My 2009 Soft plastics

[River Rat]

90% of my plastics are in those deep compartment plastic boxes, along with hooks, weights, rattles etc. I keep one WAY over stuffed BP worm bag for those scented baits and gulps that need to stay in the zip locks. That bag is like 70lbs man, I am sure I have grown into a 2nd by now. They fit nicely into the deck storage on my bass boat and keep me organized by size, color and bait type etc. Plastics are a sick addiction once you figure them out.

 

Guys and Gals, please do all of us a favor ......please keep a can or comparment, container or whatever open when you are fishing plastics for the garbage baits......please do NOT throw that garbage in the lake. We all lose plastics on hits but when a torn bait is no longer usable, please for the love of fish, keep them on you boat and throw them away at home. I can only imagine how many fish die due to choking on those baits and not to mention, littering the water.

 

P.S....I have made some very interesting steelhead baits with my discarded plastics, glue, spike it dye, and a razor blade....heck, it's fun for the whole familly.

 

River Rat

[rbaquial]

QUESTION, If the plastics are scented, doesn't putting it in a box take away from holding on to its own scent?? (thats always been my conception)

Can someone please verify this....

[Cudz]

As for the original plastics. There are a few plastics there that would not come out on the boat with me but to each their own. You need to get some stick baits for sure. Senkos or Yum dingers or Zeros or any of the stick worms. 4" - 6" sizes are a must. I would also add in a few more tubes in different colours. You do have a good start with some of the grubs but if it were me I would get some other colours, especially black. I would also invest in some hollow belly swim baits. 3.5 - 5" long. I also like gulp alive leaches and minoows but they are kind a special plastic.

 

My primary soft plastics can be narrowed down to 4 types

1- senkos

2- tubes

3- grubs

4- swimbaits

 

I very rarely use any more than those with the exception of soft jerkbaits once in a while. As previously mentioned I also drop shot a lot with gulp alive minnows and leaches.

[forrest]

The less environment polluting plastic the better. Lots of fish can be caught on stuff that doesn't off gas in your tackle box to make every thing else stink, including the box itself. Lots of fish can be caught without busted up used up plastics sitting on the bottom of the lake.

 

Gulp is biodegradable, I stick with that. I have not seen any indications from Berkley or others about polluting chemicals in it. There is likely something not so good in it.

 

Why don't manufacturers make enviro friendly baits? According to a BPS article they do but their physical qualities are low compared to the polluting plastics.

 

So, Profisher I think you have enough real plastic in that picture.

 

forrest

 

PS Where are those enviro college guys on this?

[Cudz]

The less environment polluting plastic the better. Lots of fish can be caught on stuff that doesn't off gas in your tackle box to make every thing else stink, including the box itself. Lots of fish can be caught without busted up used up plastics sitting on the bottom of the lake.

 

Gulp is biodegradable, I stick with that. I have not seen any indications from Berkley or others about polluting chemicals in it. There is likely something not so good in it.

 

Why don't manufacturers make enviro friendly baits? According to a BPS article they do but their physical qualities are low compared to the polluting plastics.

 

So, Profisher I think you have enough real plastic in that picture.

 

forrest

 

PS Where are those enviro college guys on this?

I have a bachelor of environmental studies from Waterloo.

Not sure I 100% agree with all you said but you do make valid points about Gulp. Not only do they bioderade but they also catch fish. win-win situaltion.

[tinbanger]

Keep the used up baits on board . We use 'plastics' alot and only lose a few a year in the lake, most end up having to replaced due to wear and tear .

Having said that I would guess our use of hardbodied baits vrs plastic increased last year .

The gulp product is pretty good (use the minnows) and would like to see more products like that .

' Envirnomentaly friendly ' is a phrase that is way over used and abused these days.

 

You also could look at manufacturing processes ( raw materials used , waste ,pertro chemicals etc) shipping distance ( China vrs local manufacturer) packaging etc .

 

keep the lake and surrounding areas clean . We almost always haul back more garbage than we take out , especially ice fishing !

 

TB

[Markystang]

http://www.bigbitebaits.com/

Came across this the other day. They've got a whole line of what they call "Biobaits".

[River Rat]

Bio-degradable baits are great, they are also expensive, and can't be stored along side the conventional plastics in the planos. Still, the benifits far outway the negatives. I keep a BPS binder bag for mine....Gulp works great, Food Source is another company that makes them too and Nories will be coming out with a full line as well in the near future...from what I hear.

 

When the stick bait bite is on, BPS stick o's and economical and work well. When the stick fish get finicky, I get out the super supple dingers or quivery yamamoto's. In lock jaw or open water or deep water situations, craws on rock piles.....out come the bio's. I seldom run bio's in cover because they are too soft (non durable) and reaction triggers the hit anyway.......when the fish are taking time to sniff, I run bio's

 

I still see lots of people throwing used baits in the drink. Likely force of habit more than anything....I'm sure that will get better as word gets out that it is a bad practise. I used to see people leaving the boat launch with stringers of bass to take home, and those siteings are becoming less every year too. It's word of mouth and education.

 

See you out there

 

RR

[Stoty]

I'd have to agree with most things said about the plastics. Def get some senko-type baits. They are worth their price in gold on those tough days.

I am going to switch to plano boxes for sure now!

[GoneFishin]

Like said above, Yum Dinger (senko's) and GULP!!!! believe it or not... It catches fish .PERIOD! trust me you can not go wrong buying some Gulp Minnows, I guarantee you they will catch you something. Drop shot them and you won't believe you fished with out them.