Fresh vs Salt

[Goose]

Originally Posted by King Neptune

My two cents...
I think lure manufacturers need to keep changing things with freshwater lures since freshwater fish often see much more fishing pressure than saltwater fish. A 6-year old largemouth in a popular lake has seen dozens of lures in it's lifetime. They are smarter than you think. Catch one once on a rubber worm, and chances are that it will never eat one again. Most freshwater fish are released (as opposed to saltwater fish) and over time they get pretty savy.
Because of this, top freshwater anglers are always looking for lures that the fish haven't seen yet.
Little known fact: Freshwater bass fishing is the #1 most participated in sport in the US. It's a multi-billion dollar industry.

I agree100%

My bother a fresh water guru has stressed this to me many times...fish do get educated and become more selective over time, like striped bass there are small widows of oppertunity to take cow bass but that window is even smaller when it comes to large mouth. One of the lastest craz's in fresh water is the big black "Rat'' why? Because its a big bait and bass haven't see it but you throw that rat enough in same big bass spots and they pay no attention to it. Since I've become aware of the plug building world I can't help but ask for the 3rd time(atleast) when are one of you guys going to make a wood plug that has interchangable rubber body?...its the hottest trophy big bass bait goin in california...breakin records.

[fishaholic18]

I want to go fishing

[bloocrab]

Being completely spoiled living on the coast my entire life......it would take alot to get me into fresh/pond/lakes. That being said, here's my 2cents//+

Since most of the country is not bordered on the coastline, I would think there may be more fresh water fisher(people) than salt, therefore drawing much more attention to fresh-water tackle. Visit ANY nation-wide (chain) sporting goods store whether it be on the coast or not and you'll see Fresh water tackle out numbers Saltwater tackle almost 10 to 1. As far as new and "innovative" tackle, in the retail world, if you want to succeed, you must re-invent the wheel every few seasons. People like to buy and try different things. Let's face it, fish will hit just about anything. Now take that "anything" and make it appealing to the human eye...and you've made a sale.

Do I think fish are smart enough to

get educated and become more selective over time,

,,,personally, NO. (Sorry Tony). I just can't give them that much credit. It could have been a philosophy started by the retail world in keeping the fishing crowd believing they need new and different tackle.

If you were stranded on an island with a box of kastmasters, you would not die of starvation. You would catch more species of fish than you could ever imagine. You would learn to fish those lures in ways you'd never have thought of because you would have no other choice. In the real world, you have that choice, the retail world gives you that choice. Fish aren't that smart in my opinion, but then again....neither am I

[fishermanjim]

go ice fishing

[Goose]

Originally Posted by bloocrab

Do I think fish are smart enough to ,,,personally, NO. (Sorry Tony). I just can't give them that much credit. It could have been a philosophy started by the retail world in keeping the fishing crowd believing they need new and different tackle.

If you were stranded on an island with a box of kastmasters, you would not die of starvation. You would catch more species of fish than you could ever imagine. You would learn to fish those lures in ways you'd never have thought of because you would have no other choice. In the real world, you have that choice, the retail world gives you that choice. Fish aren't that smart in my opinion

Why do you have to be such a pork & cheese?
We're talkin about two completely different habbits. Most fresh water bass live farely long lives because the majority of the fish are released that being said why don't more guys catch large mouth over 8#? Most of those fish over 8# are caught in the spring on live bait (natives) biggest shiners. From about mid april through the spring just about everyone is throwing spinner baits, you can only imagine how many spinner baits a 6 pound bass has seen. Fresh water heads are throw baits with conv gear casting their arms off, some all day and some getting the skunk, you can imagine in the course of just one year how many lures them fish have seen. I personely know many hardcore fresh water heads that have driven this point to me on this subject, not that difficult I know.
I'm with you on the kast master theory but you know how I feel when it comes to big bass....I got Pork& Cheese in me too

[Bazza]

I think the fresh water guys are way ahead of the salt water guys. As pointed out ,many of the lures/ rubber we use were originaly for fresh water use, only to be modified for salt water. Large mouth bass can be caught all over the country. With sponsors and fishing tournaments, the fresh water crowd has a huge following. Maybe the biggest number for people partcipating in recreation in the country.

[In The Surf]

Originally Posted by Goose

Since I've become aware of the plug building world I can't help but ask for the 3rd time(atleast) when are one of you guys going to make a wood plug that has interchangable rubber body?...its the hottest trophy big bass bait goin in california...breakin records.

It's been here for 2 years. From what I hear there should some more around soon!

[Jenn]

hoo boy! what a loaded question! I am further "inland" than most of you so I fish both fresh and salt with inthusiasm for both. Certainly I would rather fish the surf but I know I cant do that 5 times a week so if I need to fish I will gladly hit the freshwater instead. I think most "innovation" comes from fresh just because its far more mainstream and far more available to the majority. I bet if there were a way to compare the amount of fresh and salt water innovation to the amount of corresponding anglers in percentages, your numbers would be about the same!

....oh and for what its worth you can bet your tooshie I stock my F.W. box with the some smaller S.W. lures and the S.W. box with larger F.W. stuff because you just never know.....