Do Lucky Craft, Mega Bass, Team Diawa and other high end Japanese baits make one a better bass fisherman?
In my opinion, yes. No doubt about it.
They may be a status symbol for some, overpriced example of the inflation in the price of fishing tackle to others. Try and throw a couple of these lures in the appropriate places at the appropriate times. Your opinion on whether any lure is worth 15$+ may change quickly.
In terms of inflation, a Rapala husky jerk was 5$ 20 years ago. By inflated measures it should cost more than it does today.
Most people who successfully throw higher end lures use heavier line to protect their investment from the pike family as well as hangups. Even easier to retrieve 15$baits from a boat while fishing.
Why are they more effective?
Attention to detail. You get the feeling that Japanese engineers really are looking to engineer the most fish catching lure. Some of their ideas are wacky, like the Gatta X Buggy(above) or Xpod. Japanese culture breeds a very unique form of perfectionism. The Japanese love to fish and have fondness for creating bio mechanical things.
But a Lucky Craft lure is usually more than just a life like finish and profile. Internal weight transfer systems allow extemely longs casts. This keeps your lure in the strike zone longer in the case of crankbaits. In the case of stream angler, long casts keep big bass unwary of your approach. Fine hooks mean a great hookup percentage as well. The baits cast well into the wind. The action on some baits simply cannot be reproduced elsewhere. IE, Splashtail 90's vrooping and fwapping sounds when it's twin ball bearing props rip through the water. All topwaters are not the same all the time. The right noise and profile produces strikes when others may not.
Does all this mean if you go out and buy some Lucky Craft or Megabass lures today, you're automatically a better fisherman? No, first one has to match the right lure with the right place and situation. But, by mistake you'll catch fish on these lures. The learning process begins.
It can ultimately be said you still have to find the fish seasonally. To consistently catch nice smallmouth bass you need to get in close and tight to cover and obstructions. It's true LC's do neither for you.
The test is, do you catch more/better fish since throwing high end baits? The answer many times is 'yes'. Otherwise, they wouldn't be getting gobbled up at those prices (by good anglers). A 10% more fish difference is still a difference. For me, Lucky Craft has increased the learning curve if just by confidence alone.
If you think high end baits don't help you catch more fish, feel free to donate.
At first read, I'd disagree. Let you catch a few more fish than you normally would have - yes. Make you a better fisherman - no.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't read water, a $15 bait won't help that. If you can't skip or control casts, an expensive bait won't help that either. Don't understand the subtlety of wading and positioning yourself for maximum effectiveness with minimal intrusion, agin, the $15 bait won't help. But with enough casts landing in the water, their high dollar hooks and seductive wobble/noise will probably garner you a few more bites than you would have had otherwise.
-Brian
Brian, if you are catching more fish aren't you becoming better?
ReplyDeleteI think once you start to catch a few good ones even by accident, something starts to click.
Took a newb out last week on a small trib and he pulled out a big LC Rattle trap. The thing weighed more than he did. All the careful instruction on skipping a tube to keep him out of the trees flew out the window. I fished from behind.
That bait and those conditions he wasn't going to catch anything but an injury.
On the other hand, I introduced Mr.Bunner to the SPT 90 and he's caught a 19, 20, and 21" SMB on it in limited time.
I guess the big question is do we assume people learn from their experience or not?
You certainly do. I get the feeling any new information makes you a better fisherman. The more solid data the better.
Opening line:
ReplyDelete"Do Lucky Craft, Mega Bass, Team Diawa and other high end Japanese baits make one a better bass fisherman?
In my opinion, yes. No doubt about it."
Closing line:
"Does all this mean if you go out and buy some Lucky Craft or Megabass lures today, you're automatically a better fisherman? No, first one has to match the right lure with the right place and situation. But, by mistake you'll catch fish on these lures. The learning process begins."
Guess I'm confused by what seems to be a contradiction in stance. I would tend to agree more with the latter statement. I think it really depends on the persons level of knowledge or ability to begin with. Your newb/John B example as point. If it was all about numbers (catching more fish = getting better), then the guy who fishes rooster tails or live crawdads could be king - but he still isn't better than you.
Another example - if I simply replace my Big-O with an RC 1.5, I might catch more fish, but I haven't necessarily learned anything from it. Only if I figure out I can cast it longer, more precisely, retrieve it slower at times because of its weight, or bring it through cover better will I have learned something and become a better angler for it.
-Brian
First, thanks for the constructive feedback.
ReplyDelete"But, by mistake you'll catch fish on these lures. The learning process begins."
Catch a fish > learn > catch more fish > confidence > work harder > find different patterns > catch more fish/bigger fish = better.
Betcha John doesn't leave the house in the Summer without a SPT 90.
I can be pretty specific about how a couple LC's did make me a better fisherman.
Stalemate :)
ReplyDeleteBTW, thanks for opening up the comments section. I'll try and drop by more often now.
Great article! I'd have to disagree with you though, just on the principle that there are very few times when (even if all your tackle is wal-mart grade) your skill level and fishing tactics exceed the fish-catching abilities of your equipment.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, your argument gains validity when someone's in an oddball situation where they're "doing everything right," with a $69 spinning combo and a selection of 200 lures costing less than $8 each......but still not catching fish.
On the other hand, I would just call that "fishing."
Around our camp, a current argument is 1 piece rods vs. comparable travel rods (in the $35-$50 rod (no reel) category). Does the one piece have greater sensitivity? No question. Do I catch more fish as a result? I'm not so sure.
Fishing skill is combining tactics, timing, luck, and equipment. All the gear in the world will not improve your ability to fish submerged structure in a current.
ST, I don't think we'll ever know a lot of these things for sure. It's really all conjecture, but it is fun to talk about.
ReplyDeleteThere are situations where certain lures do make one a better fisherman. But I guess it depends on your defintion of good.
LOL. To some, catching any fish is good.
I guess the weakness of this article is if it aims to convince it needs to adress the issue of perceptions. Maybe I should have quailified it more.
There are so many variables in fishing. The biggest drawback is the misleading information our own brain gives us.