I Reached A Goal In 2017 That Eluded Me Last Year

10.5" Lucky Craft Gunfish 117

It may be a dink, but all topwater fish count, so goal achieved.  I read a article on Wired2Fish that said this bait is very effective if there is some chop on the water.  Definitely will be following that advice.

My First Mystery Tackle Box

The box actually arrived about 3 weeks back and I just haven't felt like blogging about it until now.  Here is a list of the things that was in it.

 The Lucky Craft Moonsault: It's supposed to be a lipped bait that performs a lot like a lipless one.  I guess I'll see how well that works out.  I see they are on sale right now at Cabela's for $6.99 where they retail for $16.99.

The Ima Pinjack: Another 6-8' running crankbait that is supposed to come through weeds fairly well.  The trick with this on is to back off rather than ripping the lure when you hit a weed.

Nichols Saber Swim Jig:  It's a swim jig with gimmick for locking plastics in place with a toothpick.

Netbait Paca Slim: Sort of similar to a Chigger Craw

Savage Gear Armor Tube Worm:  Has a nylon mesh that is supposed to make the bait last a lot longer than your average Senko.

VMC Wacky Weedless Jig:  It is what it is.  I've never used a wacky jig before.

I believe I should be able to catch fish on 100% of the lures that came in this box this year provided I think to put them on.

I can't say I am blown away by the value in this box do to the Moonsault being a lure I can get new for more than 50% off retail and the fact that they only gave me two of the VMC jigs.

I don't see anything in here being something I would buy for myself with the exception of the wacky jigs.  But who knows maybe something will jump out at me and prove itself to me.  I'll keep an open mind.

Right now I grade this box out as a C-.

Hopefully I'll be more impressed with the next one.

Kelly J Don's Dock

Pete is still here for one more night. We got out of the house at about a quarter to 8 and headed right to Don's. When we arrived Don was out on his dock per usual. He had been getting a few gills. I started out with a Crawtube, but quickly switched to a Repo Man. There was very little wind and a slight ripple on the water. Don got 2 more nice gills. I switched to a bluegill color Lucky Craft Kelly J and this bass blasted it.

I would say it was about 15.5". That was the only hit and about 5 minutes more fishing and we left cause of skeeters.

Most Tournament Guys Just Can't Do This

"I was losing eight to 10 baits a day, getting them snagged in the brush or hitting docks and other stuff and messing them up. I ordered a bunch after Tawakoni, but I almost ran out."
Takahiro Omori talking about Lucky Craft RC 2.5 crankbaits. That crank sells retail for $16 a lure.

Does Bass Fishing Cost too Much?

Vagabond Persimmon Seed #21 $68.99

Yesterday on Facebook one of my friends wrote:
The economy continues to wreak havoc on the fishing industry but it seems people in the industry just don't get it. Come on $20 crankbaits, $70k boats! The average angler is being hurt the worst.

Several people clicked "Like" or commented in agreement. I ,however, was the lone dissenting voice when I wrote:

Sorry but I disagree, I think at no time in history has it been so easy to get quality equipment at a reasonable price thanks to the very large Internet inspired new and used marketplace.

I think at the outset it might be a good idea to make a distinction between an "average" bass angler and an "average" bass tournament angler because I don't think the Joe average bass fisherman is necessarily a tournament person. To be a tournament fisherman generally is going to require a financial commitment to equipment that is completely unnecessary for the basic task of having a good time by catching a few bass as a hobby.

For the guy that just wants to go out on a regular basis and bust a few bass it most certainly does not require "$20 crankbaits" and "70K boats." Any suggestion that this is the case is ridiculous. There is no doubt in my mind that right now and into the foreseeable future the average fisherman will be able to acquire quality equipment that will bring plenty of bass fishing success even on a tight budget.

I think the same pretty much holds true for Joe average bass tournament fisherman, because Joe average bass tournament fisherman is a club guy fishing for little to nothing beyond bragging rights, a trophy and maybe few hundred up to maybe a couple of thousand dollars at the high end. Bill Ludenia, who is a guy in my bass club, is a perfect example of a guy who has been a very successful bass tournament fisherman who doesn't see a big need to "keep up with the Joneses." He keeps it simple, fishes to his strengths and gets the job done.

To my comment someone replied with this:
Pretty hard to get a used BDS 4 spring craw. Used boats time is now but who has the cash, half price may as well be full price.
(Note a BDS is a Lucky Craft Crankbait that retails for $15-$17 depending on size, spring craw is a color pattern)

Well obviously is someone is dead set on getting a specific Lucky Craft crankbait, finding a good deal on it may not be possible. Heck the notion of "good deal" and Lucky Craft crankbaits is probably an oxymoron to the average Joe bass fishermen who probably gets bye just fine with a few Bandits or Bombers out of the bargain bin.

Owning a boat is nice but not a necessity. With the Internet it is easier than ever to get connected with people who have boats or find out about local opportunities to catch bass where a boat isn't even necessary. If you are in the market for a watercraft as long as you have a couple of hundred bucks you should be able to find something between Craigslist, Ebay, and local fishing forums.

Does bass fishing cost too much? No! Lack of money is not much of an excuse.

Update: Be sure to look at this threads comments as there are some excellent things pointed out.

What To Buy A Bass Fisherman For Christmas Part 3

A Lucky Craft Pointer 100 is THE jerkbait. You can get them for $14.99 at Tackle Warehouse.


However, if pike are a factor where your bass fisherman lives, then you might want to consider getting them a couple of Rapala X-Raps instead because they are around $7 a lure.

Note: I have caught more fish on X-Raps than on Lucky Craft Pointers. However, I only have 1 Pointer and bought it last Spring. I have lots of X-Raps and have been fishing them for several years.