Worst Lure Awards for 2005

[toobinator]

Saskie: No fish on tubes NO FISH ON TUBES That's sacriledge, SACRILEDGE I say.

I see a big toobin lesson on the horizon for next summer

Ed

[grumpy7790]

Here is another 2005 Dud, the Ugly Otter. I caught fish pitchin Beavers but the Otter never produced. I knew the problem was the glide from the the paddle tail. I think this bait may produce better pitched into grass. I now know that you just have to slice the tail to get a straight drop.



Sweet Beaver

[SALMON]

I dont think I had any duds,,but then I usually only throw out confidence lures. The x-rap slew the pike at Westmeath..no casting (trolling) the guy at BPS thought I was nuts when I said it looked like it would troll well. The spring salmon also took a liking to it. White spinner baits had pike all over them. The Manns one minus did well when I tried it this year and I saw its potential with someone who knew how to use it. Many of these lures work..its that learning curve on where and when to throw them. Senko type baits nailed lots of fish,wacky worms got Jonathan and I lots of largies. Go fishing with Hoss and catch walleye on 3" white twisters and then find out muskie have an afinnity for them as well. I am sure evey bad lure would work of we find the right spot. So I guess I will have to keep checking out those new spots in 2006.

[Wall-I-Guy]

See, that's the good thing about not fishing much this year...No duds to report

[CNs]

What did not work:

X-rap = 0 fish but I did not use a lot of cranks this year
Tubes. Have caught nothing on tubes just can't figure em out
Wave worms
Flapping shads

What did work

Best lure this past year - Senko type baits I picked up from JP and Otters. Big Jim showed me how to use them, They do work.
Spinnerbaits (white included)

[DaveH]

Well I'm in agreement about the Xraps, but then again, I'm useless with crank or slashbaits, unless I'm trolling....And even then I only caught one muskie trolling...not that I'm complaining!!!!!!!!

I NEVER seem to make a buzzbait work for me...I know a ton of people who do, but I never have even had a boil on one.

Spinnerbaits didn't produce much for me this year, but last year they were killer for me.

inline Spinners and trout-spinners didn't work for me either, but then again the one time I was trout fishing, between 6 of us over three days we only saw 3 fish!

Tubes were my go-to bait this year...caught almost everything this year on a pumpkin or green tube...even my one and only walleye!! *LOL* Love the tubes!!!

Only caught one on Senko's this year, but since I shore-fish so much, I really didn't give them much of a go! Next year!

[Bobber]

Here is another 2005 Dud, the Ugly Otter. I caught fish pitchin Beavers but the Otter never produced. I knew the problem was the glide from the the paddle tail. I think this bait may produce better pitched into grass. I now know that you just have to slice the tail to get a straight drop.



Sweet Beaver

This is a great thread, thanks Wolfe. I actually had a lot of success this year with both the Sweet Beaver and the Ugly Otter. Depending on where I was at any point in time, I found the Ugly otter to work well in areas where a smaller presentation was working, and in areas where the fish were hitting hard, I'd change to a larger Sweet Beaver and upsize the fish.

I've also had good luck with Senkos as well, but again only a certain color. (BTW, I like Watermelon to Fishhawk's horror)

I'd have to say that my 2005 Dud, not to say it's a bad one, but it didn't work at all for me, is the Sweet Potato Pie Tiki Stick. I thought for sure it would work with a name like that. Go ahead, just say it, you'll want one too.

[Mike the 'Tender]

I can't say I had any duds. For me, natural coloured tubes and senkos rigged wacky slayed the bass (though the bass weren't always big, they worked). I did get kind skunked using my favourite flat fish when fishing for trout. I only caught one (and lost two) instead of my usual 10 or so in a week.

[saskie]

Saskie: No fish on tubes NO FISH ON TUBES That's sacriledge, SACRILEDGE I say.

I see a big toobin lesson on the horizon for next summer

Ed

Sorry - I must confess. I did catch a 13" walleye on one of our last trips to the Head Pond this summer on a black/red salted tube.

Our first bassin trip to Appelton this summer with FireFox I had scads of hits on them - (the "Mr Hankeys"), but couldn't connect. The only fish I did catch that day was on a senko. After that they were a total flop. Maybe next year Saskette will let me near the red senko bag

[grumpy7790]

Bobber,
Try upsizing to the Wave Worm Bamboo's. I have found that the sweet potato pie color to be a very good reactionary bait. I use this bait when things slow down and I'm looking for a big fish. Try it skipping it around docks and work it over weed pockets.

[Corey Gaffney~BAssboy]

I can't believe that Spinnerbaits were even mentioned. Did you know that it is proven that the spinnerbait in the last 10 years has won close to 80% of tournaments either by catching there limmit or the kicker with it. The spinnerbait is one of my top choices in on any body of water , because of how versatile the lures really is , it has no set running depth and very snagless, deflects from trees stumps and rocks like no other lure triggering those reactions strikes when bass are very fincky. I believe also that the presentation is one of the key aspects of a lure producing numbers. But the combination running depth,speed,water clarityand heavy pressured waters all play big factors in putting more fish in the boat. Anyway i can go on all day about how affective these baits are when the confidence is behind them but i'm pretty sure most of you know that no baits beat a spinnerbait.

Corey

[CNs]

I can't believe that Spinnerbaits were even mentioned..........

Corey

While I will throw a spinnerbait anytime (even white), I found that spinnerbaits were not a go to bait for me this year.


I forgot to mention that the most dudliets of the duds ever are storm swimbaits. In fact I do not think I have caught anything on any storm plastics but dang they look good.