Diagnosis Please....

[Shoot2Kill]

So I hit up the show last weekend and got 6 new baits...not that I really needed them....but it's winter, I can't muskie fish and all the shiny new lures sucked me in....haha. Up until that point the urge to buy new baits had subsised since the close of the season. But now that those new baits are in my posession...not getting used.....all I want to do is buy more baits. So question one - is this normal?

Based on the other thread....everyone has pretty much decided that you can really get buy with just a "few" lures....so question 2 is - what is it about muskie baits that is so addicting to make you keep buying more?

Just food for more discussion I guess as this winter DRAGS ON!

[Shawn Kellett]

Yes. Baits are to muskie fishermen as what shoes are to women. My wife has over 30 pair of black shoes. They all look as similar to me as all my baits to to her. I don't question her shoes and she doesn't question my baits.

[Comit 2]

It's not just Muskie fishing. If I buy one more crankbait I will need a larger box for just my crankbaits (right now it is a Gander base camp). I have two overnight bags full of just soft baits. Two fishing vest full of fly fishing stuff. 10 fly rods (one I got in the mail 2 days ago, I didn't have a 9.5foot 7wt) Waders, shoes on and on and on. I can't fit it all into my boat. Then there are 10+ trolling rods. 10+bait casting rods. 10+ spinning rods and I didn't even mention the Muskie stuff.

So to your first Q; yes-it is normal?

[brmuskie]

As soon as you admit that it is a problem then you need to seek help. I refuse to admit that it is a problem, in fact I encourage the behavior in others so that my own is justified.

[50inchpig]

sounds like you need some blades, wire, and beads, and a couple musky dvds to watch while you tie up bucktails

[Shoot2Kill]

sounds like you need some blades, wire, and beads, and a couple musky dvds to watch while you tie up bucktails

Throw in some golden sodas and I'd never come out of the man cave. That's a good idea though Marc...maybe I'll try that in February/March.

[mainbutter]

Oh don't worry it's normal.

I've been keeping costs down by making my own. Rather than buying 'em, I spend hours online looking at designs, and making my own modifications for my homemade customs.

When it takes 40-50 hours for a single hand carved lure to go from a block of wood to a painted and topcoated finished lure, I don't find myself running the wallet thin by buying too many materials.

Soft plastics now have been running me a bit more because I can pump 'em out faster, but still slowly enough that I've barely made a dent in my 5 gallon bucket.

I've also kept costs down by buying cheap plastic containers to keep all my lures in rather than tackle boxes. I don't intend to take ALL my lures out with me every time I go fishing.

And shoot2kill, yes I have barely left my man-cave since hard water hit. Online ordering of pizza, a TV, my folding work bench, and my fridge are both a blessing and a curse.

[dcmusky]

Oh don't worry it's normal.

I've been keeping costs down by making my own. Rather than buying 'em, I spend hours online looking at designs, and making my own modifications for my homemade customs.

When it takes 40-50 hours for a single hand carved lure to go from a block of wood to a painted and topcoated finished lure, I don't find myself running the wallet thin by buying too many materials.

Soft plastics now have been running me a bit more because I can pump 'em out faster, but still slowly enough that I've barely made a dent in my 5 gallon bucket.

I've also kept costs down by buying cheap plastic containers to keep all my lures in rather than tackle boxes. I don't intend to take ALL my lures out with me every time I go fishing.

And shoot2kill, yes I have barely left my man-cave since hard water hit. Online ordering of pizza, a TV, my folding work bench, and my fridge are both a blessing and a curse.

No it's not normal you guys are sick, glad I don't have the too much tackle problem.

Besides 3 hanging boxes and a boat load of baits isn't allot, is it?

[brad coin]

its a common sickness

we drive to Chicago muskie show from twin cities every year,,10 in a row for me,,,I average spending thanksgiving with my relatives every other year!!!

rather go to Chi musky show in January at my own expense and look at stuff then have an all expense paid weekend in hawaii

[MuskieJunkie]

Another good way to pass the time over the winter is to organize and re-organize the tackle you have, group them together by type then make sub groups of that type, some stay in the garage, seperate box for trolling....oh then sharpen the hooks as you go, maybe re-sharpen just to make sure. Opps sorry I wondered off there. Wait did someone say something about a sickness....

[Muskiefool]

I have about a dozen baits that friends have made and some rare like 1 off stuff that I keep in a box in the basement.

When I want to go spend money on baits I'll never use I bust out those few baits and go "Ahhh that's what I needed".

Cured from the bait ho addiction.

[Shoot2Kill]

And shoot2kill, yes I have barely left my man-cave since hard water hit. Online ordering of pizza, a TV, my folding work bench, and my fridge are both a blessing and a curse.

Pretty sure you just described what I think Heaven should be like this time of year in MN. Online ordering of pizza - priceless!

[HugoBox]

You are all more than a bit sick.

STEP ONE: Put extra baits in a box and send them to me. Once I've examined your baits for a summer or two I'll get back to you with step two...

Just ask 50 Pig, Redig, Propter, or Cjac - the sickness can get bad enough for some poor sucker in the North East Metro to start turning old hunks of wood into 2 foot crank baits and bribing the guy who runs a pool at the health club to let him tank test them... I'm sure glad I don't know anyone like that!!

[ole matty]

Yup I really Hate when i find lures in odd place like under my bed, under my pile of dirty laundry, in basement, in garage, laying around on my truck floor. Heck to think of it some lure I didn't knew I had them and I don't even have over 200 and yet I find them in odd place now thats sickness.

Sob can't may come much sooner!!

[Musky Buck]

You're fine, it's the passion toward the pursuit. What stinks for me is my favorite lure is a combo of 2 lures. I buy one and take off the back part, buy the other and put the back part on the other one, need 2 lures to get 1. The worst part is the 1 company used to make them and quit.

[HugoBox]

my favorite lure is a combo of 2 lures. I buy one and take off the back part, buy the other and put the back part on the other one

Buck -

If I were you I think my second favorite would be the back half of the first and the front half of the second lure.

Tinkering sure is fun huh??

-erik

[Musky Buck]

lol hugo, no doubt, I have 20 of each, why not match them up, beats the scrap heap. What do junior high kids say..."da". That was good Hugo