# why buy expensive lures????



## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

after many years of fishing i have found that i catch rate with cheap HB lures is the same as the expensive ones i used to buy. i used to only buy the top range of lures that cost heaps $15+ for my barra fishing, but after losing $$$$ due to my divorce i have not had the luxury of spending big on tackle.

after buying cheap lures from BigW/KMart i was a little suprised to see that my catch rate remained about the same. you guys that use these sx40 etc for bream/flatties why pay big $$$ for them when you can get lures that do exactly the same (as mentioned in these threads) for about $3-$4. they have neutral bouyancy have a great action and fish love them...even BIG barra. (i will post details once i replace the one bazza stole today)

this lure cost less than $5 and caught me a lovely barra today and it has no action what so ever :shock:










usually i would be using a $15+ nilsmaster spearhead but why when this 1 works as well for less than 1/3 the price

i have tried and had limited success on sp and will keep at it.......

before you go out a spend up big on lures give the cheapies a go....

i now firmly believe lures are for catching fishermen not fish..... :lol:


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## Warlock (Aug 4, 2007)

My favorite bream lure on my local water is a very cheap pink lure called Smiling jacks shrimp I think. I do weak it a bit with new slpit rings and just one chemically sharpend treble. If it works and you have confidence in it well...... I have often thought it's not so much the lure but where you put it, when you put it and how often you put it.


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## crazyratwoman (Feb 26, 2007)

yep, i agree the cheapies have their place, i HAD a Smilin Jacks one (bout $5.50 i think) holographic kind of one which caught me so much (including my own hand). I've misplaced it and buggered if i can find it anywhere gggrrrrr... but yer, i have some of both.


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## justinp (Jul 9, 2007)

Its a confidence thing for me, I use expensive lures most of the time, although from alimited selection, I have cheap ones for fishing really snaggy areas when the fish are really on the chew, and I use the expensive ones when things are shut down, and when I run out of expensive ones, I replace them periodically, I have also got into the habit of buying one dear lure once a week on my way home from work, this way I dont blow the budget all at once, cheers Justin.


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## yakfly (Jun 8, 2006)

I agree Astro,a lot of times cheap lures will work just as well.All i do is upgrade the trebles and split rings on them before use and
ive never had any problems.Sometimes just changing to heavier duty hooks will also make them swim a little better anyway.
I used to carve my own so never worried about losing them.


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## Guest (Aug 26, 2007)

why buy expensive lures????

Because in my opinion, they catch more fish and a better fish.

Cheers


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

MacFish said:


> why buy expensive lures????
> 
> Because in my opinion, they catch more fish and a better fish.
> 
> Cheers


hi mac: this is where i have to disagree with you, from my experience they don't. i can't see a quality fish not biting a lure because it is cheaper.....would a barra say: sorry ol son but i need a expensive lure before i'll have a go....

fish hit lures because they think they are food or they stimulate the fishes attack response. that lure i have pictured has no action but it was hit three times within minutes hooking the barra shown here
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=9785

my theory is that all lures work, it depends on what works at a particular time/location

i have caught trevally using lures made out of beer cans and trebles, i have caught whiting and flathead on strips of red/white cloth tied to long shank hooks and caught queenfish on old whiteboard markers with a wire through the centre and a treble that act like poppers

as for catching more fish well that is harder to assess but overall i see no difference

thanks for your comments i appreciate the discussion

cheers 
carl


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## sitonit (Dec 29, 2006)

I think that cheap lures can work as well as expensive lures but it is the little diffrences between expensive and cheap that narrow the gap, a cheap lure will generally have crap fittings so trebles and split rings will have to be changed at a cost so this narrows the gap a little in price also cheapies tend to be poorly designed or produced when it comes to towing points, but I dont think that price difference between the two should be so large the difference as with most prestige goods goes into marketing the lures, I dont think any of the pros use cheap lures so people dont know if they work they dont see tim morgan tossing kmart sp's or cheaper jackall copies so they go with what they know works.
I think the main reason expensive lures catch more fish is that we use them more often I know that when fishing I tend to use the lures i paid more for first and if I hook up I am unlikely to change lures. 
Most of my hb's come out of bargain bins and from sales and garage sales but I always have rapala cd18 in qantas colours because that lure keeps on producing the goods same with why i use river2sea slugs


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## Fishing Man (Oct 4, 2006)

i kinda agree with both arguements here,

most cheap lures are rubbish, in many cases they have a bad action (sometimes no action at all), they have poor paintjobs, poor terminal tackle (splitrings/trebbles) and are generally tacky. however there are some cheap lures IMO that are worth looking at, for instance the G-Vibes (Jackall copy), although they are nowhere near as exy as a jackall they still work ok, wouldnt say they are better but perhaps have an advantage when fishing snaggy areas or sussing out a new spot. other than that ive had the occasional cheapy which goes ok but generally speaking you get what you pay for.

most of the commercial lure companies now provide great products and are of a high standard, 
ie : jackall bros designed the TN6o with a lot of research and development to get the product just right, 
that is shape, weight, colours, sounds, etc etc; they have then moulded this all into a quality lure sporting a great paintjob and the best quality terminal tackle, 
these lures are tried and tested like many of the more exy lures - "they actually work". 
then you have these companies which come along ie: kokoda and straight up copy the shapes, rough weight and colours as these dearer lures, 
they dont know the background behind the designs thus dont get it spot on, they usually put rubbishy trebles and rings (which you end up paying $10 to replace anyways) and the bottom line is the lure never swims as well as the one its trying to copy.

theres nothing wrong with using the cheapies if they catch you fish, each to there own, but saying that they are as good as the more expensive ones hands down is stupid. There is a reason these lures become successful in the first place and it aint by duplicating others ideas.

so i guess it all depends, if you cant afford or dont want to pay big bucks for lures; dont - just be confident and have fun catching fish, 
but if you do like the quality tackle do the same and just remember that the $15-20 you forked out on the lure will essentially last a lot longer and catch fish for longer than the bloke down the road who grabs the $2 lures for the bargain bin at amart.

bottom line - quality (expensive) lures will outfish cheapies


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## Fishing Man (Oct 4, 2006)

Astro said:


> MacFish said:
> 
> 
> > why buy expensive lures????
> ...


the thing is there are times when fish are bloody hungry and will attack anything, 
however there are times when they are not, and a well presented lure will make all the difference,

your lucky to be living in nth qld where the fish are a bit more agro, 
down here and furthe south things like bream, whiting, bass, will not hit rubbish with a hook in it,
if a fish hits a bit of rubbish with a treble of course it will eat a lure from the bargain bin,

but do u think the abt guys will try mucking around when theres big $$ on the line, 
they just use what catches fish, not what doesnt, 
they can use whatever they like, the reason they use ecogear/jackall etc is because they reliably catch fish unlike a lot of the cheaper lures,

Im sure Sel agrees with me here


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## Mushi (Aug 31, 2005)

I reckon for squid jigs it can be pretty important. If theyâ€™re really going nuts, then its not so important. But when even a little tentative, the balance, buoyancy and posture of a quality (IF $ = quality!) jig will make the squid have a crack. That said, i tank tested some expensive vs. cheapies a while back and there were actually a few cheapies that had great balance and posture in the water.


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## Guest (Aug 27, 2007)

Astro said:


> MacFish said:
> 
> 
> > why buy expensive lures????
> ...


Ok Carl

Point taken about Mr. Barra, I agree with you there. I read your report yesterday and I was thrilled to see that you caught that barra, Well done 

You said in your report you want to catch a 1.3 metre Barra, I don't think you will succeed in this mission using a stock standard cheap lure, well if you do you will prove me wrong. 

But I think you will need a lure with better hooks and better splits to tackle a monster like that, and you can only have a lure this way by buying the more expensive lure or doing it yourself. I can't stand changing trebles so in my case I would prefer to buy one ready made with the quality attachments.

Not been nasty here, but in comparison to your lure analysis, why do you have the top of the range kayak, why do you have a hobie with pedals and turbo fins. Why, because you like to have the best available, you could apply the same to when you buy tackle. 

:lol: :lol: Maybe if you didn't have the dear kayak you could afford some decent tackle, mate. 

Just a friendly swipe mate 

If it works for you fine, stick to it. 

Cheers


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## Guest (Aug 27, 2007)

I agree that cheap lures will catch fish, but then again I have seen Malcolm Douglas catch Trevally one after another up the top end using a standard hook with some frayed rope tied to it. This technique would never work for you anywhere else, he was fishing virtually unfished waters and the fish were not as shy as they are down south.

Most of us fish in areas which have high fishing pressure, the fish are fussy in alot of cases and wont attack anything that swims past its nose.....presentation of a realistic looking lure WILL improve your catch rate.

As mentioned before, quality also comes into the equation as well. There's no point having your PB meter plus Barra smash your bagain bin $5 Barra lure only to have the hooks straighten or split rings disintegrate, or dodgy bib pull off completely......you'll be wishing you had spent a little more on your gear once that happens I reckon. 

Horses for courses I reckon, if your a fisherman who either doesnt take his sport as seriously, or due to financial reasons, cheap lures will get you fishing and catching some fish, but if your serious about your fishing and you have the cash to spare your going to gravitate towards the gear that:

a) Gives you the most enjoyment when pursuing your chosen sport
b) Gives you the best chances of catching (and landing) fish
c) Will last the test of time (ie: quality paint, fittings and build, in the case of lures)

Thats my $0.02


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## Lureme (Jul 1, 2007)

The 3 lures in the photos are great and not expensive [well not too much :? ] both great for Bream, Flathead etc


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## Fishing Man (Oct 4, 2006)

well said Dallas,

lureme, those sprogs are rubbish mate,
i stupidly bought about 30 of them a while back as they were 3 for $10,
sill mistake,

since then ive tried them numerous times and caught the odd fish, 
however ive since bought a few sx40s as well and mate there is no comparison, 
the way they swim straight from the pack is the main thing, as the sprogs ive had all had issues swimming straight, 
the sxs also have the best quality fittings and a painjob better than any lure.
IMO i wont pay $5/6 for a sprog when i can get an sx40 for $13-
by the time you add owner splits and hooks its the same price anyways,

i reckon your better off having fewer good quality lures than a heap of rubbish, 
just my opinion, i know i wont buy them anymore

as for the stike pro well i havent used them, but they certainly have a better rep than the sprogs


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## Fishing Man (Oct 4, 2006)

if anyone wants a heap of sprogs let me know and il sell the bunch of em at cost price


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## Lureme (Jul 1, 2007)

Ok the Sprogs are rubbish  but not that bad here   the bream like them but not the flathead like the Strike Pro, must be an area thing.
But I must admit the Strike Pro Pygmy out do them 3 strikes to 1, I will take your advice and retire the Sprogs for now, only have a couple of them with the red one doing the best, it does not matter with the Strike Pro as all colours are working well here.
Thanks. 8)


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## Guest (Aug 27, 2007)

Fishing Man said:


> I can get an sx40 for $13-


Where can u get them at this price? Name the place and I'll go there tommorrow and buy some more.

I don't believe it, cheapest I can find is 16.50.

Cheers


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## Lureme (Jul 1, 2007)

MacFish said:


> Fishing Man said:
> 
> 
> > I can get an sx40 for $13-
> ...


$17.00 at the tackle shops here.


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## Guest (Aug 27, 2007)

My tackle consists of a combination of expensive, mid-range and dirt-cheap tackle. I to tend to reach for the high-ticket stuff whenever the fish seem really finicky, or I'm determined to catch a particular species of fish. But if I encounter a school of fish that are eating just about anything, then just abut anything is what I tie on the end of the line.

In a few cases I've actually found the cheap lures to have better longevity and rust resistance, but I still couldn't say for sure if the expensive hard-body stuff catches much more fish. Most of my catches are made on quality tackle, but then again, that's what I tend to use most of the time.

I do think that some of the brand name SPs definitely outfish some of the cheaper poor imitations. How much of that has to do with the scents used I really don't know.


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

just thought i would drop a quick line to say that kmart has 20% fishing tackle atm

i will try and get back later to respond to your posts, but great discussion so far

cheers


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## mattayogi (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm not much of a lure fisherman, but I have heard that there is a massive difference in catchability between very expensive Japanese lures and other ones of similar style. Biggera Yakker knows more than I do on that subject, but I thought I'd toss it in anyway.

Generally my tackle is a bit budget, but I still manage to catch a feed most times when I go out. But speaking about cheap. I went into Kmart on Saturday 'cos they had 20% off tackle and I thought I'd give some SPs a go 'cos everyone seems to be into them except me. I was looking for some Gulps, but of course they didn't have what I wanted, so I was walking out when this out of place rack of lures catches my eye. 'Discounted Items' it read on the sign. Sure, I'll buy something, I thought to myself. $6.70 for a pack of soft plastics (holographic minnows of some variety - mustad hooks). Well I get to the counter and the girl at the checkout says, "80 cents, please." "That can't be correct, can it?" I question. "That's what it says on the scanner, Sir," she replies.

Well that made my day. Who cares if they don't catch a bloody fish? They look the part, and BCF is selling them for $7.70.

Do you think it wrong that I go back there tomorrow and buy a few more packs? 8)


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## Guest (Aug 27, 2007)

mattayogi said:


> Well that made my day. Who cares if they don't catch a bloody fish? They look the part, and BCF is selling them for $7.70.
> 
> Do you think it wrong that I go back there tomorrow and buy a few more packs? 8)


No way, I would have turned around straight away and bought the lot, but then again I'm a serious ebayer, who likes to sell stuff.

Cheers


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## colzinho (Aug 6, 2007)

whatever lure gives me confidence is the one I use: usually that is one that has caught a fish in the same place/conditions/target species. The confidence is gained by giving that lure a decent run and my method is thus: cheap lure 1 or 2 flicks...useless. Expensive lure several considered cast/retrieves and more patience...fish. Therefore I can geuinely say I prefer expensive lures.


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## crazyratwoman (Feb 26, 2007)

haha Sel! thats exactly what i do! (altho i've never sold fishing stuff before!) gotta love ebay to make some bucks!


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

mattayogi said:


> "80 cents, please." "That can't be correct, can it?" I question.


Matt hope you only asked this question after paying mate :shock:


> Do you think it wrong that I go back there tomorrow and buy a few more packs?


 Can only conclude that you had no more money on Saturday, not to have done that immediately :lol:


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## mattayogi (Feb 11, 2007)

Richo, I felt a little silly for some reason and, believe it or not, felt like it would be a little too obvious something was drastically amiss if I went straight back in. It's one of those occasions that when you're driving back home you think, "What the hell were you thinking?"

To add salt to the wound I went back today and ran a bunch of them through the price check scanner and sure enough - they were a little more expensive than 80 cents. DOH!

Matt


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

mattayogi: don't be shy had the same thing happen last year on some tackle, once i got the low low price just turned around and cleaned off the shelf....bought the lot 8)

cheers


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