A lot of times, you look around and you see people blasting these "fad lures" like the Banjo minnow and the helicopter lure. I have both and never had too much luck with either. Now I'd like to turn the tables a bit on you. It's pretty easy to tell when a lure or the gear is bad. What I want to know, is what do you think the most important additions to our hunt for striped bass has been?

I tried to answer this question and I have to admit, it's a doozy. There's a lot of stuff out there, and I'm having trouble answering it. I mean out of everything, lures, reels, line, rod model or terminal tackle.

I'm not looking for your secrets, and not looking for the old standbys. I'm looking at the new stuff out on the market from this past say, decade that really caught your heart and really stands out.

I don't know if I'd count it as "important" but the use of rubber shads and now other rubber bodied lures like FinS has increased significantly in the last few years.

There are only so many ways to immitate a baitfish. After a while it all starts to repeat itself. Comes down more to issues like quality and castability.

I can't think of any real major technology break through effecting lures.

BTW, there was nothing special about the Banjo Minnow. You can fish just about any rubber body lure the same way and it would be just as effective.

The continued improvement and increased affordability of good quality, light graphite rods. The increased sensitivity and light weight allows you to throw the small stuff that fish often prefer.

This includes the other item which was already mentioned... slug-os, fin-s, etc etc. I think they look and feel so much more natural than plugs. They also "suspend" so well, one of the things I think makes flies so effective at times. Look at real minnows. They don't always move and they certainly don't swim in a straight line all the time.

Now, these aren't necessarily so new. I was using slug-o's over submerged weedbeds for largemouth back in '90 or '91. But I only started using them in the salt this year, 'cause like most newbies, I figured it wasn't worth much if you couldn't cast it a mile. I bought a bunch this winter figuring to do alot more boat fishing. That hasn't really happened, but I included them in my surf bag and I've had good success with it.

My opinion is that electronics are a big advance in fishing this decade. Cell phones and walkie talkies allow hunting parties to communicate and the internet allows you to form a wide area network. Ten years ago , it would have been be pretty hard to know what was happening at Block Island this week. Today , we get a great report right here.

Yeh - the net & electronics have been big - so has somewhat more reliable forcasting... As far as the tools that you drag out to the beach, while not new, many are being discovered again or for the first time. By that I mean complimentary teasers. Certainly not new, the teaser or the concept, but it has been under a microscope lately and makes a big difference...

Jaiem, the only thing I found the banjo minnow good for is adding bulk to a bucktail jig. I tried it on a plain old jighead and I tried it on the screw system that they use. The action was completely fake. I have seen bluefish marauding schools of bunker and nothing jerked around like that. Most of what I've seen is a bluefish just nibbling the tail off and the bunker winds up swimming in circles, not darting.

One of the guys I know loves the gimmick lure that I think was called "True motion lures" it was a three segmented hard plastic body. It was on TV a lot around '95 and he loves them.

I would have to agree that the internet and computer programs are the best additions to the fishing community. I never even thought of that.

hey, the small 6 inch sluggos work great too. I had a couple bubble gum sluggos and rigged them on a 3/0 worm hook. The snappers loved them lol. I know have a bunch of half sluggos. I've never seen them so voracious after a plug.

Don't knock the theory behind the banjo... Ive seen it work...

John R (08-07-2001 08:53):
Don't knock the theory behind the banjo... Ive seen it work...

The theory or the lure?

The theory is sound. Most predators (fish) will strike any lure fished that way! A longer rubber body lure like a Slugo or Fin-S helps with the action but a solid lure will work too. Add a little flash and it's deadly.

The infomercial for the Banjo made it seem like they discovered that type of retrieve or it's built in to the lure. Not so. Basically the retrieve is a quick strip-pause-strip retrieve. Been using it to work my flies for 20 years!

The Theory....

I would have to say the site!!! I think this is such a great way to meet people and get new ideas and such......it has really opened my mind up to different methods of fishing!!!

the site also comes in handy when its TOO DARN HOT to sleep! >(