run away fishing cost.

How long will the average bass fisherman continue to buy $15-$30 for crankbaits, 80 cents for a 5-6 inch piece of plastic. But the biggest slap in the face to bass fisherman is the companies that raise the price of their product but also reduce the number of baits in the bag. Use to be the smallest package had 10 items in the package. You could also buy 20 and 100 packs in different plastic. Now there are some selling 6,7,8 items in a package. Really tired of paying for the so called pro's endorsements,and retirement benefits.(PAA). Can't believe the general pubic continues to watch, the closed to the public, completions (invitation only,elite series $5000 entry fee per tournament) and pay the lure companies outlandish prices for their products to cover the advertising budgets. Give me some Creme, Mann's, Zoom, Netbait and Strike King products. Strike King is able to contract a very good group of fisherman ( KVD & others) as spokes representatives and still offer an excellent product at a reasonable price by today's standards. And their variety of products makes it almost possible to fish only their products. Jigs,crankbaits,spinnerbaits,worms trailers,twitchbait,other topwaters etc.Any bass fisherman should be proud to wear the Strike King name on their chest when fishing. Time to smarten up as a group.
Tightlines
John McG

I recently went to first Monday trade days in Ripley, MS. I bought bags of plastic worms for a dollar a pack . Since I don't bass fish much (6 acre pond behind the house) I am not picky about brands . Surprising enough these baits perform as well as the big co. baits .Most of it was yum products .

Yes, yum is another company( that I overlooked) . that has maintained a consistent product and prices for the fisherman.

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Originally Posted by John M

How long will the average bass fisherman continue to buy $15-$30 for crankbaits, 80 cents for a 5-6 inch piece of plastic. But the biggest slap in the face to bass fisherman is the companies that raise the price of their product but also reduce the number of baits in the bag. Use to be the smallest package had 10 items in the package. You could also buy 20 and 100 packs in different plastic. Now there are some selling 6,7,8 items in a package. Really tired of paying for the so called pro's endorsements,and retirement benefits.(PAA). Can't believe the general pubic continues to watch, the closed to the public, completions (invitation only,elite series $5000 entry fee per tournament) and pay the lure companies outlandish prices for their products to cover the advertising budgets. Give me some Creme, Mann's, Zoom, Netbait and Strike King products. Strike King is able to contract a very good group of fisherman ( KVD & others) as spokes representatives and still offer an excellent product at a reasonable price by today's standards. And their variety of products makes it almost possible to fish only their products. Jigs,crankbaits,spinnerbaits,worms trailers,twitchbait,other topwaters etc.Any bass fisherman should be proud to wear the Strike King name on their chest when fishing. Time to smarten up as a group.
Tightlines
John McG

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It could be worse. You could be fly fishing. ;)

Wally World. For us working folks lots of name brand stuff like Zoom, Norman, Strike King, very reasonable at Wally World. Went to Sportsmans Warehouse yesterday looking for fire tiger Roostertails, no such luck but while there saw those fancy 30 dollar lures from far off lands. Thing is a Norman Deep Little N will out perform them all and cost you 4 bucks. A whole package of Zoom worms (20) for three bucks.

How about those 600 dollar reels? Are they any better than a very good quality reel for about 100 bucks plus or minus a bit? I do not think so. They just have the marketing hype behind them.

I used to Bass fish all the time, I had the 21 foot Triton with a 300 merc. Just to idle it off the trailer and run a few miles ate up 26 gallons of fuel.

With experience gained I now use a 16 foot High Tide, with a 40hp tiller engine. I can run all over the lake and use 3 gallons of fuel. I fish with two rods, one has a roostertail on it, the other some kind of crappie jig. I accidentally catch more bass fishing for bluegill and crappie than I ever did directly fishing for Bass.

Bye the way, do you fish tournaments, if you do and do not mind taking a lie detector test when you win all the time....get a 7 foot rod and shoot a wacky worm up under docks. Oh my.......they just know you are cheating. Lol! Or rig up a rod with 6 pound Nanofil and throw a 4.5 or 5 inch floating rapala. That line will let it sail for a long, long cast, and the bass think all is cool.

Yep I can put my tackle box in my shirt pocket now. Actually I use one 6 by 8 water proof clear Plano box. That huge experience box is up in the attic and I bet it has 7 grand worth of stuff in it. Most of it designed to catch the fisherman, not the fish. Lol!

Just give me a roostertail and a jig, at the end of the day, I have had fun and caught just about everything. Kit

I agree Kit. The cost of even recreational bass fishing sent me shuddering to the pan fish side of angling. But man am I enjoying fishing again! And it's more relaxing.

If I took up fly fishing I could sell the 25 to 30 rod and reels ( 8 spinning,20 broadcasters, probably 50 twitch baits, thirty lipless baits, 25 top waters,

(8 spinning outfits, 20 baitcasting outfits) Accidentally posted before completed. 200 jigs
( jig n pig) from 3/8 to 11/2 ounces. 25 swimbaits, 30 swimjigs, another 100 crankbaits about 50 spinnerbaits about 200 senkos, 30 plus bags of plastic creature baits, and about 25 bags of dropshot plastics. I probably have more in tungsten weights cost than a fancy fly rod and reel...Not to mention the 19 ft bass boat and 200 hP engine. And the cost of gas.
Needless to say, if I was a fly fisherman, I'd be rich.

One last point, I'm still married to the same woman ( 39 years)

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Originally Posted by John M

One last point, I'm still married to the same woman ( 39 years)

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See, you are rich. I too have loads of gear and rods and reels for bass fishing.As least $15000 worth. Since signing up with C.c I tend to use the bass gear less and less. So now I have a couple thousand in crappie gear. lol

Yes, she is priceless. Having her makes me a very rich and content man.

All hobbies are for the rich man unfortunately. My other hobby, model railroading is beyond crazy with prices. At least there are ways to keep fishing cheaper for us. I can have just as much fun gill fishing with a hook, float, and worm as I do smallmouth fishing on the river.


My favorite plastics, bass or crappie, are Zoom and Big Bite Baits, they work just as good as every other brand and are cheaper.

Garage sales. Estate sales. My wife brings home BAGS of soft plastics for next to nothing. I actually told her enough...I have all I will need for the rest of my life. That, and one of these: High Temp Surgical Cautery Pen Bovee battery powered cautery pen. How many times have you ripped your last soft plastic and that is the only style/color that seems to be producing, you are out-fishing your buddy in the front of the boat with them, and all you got is about ten re-habs torn beyond usability in the bottom of the boat? Been there. Out comes the Bovee, five minutes of battlefield surgery melting them back to almost new, and you're back to handing him his butt. Seals over-priced worm rattle holes so they can't back out too. Stick the tip in the hole, heat and slowly pull out while pressing. Does it a lot better than a cigarette lighter. I take an evening or three in the off season and re-hab salvageable soft plastics, seal the screw-lock hole in the front, hook holes in the middle, smooth fish tooth shred marks with a cigarette lighter. Re-habbing also alters the stock action as an added benefit for fishing heavily pressured fish. Can easily create one-offs with parts from un-repairable baits. I'm preaching to the choir...y'all have known this for years.