Cheap Effective Lures 2024

Basslover730 reply :

I'm just trying to find more cheap lures that work great! This is for all the broke guys like me trying to be the next pro!

roadwarrior reply :

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Buy fewer, better quality lures.

Over time you will keep fishing quality equipment for years, maybe

decades.

Crookedneck reply :

$1 spinner baits at Wally world

kickerfish1 reply :

Big bite and Berkeley havoc are two brands of soft plastics I would consider to be cheap and effective. Most are under $3.00 a package.

ww2farmer reply :

I don't know what your deffinition of "cheap" is, but you will get alot of bang for your buck with Zoom softplastics, and Strike King crankbaits.

Basslover730 reply :

Thanks, I have alot of the 1$ spinners from walmart, and i use zoom plastics when i can afford them, and i rarely buy rapalas and stuff like that.

Ima Bass Ninja reply :

Check out academy's H2O line of baits. Good looking and good producing baits at 1/2 the cost of major manufactures. It's the only lure that I will by at full retail anymore.

Bluebasser86 reply :

A $15 Lucky Craft that can last your lifetime is a lot cheaper in the long run than buying bags of cheap plastics. I'm with RW on this one, I'd rather have a small selection of quality baits in proven colors than a bunch of cheap baits. Not that cheaper baits don't work, Strike King, Norman's, and Bandit's are all cheaper baits that will always have a place in my box.

5fishlimit reply :

Watch for sales and clearance items.

Like others have said quality is better than quantity.

Baddy reply :

I like rebel for top water, the pop-r and frog are my go to baits.

wnybassman reply :

All you guys that recommend expensive lures "that will outlast" cheaper baits and thus be cheaper in the long run, must not have too many toothy critters in your waters? lol Not terribly uncommon around here to be bit off a half dozen times in a days outing. That hurts even with cheap stuff!

SudburyBasser reply :

If you have that many toothy critters in your neck of the woods you should be using metal leaders.

Shane J reply :

Cheap is a relative term, but I'd much rather spend a buck or 2 more for a bag of plastics than have a higher quantity of inferior baits that don't do the job as well. I'm out there to catch fish, not to collect a bunch of crap.

Basslover730 reply :

I catch quite a few pickerel around here, actually some pretty nice ones, and i never use leaders, and rarely loose bait to fish, every time i get and expensive lure it gets lost withing a month or so, due to a fray in the line, a big fish,stupidity or an obstacle underwater, in some cases expensive lures out preform for me but usually whatever i can find cheap works well, I like to experiment, and when i find some thing that works better for a buck or two more i get it, but if the all work the same i get whatever cheapest.

ww2farmer reply :

On 1/2/2013 at 8:16 AM, SudburyBasser said:
If you have that many toothy critters in your neck of the woods you should be using metal leaders.

No...........we actually want to catch fish.

Jig Meister reply :

Pop-R is probably the only really cheap lure that works for me on a reg. basis.

kickerfish1 reply :

Also keep an eye out in the flea market here. You can find anglers looking to move bags of plastics or hardbaits sold in groupings. Often times many of these are unused. The actual cost per package or bait can often work out to less than a dollar or two a bait/package.

SudburyBasser reply :

On 1/2/2013 at 9:09 AM, ww2farmer said:
No...........we actually want to catch fish.

Well people can't have it both ways.

Besides, I am somehow able to catch plenty of bass when I'm on a lake where leaders aren't ill-advised and I use them..

ww2farmer reply :

On 1/2/2013 at 9:29 AM, SudburyBasser said:
Well people can't have it both ways.

Besides, I am somehow able to catch plenty of bass when I'm on a lake where leaders aren't ill-advised and I use them..

I don't want it both ways, I'll gladly...........well not gladly, but am willing to lose all the $5-$10 baits I do to catch the fish I catch.Since I started using fluoro leaders tied to braid, insted of straight braid the bleeding has stopped a little, but not enough to jump into the pool of donating $15-$30 baits, besides, it's hard to argue with the results I have with the less expensive stuff. I am 100% confident they way I fish, a steel leader would be at the best a hindrance, and at the worst cost me bites. My time on the water is too valuable to me to spend it unproductivly.

flippin and pitchin reply :

Do you mean value based baits ? There's nothing cheap about the following products. They are priced so as to be an excellent value and very affordable.

Havoc

Zoom

Big Bite

Robo Worm

Rage

Luhr Jensen

Normans

Strike King

Bandit

Rebel

North Star

Seiberts

War Eagle

Peppers

and the list goes on and on.

bassh8er reply :

For soft plastics, I think that Zoom provides good quality and quantity for a reasonable price, same with Bass Pro brand.

For hard baits, I think that Bass Pro, Strike King and Bandit won't break the bank.

I have some more "expensive" lures as well. Rage Tail, Lucky Craft, Yamamoto, Megabass, Spro, etc... Some people swear by them and some people swear at them, and I'm 50/50.

When it comes right down to it, I feel very confident that I could get by with a pack of black Zoom Trick Worms and a bluegill colored Strike King KVD 1.5 on 90% of my fishing trips.

One helpful hint is to buy 2-3 colors of baits instead of everything in the lineup. Zoom makes lots of colors and you can quickly empty your wallet and room in your tackle bag if you buy all 50 some colors they offer for the Trick Worm. I make it a point to buy black and green pumpkin for most of the plastics I buy and shad based colors for Jerkbaits or baitfish imitators. These are the colors I have the most confidence in and what I would throw anyways, even if I had methiolate, bubblegum and junebug on board.

Good luck!

Matthew Veillion reply :

Big bite baits yo mamas are really good flipping baits

matt996 reply :

Save up the money and buy less but get LC and GYCB well worth the money!

ww2farmer reply :

On 1/2/2013 at 12:29 PM, bassh8er said:
One helpful hint is to buy 2-3 colors of baits instead of everything in the lineup. !

Thats my philosophy too, with plastics you can't go wrong anytime, anywhere there are bass swimming in the water with a shade of green(watermelon, greenpumpkin, etc...) and a dark color like black/blue, black/red, or junebug. For cranks, all you really need is bluegill/sunfish looking bait, a shad imitation, and a craw type color.

*Hootie reply :

A $15.00 lures can last a lifetime. I know because I have a few living on the bottom of the lake I fish. That's why I decided, if I am going to build an underwater fishin lure community, I will do it with $3.00 lures. I also find I catch just as many bass on my $3.99 BPS Lazer eye spinnerbaits as I did on my $7.49 Strike King spinnerbaits. How much of it is necessity, and how much is just, "look at me"........

Hootie

jhoffman reply :

I hardly think my tackle says look at me. My tackle is probably worth as much as my boat but the only one who knows whats in that boat is me.

Im with the quality guys. Sure you can get off dirt cheap with a $1 spinnerbait made in china that runs like garbage or you can order a north star for two dollars more, support someone who loves the sport as much as you do and the bait will actually run right and the skirt wont fall off day one.

*Hootie reply :

So in your opinion, it runs like garbage. It catches fish. What is the ultimate goal? What am I missing? Is it supposed to maybe, make my breakfast also?

Hootie

jhoffman reply :

The point being... is it really cheaper if you have to use 3 of them to every 1 good one or is it the same? I would rather run the good one then buy three junk ones to get the same amount of fishing.

LgMouthGambler reply :

Zoom products for plastics is the best deal for me. Hard baits I load up when there is good sales.

illusion258 reply :

Personally, I think if a fish is gonna bite ,its gonna bite. It does not look for a $5-$15 price tag on the side of the lure before biting. I have caught bass off $1.50 lures I got on sale, when I lose the lure, it is no big deal rather than casting $5 a cast to get a snag and break line. I bought a set of 25 lures ,including 2 lure scents for $38 shipped off an ad I saw. Best purchase I made yet. I think the expensive lure companies catch more fishermen than fish just for having in your head that money catches more. No offense to anyone just my opinion when it comes to throwing out money in water, it gets expensive.

MCS reply :

Bomber lures or smithwick for cranks and jerk baits

Rebels for topwater

booyah for spinner/buzzbaits

Big bite bait, Bitters bait, and zoom will cover all your plastic needs.

I can't agree with the buy 1 nice bait, rather buy 3 or 4 of a cheaper bait in the same color or a couple colors and be able to fish it and loose it throwing it into the tight places and not worry if I am gonna lose my 15 or 20 dollar bait.

*Hootie reply :

On 1/2/2013 at 11:46 PM, illusion258 said:
Personally, I think if a fish is gonna bite ,its gonna bite. It does not look for a $5-$15 price tag on the side of the lure before biting. I have caught bass off $1.50 lures I got on sale, when I lose the lure, it is no big deal rather than casting $5 a cast to get a snag and break line. I bought a set of 25 lures ,including 2 lure scents for $38 shipped off an ad I saw. Best purchase I made yet. I think the expensive lure companies catch more fishermen than fish just for having in your head that money catches more. No offense to anyone just my opinion when it comes to throwing out money in water, it gets expensive.

There ya go. You said it much better than I did. The lake I fish has lots of snags. I go knowing I'm going to lose a few baits. Just makes me feel better knowing it was a $2.00 bait and not a $15.00 bait.

Hootie

Thank you

jhoffman reply :

A dose of common sense must come with where you decide to throw a $15 LC. If youre hanging up weedless texas rigs and you fire a LC crank into there well then I got no sympathy.

*Hootie reply :

On 1/3/2013 at 1:23 AM, jhoffman said:
I got no sympathy.

None was requested......lol

Hootie

Bankbeater reply :

Rooster tails have worked for me. There are Beetle Spins, but I never have any luck on those.

roadwarrior reply :

On 1/3/2013 at 1:20 AM, hootiebenji said:
There ya go. You said it much better than I did. The lake I fish has lots of snags. I go knowing I'm going to lose a few baits. Just makes me feel better knowing it was a $2.00 bait and not a $15.00 bait.
Hootie

Thank you

If you fish from a boat, buy a lure retriever. I have only lost three treble hook lures in two years and those were due to

strong river current. I don't fish hard baits from the bank, but there is no particular reason for losing lures when you can

reach them with a retriever.

bassh8er reply :

On 1/3/2013 at 1:59 AM, roadwarrior said:
If you fish from a boat, buy a lure retriever. I have only lost three treble hook lures in two years and those were due to
strong river current. I don't fish hard baits from the bank, but there is no particular reason for losing lures when you can

reach them with a retriever.

X2. I never bought one because of the price, but logic set in and I bit the bullet on a $15 one from Bass Pro. I saved 2 LC 1.5s last year, and a SK Series 5 in the same trip.

That $37 in saved lures more than paid for that retriever.

P.S. I was fishing from a canoe at the time and have never tried the retriever from the bank.

*Hootie reply :

On 1/3/2013 at 1:59 AM, roadwarrior said:
If you fish from a boat, buy a lure retriever. I have only lost three treble hook lures in two years and those were due to
strong river current. I don't fish hard baits from the bank, but there is no particular reason for losing lures when you can

reach them with a retriever.

Actually you must be reading my mind. The past few days I've been telling myself, you've got to get a lure retriever

before fishing season starts. Even at $2.00 a lure, it adds up.

For the record, I do have and fish a lot of high end expensive baits. I was just having a little fun with jhoffman.

Hope I didn't make him mad.....

Hootie

ww2farmer reply :

Lure retriever will do me no good, unless I can some how throw it in the water and knock the toothy bass turds in the head with it. 90% of the snags I get can be freed up by doing the bow and arrow thing with my line, or moving the boat around the back side and puling it out. I don't lose too much sleep over losing $6 Strike kings.

Basslover730 reply :

So far the cheap walmart spinners have worked as good as the expensive ones for me

roadwarrior reply :

Well, experiment with a MegaStrike StrikeBack (on sale for 30% off) and you will change your tune.

http://www.megastrike.com/#!products/vstc2=strikeback-spinnerbait

Ima Bass Ninja reply :

I will certainly be putting the above link to use , however back on the subject of cheaper alternatives I have $3 baits that i use regularly and is 4 years old. That's less than $1 per year. If I buy a $15 bait of the same design it would take 15 years to get that kind of value. Also if you are afraid to put the bait where the fish are due to how much it cost , then the extra money you spent is not doing much good. I completely agree that some cheaper baits are made just awful, but I also believe that there are other baits that are quality built at a lower cost.

BassThumb reply :

The jig/grub and jig/tube are very cheap, yet very effective lures.

EvanT123 reply :

I'd say look at ebay. It's been a gift and a curse for me. Gift because I've found some great deals curse because I keep finding them and spending money. You can get decent used cranks off there for less then a third of the price. I just picked up a pack of 25 gamakatsu hooks for a 3rd of the retail price. It takes time to find the deals on there but when the gf is watching her shows I'm ebaying.

wnybassman reply :

On 1/3/2013 at 1:59 AM, roadwarrior said:
If you fish from a boat, buy a lure retriever. I have only lost three treble hook lures in two years and those were due to
strong river current. I don't fish hard baits from the bank, but there is no particular reason for losing lures when you can

reach them with a retriever.

No pike or giant canvas weed mats? You guys are lucky.

bigbill reply :

Its time now to hit your local walmart for clearances and sales. I'm still using the older bomber cranks with the old color patterns. The red's, the browns and greens still work great. Plus its the presentation too.

Don't forget a split shot rigged 6" black rubber worm is still one of the greatest bass lures.

keith71 reply :

Lets everyone remember that this kid is only 15 so ten or twenty bucks might be hard to come bye. Basslover I was in the same boat as you 25 years ago and can remember how hard it was to acuire decent tackle. I would get mine from working odd jobs,birthday's, holidays you name it. You'll be surprised how much you can get from a yard sale from time to time.Ive bought tackleboxes filled to the brim for 10 bucks or so. Good luck and im sure in a year or two you'll be wondering what to do with all this tackle you have acuired.

Aluma-Bass reply :

On 1/3/2013 at 9:00 AM, Et525i said:
I'd say look at ebay. It's been a gift and a curse for me. Gift because I've found some great deals curse because I keep finding them and spending money. You can get decent used cranks off there for less then a third of the price. I just picked up a pack of 25 gamakatsu hooks for a 3rd of the retail price. It takes time to find the deals on there but when the gf is watching her shows I'm ebaying.

That's exactly what i do haha!

Avalonjohn44 reply :

Cheap effective lures:

Havoc Baits by Berkley. I like most of them, can't beat the $3 bag of swimbaits. I found some at bass pro in Richmond VA for $.99 a bag. Limited selection but I got about 15 bags. That's a lot of plastic for not much cash.

Inline Spinners - you can pick up Rooster Tail (or Mepps even) inline spinners for good price anywhere that sells tackle. Inline spinners still catch a ton for me.

Johnson Spoons - About 3 bucks a lure, and it will catch bass all year long. Other species too.

Small bag of 3" Grubs - I can fish shallow creeks and ponds with a jighead and a grub and always catch bass, bream and crappie. A little bag of grubs should run you about 2 or 3 bucks for 20. Good deal.

Tubes and Craws - Same as above. A bag or two of tubes and or small craws on a jighead will not set you back much dough and will keep getting you bites all day long.

Bandit Cranks - Bandit 100 and 200 series lures outfish every other crankbait I have from RC1.5s to Rapalas to Megabass Griffons. They run from about $4.95 to $6 and walmart has a good selection.

Walmart Brand Spinner Baits and Buzzbaits - A dollar a pop and just as effective as the others. Just get used to carrying plyers to bend the wire back into shape now and again.

Walmart Yum value packs - on the bottom shelf for $1.96 a pack you can sort through the Yum Value baits box. It's full of bags of Yum baits that have been discontinued or were flawed or something. I find some good stuff in there often - Money Minnows, Money Craws, as well as Dingers, Ribbon tail worms and a ton of other stuff. Open the pack before buying. I have some bags that have oddly stiff worms as though the plasitc 'mix' was off...

Aside from that, you can always check the stores for Bargain Bins, Discontinued Endcaps, etc. Most Cabella's have a 'Bargain Cave', Most BPS's have a four sided display full of red ticketed reduced items. You have to keep a sharp eye out, some of these are quickly picked over, or set out of the way.

Also, while Cheap is nice, there are some brands I avoid no matter the price:

Matzuo America. $2-3 cranks that flat out suck. They rarely run true and some are flat out 'un-tuneable'. Spend the extra couple of bucks on a Bandit.

Beetle Spins - I have never caught a fish on one. While only 99 cents or so for a rig and two 'beetles', I can't justify the cost. I know they work for some folks, just not me or my wife and kids. Maybe NW Virginia is the one place they don't work.

Mann's Cranks - Every single one I have owned has broken. On one, the chrome paint flaked off just by handling. Flimsy, cheap and thin - buy a bandit or rapala instead.

Renegade Cranks - Walmart sells these, I bought a few but they all split in my tacklebox from the heat. Never had that problem with any other bait before.

fowlskies reply :

On 1/3/2013 at 7:47 AM, Ima Bass Ninja said:
I will certainly be putting the above link to use , however back on the subject of cheaper alternatives I have $3 baits that i use regularly and is 4 years old. That's less than $1 per year. If I buy a $15 bait of the same design it would take 15 years to get that kind of value. Also if you are afraid to put the bait where the fish are due to how much it cost , then the extra money you spent is not doing much good. I completely agree that some cheaper baits are made just awful, but I also believe that there are other baits that are quality built at a lower cost.

You took the words right out of my mouth. Are there cheap junk lures, yes, but there are inexpensive very good producing lures just like the OP is asking about. I have a few and lost a few $15 dollar baits and it sucks when you lose them. I definately hesitate throwing my more expensive lures into areas I don't think twice of throwing my bombers or Cotton Cordell Super Spots. So my "best" lures don't always get used in the best fishing areas.

Also, we all don't want to spend as much as our mortgage on our recreation, don't get me wrong I love fishing as much as the next guy on here but I have other passions that cost money and a wife and three little girls that enjoy their yoga, dance class and their other interests that cost money. It blows my mind the amount of money some of you guys spend, for me and my budget it would be far to selfish to spend that kind of money all on myself.

As far as a lure lasting you a lifetime...that is a bunch of bs. Lures are not a thing bought for longevity they are bought to be thrown into nasty places where slobs, toothy or not want to hammer them. Reels are an item to get longevity out of and you "spend your paycheck" guys sometimes have a valid point but I'm not looking for longevity out of my lure. Besides I have Bombers that look better after yrs of heavy use than some of my rapalas in my box.

EvanT123 reply :

What Avalinjohn44 said that's a great list.

5fishlimit reply :

Oh, and for lipless cranks you can't beat the Cotton Cordell super spot. They're $1.99,and come in some great colors.

IntroC reply :

On 1/2/2013 at 11:03 AM, flippin and pitchin said:
Do you mean value based baits ? There's nothing cheap about the following products. They are priced so as to be an excellent value and very affordable.
Havoc

Zoom

Big Bite

Robo Worm

Rage

Luhr Jensen

Normans

Strike King

Bandit

Rebel

North Star

Seiberts

War Eagle

Peppers

and the list goes on and on.

I agree. This is a good list but I'm suprised no one has mentioned Netbait. Netbait has some awsome plastics that are every bit as good as more spendy brands.

No reason to spend $15(Lucky Craft) on a crank when you can spend $6(Strike King) and get the same results. KVD has outfished many a competitor using LC's and Spro.

Also get a lure retriever.

ww2farmer reply :

On 1/3/2013 at 11:15 AM, fowlskies said:
Also, we all don't want to spend as much as our mortgage on our recreation, don't get me wrong I love fishing as much as the next guy on here but I have other passions that cost money and a wife and three little girls that enjoy their yoga, dance class and their other interests that cost money. It blows my mind the amount of money some of you guys spend, for me and my budget it would be far to selfish to spend that kind of money all on myself.

Welcome to the world of the wannabe bass pros LOL. Where it's perfectly acceptable for guys to spend $50k on fancy boats so they can pretend to be KVD for a weekend while there kids go to school in thrift store clothes. People are just following the lead our wonderfull people in power have set, spend till your broke, then spend some more.............But hey you can't be the coolest dude on the lake if you catch your fish with anything less than a $600 rod/reel combo and $30 lures, worry about paying the electric bill later when all the cash and accolades start to roll in from your internet expertise on all things bass fishing.

Sundance reply :

I normally just wait till the spring sale at bass pro and stock up on everything for the year you can get some good stuff if you'r willing to wait.

*Hootie reply :

What a bunch of great posts. I obviously am not alone in believing you don't have to go broke to enjoy fishing. Granted, I can, and do on ocassion go a litlle crazy on my puchases now. I am retired and comfortable. But when I was younger, and the kids were at home, fishing tackle was at the bottom of the list. And as far as a lure lasting a lifetime, well, I hope I live longer than that. And YES, if you are afraid to cast a bait into where the fish are, what good is it....hmmm.... Second thought, maybe that lure will last a lifetime...lol

Hootie

jhoffman reply :

On 1/3/2013 at 2:25 AM, hootiebenji said:
Actually you must be reading my mind. The past few days I've been telling myself, you've got to get a lure retriever
before fishing season starts. Even at $2.00 a lure, it adds up.

For the record, I do have and fish a lot of high end expensive baits. I was just having a little fun with jhoffman.

Hope I didn't make him mad.....

Hootie

Hootie, my internet skin is like kevlar

jhoffman reply :

On 1/3/2013 at 9:54 AM, bigbill said:
Its time now to hit your local walmart for clearances and sales.

I found a clown rapala jerk the other day in there for $2

jhoffman reply :

Someone mentioned not going broke to fish. While some people spend $150 a month for every channel on availble on tv, I have a cable internet connection, two roku boxes, an svideo link to my laptop and spend $49.99 for high speed cable internet. We watch all the same shows, commercial free that you guys are paying $150 for. Thats all extra money to go to other things.

My boat, I paid for in cash

My only other debt is a $10k vehicle loan(which if not for the old lady I wouldnt have either but my 94 blazer wasnt "safe enough")

and

$20K in college loans

Its all about the decisions you make, I dont feel bad when I buy something I want because my family doesnt suffer to do so.

*Hootie reply :

On 1/3/2013 at 11:03 PM, jhoffman said:
Hootie, my internet skin is like kevlar

My wife tells me I just like to argue, or start arguments. I'm just a grumpy old man, (hey, that would be a great title for a movie).

But, understand, I never mean to offend anyone.

If I do, yell at me, LIKE THIS!!!!!!........lol

Hootie

jhoffman reply :

I wasnt offended in the least. The conversations here are mild compared to the conversations I have with others in PA about whitetail mismangement.

Ratherbfishing reply :

Instead of "cheap", the proper word should, IMO, be "affordable." Several people have espoused to spending high dollars on high end baits. I respectfully disagree. Those baits may "last a lifetime" but if you fish them often enough, the lions share of that "lifetime" is going to eventually be in the crotch of some submerged tree or wedged between rocks 15 feet down. Many of those baits are in the category of "If you have to ask about the price, you can't afford them." And you can scarcely afford to fish them. There are plenty of quality mid-ranged baits that serve equally well (or nearly so) and won't break the bank. May favorite quality crankbait which generally isn't too expensive is Rapala. You can often find them on sale if you are patient.

If you want a really inexpensive bait that will almost always catch bass, I'd go with plastic worms or craws. Just be prepared to replace them when they get torn up.

BassWhole! reply :

Fish don't know how much you paid for a lure, as far as hardbaits go, if you are fishing even a few times a week, you will loose or break it in a matter of a season or two. Here's a few of the "cheap" lures that work for me.

Bandit 100 and 200 (and the footloose, but shhhhh....)

Fat free shads (not the shallow one)

KVD 1.0 and 1.5

Red Eye Shad

CC Super spot

Pop R (I take a file to it, and tie some feathers on it and tell it its a rico)

Zara spook

Shad Rap

Husky jerk

Long A

Redfin

Trak down minnow

H2Os (except the lipless, don't really like it)

The BPS silver buddy thing (I forget the name)

Lew's speed minnow ( I think they call it XTS or something like that now)

Dick's $2 Strike King buzzbait

Scum frog/Trophy frog

Spinnerbaits: get some 3/8 and 1/2 doesn't matter which, change the blades to Gold 4 1/2 willow/2 colorado, Skirt that makes you happy (fish don't care) and throw it until only 1/2 of it comes back, repeat.

Gavin reply :

If you look at it in terms of cost per fish...Plastics become expensive.

Basslover730 reply :

Thanks Keith71 , when i get money i spend it so carefully so i dont regret any of it! I havent regretted buying the cheap stuff, and a few expensive ones they all work similar, I usually use zoom plastics cause i havent found anything as durable and affordable, and i usually get rebels over rapala when they have the ones i want, and my walmart doesnt have much of a fishing section anymore, id rather have the cheap lures and still hopefully go pro one day!

flipin4bass reply :

On 1/2/2013 at 6:26 AM, roadwarrior said:
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Buy fewer, better quality lures.
Over time you will keep fishing quality equipment for years, maybe

decades.

Well said!

*Hootie reply :

On 1/2/2013 at 6:26 AM, roadwarrior said:
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Buy fewer, better quality lures.
Over time you will keep fishing quality equipment for years, maybe

decades.

I agree with this line of thinking when it comes to rods and reels, but not necessarily

lures. A treble hooked bait doesn't resist snagging just because you paid $15.00 or

$20.00 for it.

Hootie

tholmes reply :

I'm also a fisherman on a (somewhat) limited budget. I've gotten some great deals on crankbaits by buying them used in the Flea Market forum.

If I'm buying new, the best bang for your buck are Norman, Bomber and Strike King. Bill Lewis Rat-L-Traps and Cordell Spots are affordable and effective lipless cranks.

I buy most of my soft plastics from Barlow's Tackle. A bag of 100 7" ribbon-tail worms for under 15 bucks is hard to beat and they catch bass just as well as Culprit, PowerBait, etc.

Tom

jhoffman reply :

Ive purchased two custom painted cranks shipped to my house in the last week for under $7 each

kadas reply :

On 1/2/2013 at 6:26 AM, roadwarrior said:
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Buy fewer, better quality lures.
Over time you will keep fishing quality equipment for years, maybe

decades.

SO very true RW

whitwolf reply :

This has turned into a fine debate that's Interesting In that while It strayed somewhat from the original question It's still providing answers.

There will always be a debate about equipment whether it be baits, boats, clothing, etc., and the only surefire advice one can give Is what works for them. In the end you have to buy what best fits the criteria you have set for yourself. If that means you buy a Bomber crankbait as opposed to a Lucky Craft go out their with the confidence It will most certainly catch you a fish.

If you don't have confidence In a bait more times then not you and It will perform not up to standard. You simply have to have that confidence to fish effectively. I'm sure this has been mentioned In this thread but In reality your presentation and location of the bait Is far more Important than the price tag. That being said fish what you can afford, have the confidence to KNOW that bait will catch you fish, and as much as anything have fun!

Avalonjohn44 reply :

To add further emphasis to what I said in my earlier post about the Walmart bottom shelf lure selection...

I was in my local walmart today, found that the Yum Box and the Pradco Treasure Chest Box had been restocked to overflowing (I would guess most walmarts have done the same).

The Yum Box had Beaver Style baits, about 6 different colors, each bag $1.96 (as well as tons of soft jerkbaits, sluggo style baits, some ribbon tail worms and tubes).

The Pradco CO Treasure Chest had tons of $2.96 baits, good ones too: Rebel Pop Rs, Bomber diving baits as well as square bills, some Cordell ShadRap-Type baits, Jitterbugs, Hula Poppers and best find all, Excalibur Chrome/Blue Rattle Traps and Excalibur Crawdad pattern Square Bills.

For $25 I came out with five cranks and 5 bags of soft plastics - and best of all, Quality stuff.

Bigbarge50 reply :

Seeing the question was asked by a kid, (13, 14 or 15 right?) a good way to try things is befriend other fishermen. Hanging out with older fishermen or making contacts on here you will literally encounter all sorts of great guys who would happily toss a plug or bag of plastics to a young fisherman who really appreciates it and is going to help keep the waters clean. You try out some stuff and see what you like and no matter the brand or model, you can spend your $$ on stuff you have confidence in, which is half the battle. Not wasting bucks to try out something.

I know when I was a teenager staring at the BPS catalog deciding what on earth I would ask for Christmas and being faced with tough choices, I only wanted stuff I knew would work. As I started mowing more lawns and such and had a few bucks, I found myself "trying" things..... and a lot of the crap from then I still have (BPS Caterpillar worms galore) haha. That habit has not stopped at 33 (bait monkey).

Another piece of advice for a teenager...... I got a spinner bait making kit one holiday..... great investment that was not an expensive gift but I could go in the basement and pump put all sorts of spinner baits and saved a ton of money. It was a proud day my dad (who never threw a spinner bait) said let me try one of those and three casts later had a fish..... made a teenage kid feel pretty darn good. The components to keep making them were pretty cheap (was not pouring my own heads) and tried to copy patterns I saw in stores and even go nuts with my own design. If i had a smartphone back then I would have been snapping pictures galore and trying to make exactly what I had seen in the store.

Basslover730 reply :

This thing turned out better than i thought! I got some good advice and some laughs! I befriend most older fishermen I meet out on the water, i actually just met two more guys today out ice fishing, i spent the whole day out there and got one small bass, lol my friend got a yellow perch bigger than my bass and a nice pickerel. Hopefully this post keeps going, seems like quite a few people are learning some stuff

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