Are More fisherman caught then fish?

[Jason Grimm]

As I sit here and scroll through the 2012 hot list thread and other similar threads, it intrigues me about lure colors and selections. It seems I can ask 10 people what is your favorite color spoon and I will get 10 different answers. After digging through my spoon collection which would easily fill a five gallon bucket, there is probably only about a dozen (color wise) that are my go to spoons.

I still find myself spending a considerable amount of time looking at most of the spoon manufactures color schemes, (lure porn) and I go into lure overload. The colors seem to get wackier every year with no resemblance to bait fish, but yet I am still buying to "try" out this new color or this new series. It leads me to believe wacky color schemes and crazy lure names are developed every year to increase sales to remain competitive. Sales wouldn't be as high if the "same old proven" color patterns were the only selections available. Just like car manufactures continuously changing the look of their vehicles. Or clothing manufactures always coming out with new lines of clothes; when my plain old T-shirt gets the job done. Don't get me wrong about experimenting and constantly innovating to improve our way of life, but sometimes I think it becomes out of control to obtain the bottom line.

Just wondering what are your thoughts; "are more fisherman caught then fish?" Do you experience "lure overload" with all of these crazy color selections?

[ekbelt]

I think you are 100% right on!

[BILLY JOE]

i can drive my old truck.wear my old clothes.shoot my same gun

but when it comes to a new fishing lure got to have it

[N II Deep]

This time of the year my extra cash is pooling up for the gas tank on the boat, I find that when I drift into a tackle shop for something to do I come out with about 4 spoons I really don't need. Winter blues I guess.

then once mid March is here and I go to the GR show I drop yet more cash on the New Silver Streak stuff, Big Weenie, & beer. (can't wait for the show).

it is an addiction.

[hear fishy fishy]

I think you right as well. I still find my odd baits catch fish. I have had many people tell me that won't work and yet it's the hot bait for the trip.

[Leafybug]

Absolutely spot on! Even as fisherman we know its the companies new "marketing ploy" to get us to buy all these new and improved items, but we keep doing it. Why? Because we like it! I for one know that buying fishing related stuff makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.:D

[Killin' It]

This is 50% true.

Yes the colors get more and more extreme, however MANY improvements have been made in the last 5-10 years in spoons and their paints and coatings.

Example

Moonshine Glow spoons

UV paints

UV stickers

Holographic stickers with paint ect.

Do all the new spoons catch fish... Maybe...

Do you need to have all the latest and greatest? Not always.

Does it sure help to have one in your box when it is the HOT bite... YES.

Would you catch me fishing anything that is not UV coated.... Not in 100 years. Why?? I am confident that it makes a differance. Confidenance is 30% of the game... the other 70% is being on top of the fish. Having those "new good" lures down helps with that 30% while the fish are not biting.

[Nailer]

I think if I put a hook on a fork, it would catch Salmon. I buy lures for the same reason I buy more poles, I like it!

[Killin' It]

We collect lures like women collect shoes, purses, bags.

[Play Dough]

Agreed. Listen to the VHF on what is working on any given day, and you'll hear about the entire color spectrum. In my opinion, presentation is key. Color is somewhere down the list. I haven't bought a new lure in several years other than to replace something lost. I just got to the point where the several hundred spoons, plugs, flashers, flies, etc. just seemed like enough. I have a couple dozen patterns that consistantly produce and use those exclusively. The other few hundred lures serve as ballast.

[Flyboy]

Agreed. Listen to the VHF on what is working on any given day, and you'll hear about the entire color spectrum. In my opinion, presentation is key.

Well said. Its interesting to hear though what works for others. I got a kick out of Fishsniffer's picture posted in the 2012 hot list thread. I ran half of those spoons simply based off of reports and couldn't buy a hit to save my life, and we fish the same port and quite often even see him on the lake in the same area. Thats where "presentation is key" comes into play. I won't say no to adding a few more spoons to the box though, not if I know they have potential...must a matter of figuring out how to run them best.

[Just Hook'n]

Last year I completely got out of one manufacturer and went to another. I miss some of the colors from the old company as they were tried and true, but we caught just as many fish on the new stuff as we did with the old. I think it boils down to what Dave said about being confident in your presentation. But I'm a sucker too...I'll buy anything to try it once.

[Sea-Mac]

If anybody has any flying / helicopter lures for sale or a pocket fishing pole pen ill buy em from yah...what i dont get about most of these lure mfg. co. is everytime they make a lure i love and seems to work great for everyone they stop making it.

[luremaker]

I would have to agree with what Dave has said. We have come a long way with spoons and flies in the past 10 years. We now have better colors coatings and tapes that help with the way we target fish and in the most case's they hold up.

The day's of putting a pc of tape on a spoon are gone but not forgot-in. As one of those manufacture's we spend a lot of time looking a great colors and patterns that will work in all waters for all condition and it is not a easy task to come up with the next hot lure or top 10 lures that will keep the fish biting and keep the fisherman wanting more.

For our company I can tell you we get a kick when one or two of our lures take off. We then know that we are on the right track and we have listened to what the fisherman wanted.

BBL

Edited February 28, 2013 by luremaker
miss spelled word

[Rascal Trophy Fishing]

I think most of us are totally Addicted to buying new spoons, it's the best addiction you can have imho....lol.

[1mainiac]

Everything I bought 40 years ago will still catch fish some days. However conditions have changed big time for one fish are feeding out of temp way more than they used to, the water is much clearer, As such tactics have changed a lot. While they in many ways remain the same. Salmon are still low light aggressive feeders so many days anything they can get in their mouth will get hit. We are seeing much more light colored baits with UV and more flash than color work because the distance they can be picked up on is much larger than it used to be. Couple that with much reduced bait and you find areas where anything you run correctly will get hit. And next to those areas vast waste lands of nothing. So you can watch a boat near you kill fish while you troll empty water. The other thing I see a lot of is people trying to copy other people rather than learning how to make their gear work for them. This leads to a lot of frustration as you watch some one or hear them catch fish after fish on lures you have been washing for hours. the reason is none of gear really reads the same even GPS speeds can vary from boat to boat. I know Don's GPS reads slower than mine does because he will pass me when we are running the same GPS numbers. So if he tells me 2.5 I need to run 2.6 there are also differences in our down speed he has a Fish Hawk I run a Depth Raider so even running side by side at Quote the same depth and speed we are not running the same depth and speed close perhaps but not the same. This is where learning to fish your gear comes in Because 70 down at 2.5 on my boat might be 80 down at 2.3 on yours.

[Jason Grimm]

Thank you for all of the insight. I run a lot of meat, but plan to jump on the UV band wagon myself to try it out. I have yet to own any UV lures. I will be attending the GR show and plan on spending more.

[sherman51]

i,ve got to say there have been improvements in colors and in the paints they use to paint these new lures. but i am 100% sure lures are designed to catch fisherman more than fish. if they work it is just a bonus.

say you have caught fish on a given day on something purple. you go into a bait store and you see some lures in about 5 different shades of purple. you already have confidence in the color purple. now you cant buy just one. what if you get one and its a hot lure. your going to want atleast one more of that lure to put down to the biting fish. so which one of the 5 new colors do you try. you just buy 2 of each color and problem solved,LOL.

i fish lake erie for eyes and have caught alot of fish on spoons. but to be honest i just have more faith in worm harnesses. so when i rig up to go fishing i usely use all harnesses. but there is a couple of spoons that has really produced for me. so sometimes i will try a couple of these spoons.

i have colors of harnesses and spoons that has never been in the water. but if i see a harness that is something in a purple or purple and black or something in a shiney green i will add it to my collection. or something in a hot pink or pink with little sparkles added. but when i start fishing i will start with the old colors that has caught fish in the past. if im marking fish and not catching anything then is when i start using the new colors. if they catch fish then they go on my favorites list.

the thing i do believe is most of these new colors that catch fisherman will catch fish at a given time if they just get a fair chance.

as for uv coatings i havent got not one lure with a uv coating and still manage to catch fish. but being the fisherman that i am i am going to have to try some uv lures this year. i will use the uv baits on one side of my boat and my old faithful ones on the other side. but they have me hooked if they never catch a fish,LOL.

sherman

[Side JOB]

I think if I put a hook on a fork, it would catch Salmon. I buy lures for the same reason I buy more poles, I like it!

I think ken should try this and we want some pics....... maybe after a few barley pops

[Priority1]

The Dude is buying.

[sherman51]

many years ago when i was a kid there was what was called jack fish. i havent seen any of them for years now. but some local guys would take the old time bottle and can opener and tie on some hooks and a strip of some red yarn or cloth. these were the best baits you could find for thes fish.

im sure if you cut the handle down and added hooks and maby alittle paint they would catch some fish. i read in an artical where these guys was bass fishing. one guy took his watch and tied hooks to it. on his 3rd fish his line broke. he lost his watch but he proved his point.

sherman

[Geezee]

lots of the spoons for the 70's and 80's still rock!!! people over look these baits for the hot new baits...a blue/slilver and a green/silver union spoons have been around forever and they still pound the fish....anyone have any old jointed jplugs they want to get rid of??? there another old bait I like to run

[willfishforfood]

Hi My name is Steve and I'm a tackle hoarder. The biggest problem with this is I have salmon in fresh and salt, bass,walleye,sturgeon,bottom fish and steelhead in the rivers so there is a lot of tackle to collect

[Priority1]

Hi My name is Steve and I'm a tackle hoarder. The biggest problem with this is I have salmon in fresh and salt, bass,walleye,sturgeon,bottom fish and steelhead in the rivers so there is a lot of tackle to collect

Steve, That's the first step. You're admitting you have a problem. Unfortunately you are among a bunch of hopeless junkies. Ya got to have at least one vice.

[willfishforfood]

That is for sure. I don't drink or smoke. But I'm getting ready to build a off road buggy so this might get spendy