we took a trip and going through the whole place he only bought a couple things. One of which was this stupid little box of green watermellon 3" BPS branded fake senko's. All he could talk about was how he was going to go home to the lake he lived on and just slay them with this stupid little do nothing worm. Now, at the time I had never fished a senko and only knew of these as the late night commercial "wacky-worm". To me it was junk, it was silly, I told him "yeah they look great"...hey, he's my dad...what else was I to say? Well, in the spring a year ago my dad passed away. My step brother and sister dont fish so I ended up with the takle boxes. Going through dad's stuff was good and bad and well, it was what it was. And....there were those stupid worms...but I just had to throw them in my box remembering the trip we had when he got them. My first trip out of the year after he passed I was with a good friend on a small local lake that I had never fished. We happened upon a shallow area where I could see a bunch of small bass cruising. However; everything I threw at them either spooked them or they totally ignored. I was running through my head, what could I possibly have in my box that would work? I was thinking, slow fall rate, small bait, needs some movement...hey, what about those stupid green worms? Well, what the heck. So I opened up my drop shot box and got out a small octopus hook and *gasp* rigged one of those 3" worms wacky style. First cast BAM, bass. Second cast, BAM bass. Third cast, BAM bass. Then I started tossing worms to my buddy. We went from fishless that day to boating around 50 bass, all on those stick-o's. Not big fish, maybe 2lb's top's but unbelieveable fun. I bought myself some more of those little greenie's and have caught unnumbered small bass on them when the day is slow.
Thanks dad.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 10/30/2012 at 9:17 AM, bkohlman said:What lure has given you the biggest positive surprise and biggest disappointment?
Surprise - Eakins Finesse Jig
Disappointment - Cavitron Buzz Bait - black with red blade
Send them to me, I'll dispose of them properly for you 
Seriously would not go fishing anytime I think they might hit a buzzbait without at least 2 3/8oz black Cavitrons, they just flat out catch more fish than any other buzzbait I've ever fished.
Biggest surprise has probably been the Havoc Pitboss. I figured they'd catch fish but not as many as they do and still hold up like they do. The Xcalibur Zell Pop has been another on. I knew it would catch fish but something about it just catches way more fish than other poppers I've fished.
Disappointment-Jackall Giron and Strike King Sexy Swimmer. I can be on a good swimbait bite but toss one of either of those two baits at them and they won't touch them. The Giron has great action but it just doesn't work for me.
bkohlman reply :
Maybe you could take me out on your boat and show me some buzzbait tips! 
ClackerBuzz reply :
surprise: senko's. too many guys around me were killing it w/ them so bought a pack and have been hooked.
disappointment: crankbaits. don't catch many fish for all the drama. you spend half the time tying different one's on to achieve the right depth to hit the ever changing bottom of lake...and spend other half of time trying to free the treble hooks from debris. a jig can do all of that and some.
Bluebasser86 reply :
On 11/3/2012 at 10:09 AM, bkohlman said:Maybe you could take me out on your boat and show me some buzzbait tips!
Not a problem, going to be awhile before we see good buzzbait fishing again though 
BASSHUNTER1961 reply :
Biggest surprise: Senko style baits (BPS Stick-O) and the Fat Ika.
Biggest disappointment: Culprit worms.
RyneB reply :
biggest surprise: not a bait, but i fell in love with my Rage rod.
dissapointment: by far its been Roboworms. I stocked up last winter. I havent even caught a single fish on them. I rigged one up on a drop shot for my wife and she catches them. Its just one of those baits that catch fish, as long as im not using them.
Kachok reply :
I have a new biggest supprise, those silly looking Banjo Minnows, you know the one from the infomercial, a friend talked me into trying them and I have never once in my 32 years seen bass attack anything like that, over and over and over. Only downside is the hook placement makes for the worst hookup ratio of any lure, I missed 10 bass in a row! They really need a stinger hook system!
TRYTOFISH reply :
surprise; bomber 6a caught more quality bas on that than anything. just goes to show that price isnt everything.
disapointment; not being able to get out to try all my baits!
Bobby Uhrig reply :
HMM Cavitron red and black--Why??
Dave P reply :
Biggest surprise: Lake Fork Ring Fry
Biggest disappointment: Flukes. One fish all year. A white bass.
Silas reply :
On 10/30/2012 at 10:42 AM, A-Rob said:Surprise: 1/8th oz weights....I caught so many more fish when I down-sized weights on my soft plastics especially when I got used to casting the lighter weight, will never go back
Disappointment: Snag Proof Frogs (besides Ish's Phat Frog...different hooks)
Those 2 are my surprise and disappointment!
I rarely fish any plastic over 4 inches, most are weightless. Caught many more bass. Even my crankbaits are smaller. RC .05 and biggest would be 1.5. Although I admit to tossing a big crankbait at times and it really works.
HookSetDon reply :
Surprise- Smitwick rogue jerkbait- comparing them to jerkbaits worth 2x and 3x the price I was surprised at how well these things caught fish!
Disappointment- I have to second what someone mentioned about the sebile magic swimmer... expensive and crap
Gangley reply :
Pleasantly Surprised: Rapala DT Series cranks. Every single one has run true right out of the box and I have yet to break a single bill which appears to be a common issue on this website according to others. More importantly, I have caught a tremendous amount of keeper bass with them and have had zero issues with them.
Dissapointment: Strike King crankbaits. I have yet to have one run true straight out of the box and cant seem to catch a darn thing on any of them other than the 2.5 which has given me decent results. Ive had two get water logged, straight out of the package. VERY dissapointed in their quality control.
Arv reply :
Surprise: Wacky Rig Senko - I used to only fish them t-rigged, usually weightless. I just thought the wacky rig was awkward looking and had no confidence to try it out. Well, the bite was slow this past weekend, tried it out, and started catching bass every couple of casts.
Disappointment: Z-man Chatterbaits - I've fished them a lot because I've heard so many good things about them. But I've only hooked up with one fish, and he threw it before I could even get him half way in.
bkohlman reply :
I am excited to try the wacky rig senko next spring!
BirdNestBen reply :
well I did want to say first off to the first poster- I have had good luck on the black and red blade Cavitron... they are expensive, but I annilated the bass on a trip a few months ago....
Biggest surprise-Rapala Rattlin' Rap/ Gene Larew Salt Craw/Zoom fluke.....Rattlin' Rap- chrome/blue back is tough to beat... once caught 22 bass in a few hours on this incredible lure.... Salt craw-the fish tear them up at a lake by my house... chart., or brown/orange... they are very soft and tear easy and are hard to find though...
Biggest disappointment- Strike King Red Eye Shad.. yet to get a strike on this lure... arrrghhhh
Blues19 reply :
On 11/6/2012 at 7:37 AM, Dave P said:Biggest surprise: Lake Fork Ring Fry
Biggest disappointment: Flukes. One fish all year. A white bass.
my partner and I were fishing a tournament and he couldnt catch anything, but i was wearing them out on a baby ring fry. He switched over and started as well. it was awesome. Very strong garlic stink as well
Blues19 reply :
On 10/31/2012 at 9:38 AM, Bankbeater said:Surprise: 1/16 rooster tail. For years I have thrown the larger sizes without any luck. Last year I bought a 1/16 size that was on sale at the local bait shop. I have caught everything on that from LM bass to small sunfish.
Disappointment: Bought a couple of chatterbaits when they first came out. I have used them pretty regular over the years and have never gotten a single strike on them.
i made some chatterbait blades from old altoid cans and they have had an awesome action. Mine had more action than the real chatterbait. Caught more fish on them as well.
The Rooster reply :
Surprise: Jigs! I went for years and wouldn't fish one of these "do nothing" lures because it didn't have a built in action that I could see working to attract fish. It was just a heavy lead ball and hook that would sink to the bottom and disappear in the muck. Well, one cold November day, I was invited to go fishing with my brother-in-law and while there I wanted to test the sensitivity of a new rod, and since I figured I wouldn't catch fish from this particularly notorious lake where bass hardly bite anyway, I thought this would be the perfect time to throw a jig and see if I could feel the bottom. I was rewarded with two back to back keeper fish, and later on I got one more. Since then I'm never without one tied on and have had similar luck with it on other lakes too.
Disappointment: Renegade branded lures from Walmart. Years ago they had a bunch of cheap baits at $2 each. I didn't expect much for the cost and figured I'd have maybe a few crankbaits that need tuned before use, but I sure didn't expect them all to have the finish crack down the middle of their backs after a while, or swim crooked, or warp just lying in the box making them unusable, and the suspending models actually sink backwards, rear hook first, instead of suspending. Every one of them sucked, and the hooks rusted off of them too. The floating jerkbait wasn't bad but when I dumped the others, I just dumped them all.
The Next KVD reply :
Surprise: Luck-E-Strike RC STX Jerkbait. Maybe a copy but it does catch fish just as well for most conditions. Still rely on the Megabass Vision110 when they won't hit the RC.
Disappointment: Tru-Tungsten 4" Bluegill swimbait. Looks awesome in the package and looks awesome in the water but the fish seem to disagree.
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