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| This past season, I participated in a musky league and I noted how much more frequently my partner changed baits than did I. Maybe because he is 30 years younger and not as set in his ways. I really have never been one to use a lot of lures, I have several big boxes of them but really could get by with maybe a dozen. I fished with a guide on Eagle Lake in 2024 and he used four baits, all day. He did switch them back and forth, but only four.
I thought of this recently because one of my sister's grandsons has gotten hooked on musky fishing. He is in high school and has a part time job but we all know how expensive gear has gotten. I gave him a net won at a musky seminar and rod I didn't use. I plan to give him some lures that are like new, just sitting in one box or the other.
If you were completely honest and ruthless in your assessment, how many lures do you really need (for this exercise, count multiple colors of same lure as one)? |
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Location: PA Angler | I have a bunch and I do the same. I switch between 3 rods fly, bait, and spin. Changing all of them after I feel I have used them enough. Probably within a half an hr to an hr sometimes shorter. Got the bigger baits on bait, med to smaller on spin, and then flies. If you ask me to count. I wouldn’t know where to start. Plus I make my own plastics and flies so maybe that addiction got something to do with it also. |
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Posts: 8854
| Walk the dog
Tail prop
Double 10
Double 8
Deep running crank
Shallow running crank
Jerkbait
Spinner bait
Glider
Rubber
That it.
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Posts: 286
Location: US | I have hundreds of baits. Realistically, I use 1-3 different baits on any outing, usually 3-7 hours. Double that if you cast and troll on the same outing. This year I caught all of my fish on 6 different baits (not counting color differences).
I usually only fish local and don't travel as I have a couple young kids. for that reason time invested is also not as high as previous years. If i fished multiple times a week these numbers would likely be different. I'm big on fishing confidence baits so don't switch a lot and I'm sure there are days that costs me fish though. |
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Posts: 2078
| North of 8 - 1/9/2026 9:47 AM
If you were completely honest and ruthless in your assessment, how many lures do you really need (for this exercise, count multiple colors of same lure as one)?
This really depends on how many lakes you fish and if you are an ice-out to ice-up fisherman. I'd have no problem fishing LOTW in July for a month with 5 baits (assuming if they are damaged I get to replace them)....there have been years I've fished 18-20 different lakes Feb-Dec. and caught fish on 40+ different baits...most years I need about 20 baits (this assumes that for example if a mag dawg is destroyed I can replace it) I'm not a bait collector, for the most part the baits I haven't caught fish on are on the bench until a similar bait is retired.
EDIT - I'm also assuming two different size baits are 2 baits. a mag dawg vs pounder, something like a small and large pacemaker ...obviously a 6" jake and a 14" jake fish a little different - ha! |
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| IAJustin - 1/9/2026 12:43 PM
North of 8 - 1/9/2026 9:47 AM
If you were completely honest and ruthless in your assessment, how many lures do you really need (for this exercise, count multiple colors of same lure as one)?
This really depends on how many lakes you fish and if you are an ice-out to ice-up fisherman. I'd have no problem fishing LOTW in July for a month with 5 baits (assuming if they are damaged I get to replace them )....there have been years I've fished 18-20 different lakes Feb-Dec. and caught fish on 40+ different baits...most years I need about 20 baits (this assumes that for example if a mag dawg is destroyed I can replace it ) I'm not a bait collector, for the most part the baits I haven't caught fish on are on the bench until a similar bait is retired.
EDIT - I'm also assuming two different size baits are 2 baits. a mag dawg vs pounder, something like a small and large pacemaker ...obviously a 6" jake and a 14" jake fish a little different - ha! |
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Posts: 432
Location: MN | I love this question - not a big fan of excessive complexity and clutter. My roster currently contains 85 baits, which correspond to 39 distinct types after color is removed but still considering variation like size and weight. I use all of them, but realistically the set could be reduced to these 10 and it would cover the ways in which I use them all:
- double 12s or 13s built heavy
- double 12s built light
- 12" red oct tube mid depth
- husky medussa
- 12" posseidon
- 14" sq hellhound
- triple d
- 12" mattlock
- psycho sister or CBJ
- creeper |
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Posts: 8854
| I must admit: I have over 500 lures. I have lures for Cave run. I have lures for N/WI. I have lures for the Yahara chain. I have lures for spring, fall, post turnover…. I have lures for Eagle.. not just Eagle, but for the main lake basin, the West Arm, Osbourne Bay…. I have lures specific to cold fronts, cloudy days, sunny days… I have lures for muddy water, tannic stained water, clear water…. I have lures that are for specific lakes under specific conditions at specific times of year. I have a lure that’s on its last legs that is only for the purpose of that one special fish that will retire it to the wall of fame in the mouth of a replica of a fish worthy of a spot over the fireplace. (I have custom replacements of that exact lure for when that day comes). You will only see that lure on the end of my line as a throw back to a hot fish that is wider than my boots, that I a reasonably certain is going to eat on that cast. I have a few lures I will only throw back at a fish worthy of the privilege of eating them. I have lures that I will give to anyone who catches a fish on them and lures I will keep and fish with because I believe in them even though this far they have proven themselves to be worthless…
But the question was how many lures do you actually need. I still say 10. Fast slow, suspend, shallow, deep…. Cover the water. Add a few if you troll and one or two “I’m gonna die on this hill fish or no fish” lures, and I could get to 15…. |
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